After our early morning start at Moraine Lake, we headed a few minutes down the road to Lake Louise. This still being early, and with a fairly decent hike in front of us it was time for breakfast. We had the best spot in the carpark so out came the BBQ and the pancake mix. We filled ourselves with tea and stacks of maple syrupy pancakes until the tourist busses started turning up and we knew had better start walking.
From the carpark it is hard to ignore the massive Chateau Lake Louise sitting on the waterfront looking over the pale blue lake. This was crawling with tourists and we had better places to be. So we boxed on, and began the walk along edge of the water.
We were heading to the tea house. Now to clarify, there are two tea housesyou can walk to. The first is the Lake Agnes Tea House, this one is only about 2kms away, and strictly reserved for 'numpty-bloody-tourists' (for lack of a better phrase). The REAL tea house is the Six Glaciers Tea House, located 7km up into the mountains overlooking the source of Lake Louise.
The first section of the walk follows the waters edge until the lake gradually becomes marshes, and then a river. This was by far the busiest leg of the walk as anyone can stroll to the end for the view back to the hotel, reflecting in the cloudy water, nestled amongst the tall trees and surrounding mountains.
Once we passed the last casual tourist and the rock climbers setting up for the day we began to climb. By this stage the sun was high enough to no longer be obscured by the tall peaks on either side of us. This meant we no longer had any shade, bar the occasional forest section. It was hot. And the higher we climbed the shorter the trees became, and the less shade there was to hide in.
The climb was spectacular, and by this stage the view back down the valley was amazing, and the Hotel a tiny dot. It was seriously hot by this stage, but luckily enough there were a few small trickles of water crossing the path. Ahead was the most substantial 'waterfall' so far, nothing more than flow rate of an average kitchen tap, but that meant I could dip my hat under the water and cool off from the top down.
As Laura and I approached there was a father and a small boy at the water source. The little lad was taking a photo on his dad's camera, so we smiled and politely waited. After they were done they stepped back to admire the kids photographic prowess, and I stepped up to fill my hat with fresh mountain water. About two cups worth in my headgear was to suffice, but as I flicked the cap backwards to slam down with cold water on my head, I forgot about gravity and momentum, and parabolic arcs. The majority of the precious, cooling water never made it onto my head, instead it took a glorious leap through the air like a Salvador Dali photo (minus the cats) and landed all over the would-be-photographer and his shocked father! Thank goodness they both had a sense of humour, otherwise I could have ended up in hot (or cold) water!
The Six Glaciers Tea House
The Six Glaciers Tea House was built in 1924 in the style of a Swiss Cottage, by the Swiss Mountain Guides employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway. If you were dropped here without knowing where you were, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in the Swiss Alps circa 1920s. The Tea House doesn't have any electricity, and the staff hike up and live in huts for five days before heading back down. They brew your tea and bake all the goodies over an old fire. The exterior is adorned with Nepalese Prayer Flags adding a colourful touch to the stained wood.
On our way up I had mentioned to Laura that I would love to see an avalanche at some point in my life. Not up close mind you, but from a good enough distance to appreciate the raw destructive power whilst still remaining safe. So I added that to my 'list'.
Not five minutes after taking a seat and ordering our refreshments did we hear the most calamitous noise imaginable. Like thunder going off beneath your feet. We jumped up and rushed to get a view. Low an behold the hot day had caused enough melt to set off a chain reaction that caused and almighty avalanche on the other side of the valley. A truly amazing sight to behold. The crashing of thousands if not millions of tons of snow and ice did not disappoint, and no sooner had I added avalanche to my 'list' had I ticked it off. (no one was hurt in the making of that avalanche)
Another 1.5km straight up from the Tea House is the top of the track, and the promise of an even better view of the glaciers. So after we finished our lemonade and scones, Myself, Annika, Dad, and Laura (Mum opting to bask in the warm mountain sunshine) began the short, steep climb.
This track cuts its way around the mountainside before everything around you drops away and you are left balancing your way along a narrow razorback ridge, perhaps not recommended for those who have a disposition towards vertigo.
Photo Credit: Graeme Quickfall
Photo Credit: Graeme Quickfall
At the end of the ridge was a very steep scree slope that takes you to a waterfall fed by fresh glacier melt. Not everyone dared climb that high, but those who did were rewarded by being able to splash in the freezing water, and of course take a drink from the freshest of sources.
Trying to comprehend exactly where you were was hard. The sheer beauty of the hanging glaciers was overwhelming enough, not to mention the way the mountain split off into two separate, massive, high alpine valleys (something that can only be truly appreciated from the top).
Our day concluded by hiking back down the track with the promise of beer at the end. It was a bit cooler by that stage in the afternoon, and the sun had shifted significantly enough for there to be shade when we needed it.
By this stage the rock climbers were dangling by their dozens, the canoes were forming mini armadas, and the closer we got to the bottom the more the tourists swarmed like flies. Our beer at the Hotel was much deserved, it had been a long and rewarding day, one of the absolute highlights of our time in the Rockies.
