Canada - Alberta Rockies High Mountain Ride

Please Note: The opinions expressed in these reviews are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Trails Ltd. These reviews are "directly from the horses mouth" and unedited. Unicorn Trails may make additional comments for clarification clearly identified in red.

Review received from LP of Montréal on 25/08/2023

Riders are advised to arrive in Calgary the day before as the ride starts early in the morning. We can help organize accommodation for the night before if required.

Day 1
Meet at the ranch at 9am. From there, riders will be transported along with the horses and gear to the Ford Creek trailhead, where the wagons will be loaded up. Upon arrival, riders will meet their horses and embark on a journey along the Little Elbow River, spanning most of the day. The trail will lead to Romulus camp, where three nights will be spent.

Day 2
Following a hearty breakfast, riders will journey to Talus Lake, and have the opportunity to admire the iconic Tombstone Mountain in the backdrop. Talus Lake is situated up a tall headwall and is a good ride from the Mt. Romulus camp.

Day 3
After breakfast, the group sets out to ride the high trails to Paradise Pass, which offers some incredible views over the Alberta Rockies. The elevation is approximately 8500ft, so don’t forget the sunscreen!

Day 4
After breakfast, the camp is packed up and wagons loaded. Head out over the Tombstone pass to Tombstone Lake, making a stop for lunch and a short rest along the way. Afterward, continue riding to the second camp on the Sheep River. Riders can enjoy dinner by the campfire before settling down for the night.

Day 5
After breakfast, will embark on the highest trail yet – Skyline Ride. Climb to an elevation of 9000ft for even more truly spectacular views from the top. At this height, sunscreen is a must even if it feels cool.

Day 6
After breakfast, camp will be broken, and the group will ride through the Sheep River Valley, crossing the Sheep River 12 times to get to the Indian Oils Campground. There, the trucks and trailers will meet the ride to travel back to the Ranch. One night is spent at the Ranch, where a great dinner in the lodge will be served, and showers will be available.

Day 7
The final day of this adventure will start with being trucked to the Indian Oils Trailhead. This trail ride, off the beaten track and for the adventurous rider, will lead back into the Ranch, arriving at around 4pm-5pm.

Please note: All itineraries are given for your guidance only and it may be altered on the ground and in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.

This ranch has 75 horses available for trail riding so you are guaranteed to find a suitable mount whether you prefer a more lively ride or a quieter mount. The herd is made up of mainly quarter horses, appaloosas, paint and draft crosses. Many of them are homebred and all are used to the steep trails on this ride.

You'll be riding for between 4-6 hours each day with a long break for lunch in between the morning and afternoon rides. The pace of each trail ride depends on the condition of the trail and the ability of the riders but generally there are areas where the group can trot and canter. This destination uses Western tack, this is very easy to get used to even if you have previousy only ridden English.

Riders will follow rocky, winding trails high up into the mountains while the wagons carrying the camp supplies follow paths through the valleys. The wagons are pulled by draught horses; teams of Percherons and Belgian Warmbloods, that freight the wagonloads of supplies from camp to camp.

Please note that we recommend bringing your own hard hat if you wish to wear one as there are non to borrow on site.

This trail is for intermediate riders onwards.
You should be comfortable and confident at all paces and able to control a responsive horse in open ground. You should be comfortable riding on steep terrain and happy to mount and dismount without assistance.
Assistance is welcomed with care of the horses and setting up camp while on the trail, however it is not obligatory so if you would rather sit back and relax that is also fine.

The weight limit for this ride is 255 lb/116 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

For nights 1-5 you'll be camping out on the trail. You are welcome to share a tent or have one to yourself, whichever you prefer. Tents are standard white canvas tents with a maximum of two people per tent, a mattress is provided. As well as the tents, the camp will include a main mess tent for cooking and eating which will be equipped with wood burning stoves. All camping equipment is provided excluding a sleeping bag, although these are available to rent if you don't want to bring your own. This is basic camping, the cooks heat water every meal for handwashing and can heat extra if you want a basin bath and solar showers are also available. The entire camp and your luggage is transported by wagon from one camp to another.

Your last night will be spent at the ranch in twin or double rooms in traditional log cabins. These cabins are warm and comfortable with bedroom, kitchen, and living area complete with wood-burning stove. There are no single supplements charged on this trail but riders requesting single rooms will be accommodated in the main lodge house rather than the cabins.

Meals are varied, generous and homemade including generous breakfasts, light lunches of sandwiches and fruit, and traditional Canadian fare for dinner. On arrival in camp you'll be able to refuel with some after ride snacks while waiting for dinner. Drinks available with each meal are coffee, tea, water, iced tea and lemonade. If you would like any alcoholic beverages or canned soft drinks you will need to bring your own. Your hosts can arrange a store trip prior to the ride to stock up if required.

Vegetarian or other dietary requirements within reason can be accommodated with advance notice. Please contact Unicorn Trails with requests before booking.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation in place for your trip. NB: Be sure to check the COVID status of the country you plan to visit including entry procedures and requirements while travelling. Dependent on your country, Passport and Visa requirements can change from regularly depending on diplomatic relations. Please request information from the appropriate Consulate in your home country. Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada are expected to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. To visit Canada, you will need to meet some basic requirements, such as: • Have a valid travel document, such as a passport • Be in good health • Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions • Convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country. • Convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and have enough money for your stay. (The amount of money you will need can vary. It depends on things such as how long you will stay, and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives). Unicorn Trails will assist with any questions you have or supply any necessary supporting documents as required by the consulate should you need a visa. In the UK the British Foreign Office gives advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/canada In the US: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Canada.html

Another useful resource is Sherpa - this summarises any travel and vaccination requirements based on when you are travelling simply by entering your home country followed by your destination country: https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions

Alberta has a continental climate, with more sunshine than any other Canadian province. Winters are dry, sunny, and cold, though in the south the Chinook winds, which occur when warm, dry air of Pacific origin descends the eastern slopes of the Rockies, can raise temperatures by 40 °F (22 °C) in an hour or less. Summers are warm and wetter (except in drought years), with occasional destructive hailstorms and tornadoes. Edmonton’s mean and extreme temperatures are 6 and −59 °F (−14 and −51 °C) in January and 60 and 95 °F (16 and 35 °C) in July. Annual precipitation in Edmonton averages 18 inches (460 mm), compared with 12 inches (300 mm) in the dry southeast and more than 50 inches (1,270 mm) in the mountains. About half the precipitation falls from June to August.

COVID: Be sure to check the latest COVID regulations for travelling in any country you visit.

Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

The cost of medical treatment can be very expensive in Canada. For emergency health care you can go to a hospital’s emergency room or to a large number of walk-in clinics where an appointment is not required beforehand.

Giardiasis is present so do not drink water from streams. Tap water is safe to drink.

Rabies is endemic in Canada, do not approach stray dogs.

Lyme disease can be a risk in wooded regions; it is a rare tick borne disease.

Please refer to your country’s latest health guideline for travel in Canada and contact your own GP for up to date advice on vaccinations and prophylaxis prior to travel.

In Canada the supply voltage is 120V. If the appliance or its power supply are not dual voltage rated, the single voltage appliance will have to be used alongside a voltage transformer or converter to allow the appliance to work safely and properly (unless the appliance operates at 120V).

There is no electricity available once out on the trail so we recommend a solar charger if you need to charge a mobile. Please note that mobile phone signal is extremely patchy in the mountains anyway. When staying in the log cabins on Day 6 there is electricity available for charging camera and batteries. Wifi is only available at the ranch near the ranch office and not in the rooms. Each cabin is equipped with hairdryers for guests use. If you want to bring a GoPro please be advised that you will have to have permission from all other guests and guides that they are willing to be filmed.

- Riding Helmet - we strongly recommend that you wear a properly fitted riding helmet of the current standard which is PAS015 or BSEN1384
- Gloves
- Jodhpurs - jodhpurs, jeans, breeches or other comfortable trousers
- Riding Boots - it is important to have correct shoes or boots for horse riding. Jodhpur or ankle boots with a rubber sole are recommended but sturdy shoes with a small heel are acceptable (such as walking boots)
- Half Chaps - these are great when worn with ankle boots and help prevent the stirrup leathers rubbing against your legs
- Warm jacket
- Short and long sleeved shirts
- Long underwear
- Sweater/sweatshirt
- Comfortable clothing/footwear for evenings in camp
- Rubber boots (optional)
- Hat with a brim
- Warm hat/toque
- Raincoat or slicker (no ponchos, please)
- Towel
- Fishing gear (optional)
- Warm sleeping bag & fleece liner
- Pillow (optional, a pillow case filled with a fleece works nicely)
- Duffle bag for your gear – 40 lbs or less please
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Personal Items - toiletries, any medicines you require and please be sure to take insect repellent
- Flashlight
- Camera, spare Batteries/Chargers - an absolute must! It is also a good idea to take a camera case you can strap around your waist or onto a belt for whilst you are riding
- Bring your own beer, wine, liquor and soft drinks

It is possible to rent some equipment for an additional cost (payable on-site). Please let us know in advance if you wish to hire equipment:
Sleeping bags – C$30
Chaps – C$20
Slicker- C$15

7d / 6n programme with 7 riding days. One set departure date in August.

2025: 18 - 24 August (Full)

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Icefields by Thomas Wharton.

This is a story of adventure and discovery that unfolds amidst the stunning beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Presented within the frame of a tourist guidebook, this novel records life in the mountains, as time and the coming of the railroad slowly transform the settlement of Jasper from a place of myth and legend to a modern tourist town. Exhaustively researched, this novel blends geology and poetry, fact and fiction, history and imagination.

Nearby there is golfing, mountain biking at Sandy McNabb Recreation Area, fishing, swimming, shopping and restaurants. The ranch is within a 1 – 2 hours drive from Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Remington-Alberta Carriage Museum, Glenbow Museum, Calgary Stampede, and many other attractions.

Blue grama and other grasses dominate the prairie area in the south, although cacti, tumbleweeds, and sagebrush are more conspicuous; few trees grow naturally outside river valleys. The transitional parklands have aspen-covered bluffs. The mixed and coniferous forests of the foothills and the north are home to various combinations of aspen, white spruce, jack and lodgepole pines, and balsam fir. Black spruce and tamarack grow over accumulations of organic peat in extensive bogs. Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir are important trees in the mountain forests. The wild rose, Alberta’s provincial flower, is widespread.

Meadowlarks and pronghorn are conspicuous on the prairies and badlands support rattlesnakes, horned lizards, and scorpions. White-tailed deer, beavers, and coyotes are familiar in parkland areas, while the great horned owl, the provincial bird, rears its young in vacated crows’ nests. The northern forests house a wealth of fur bearers and big game, including the moose, wapiti, caribou (reindeer), and black bear. Gray jays visit campsites, and loons are heard on the many lakes. Wapiti, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and black and grizzly bears, together with Clark’s nutcrackers and golden eagles, are characteristic of the mountains. Rivers and lakes throughout the province support trout, whitefish, and pike. Ducks nest by every slough. Examples of most habitats and some threatened species receive partial protection in national and provincial parks, wilderness areas, and ecological reserves. The endangered peregrine falcon, however, flies among the high-rise buildings of Edmonton and Calgary.

People migrating from Asia crossing the Bering Strait first settled on the North American continent. They formed a number of tribes that can be distinguished by language: the Algonquian in the eastern sub-arctic and maritime areas spreading into the prairies and plains of the mid-west; the Iriquioian speaking tribes mostly in the St Lawrence Valley and around Lakes Ontario and Erie; the Salishan, Athabascan and other linguistic groups lived along the rivers and coastline of British Columbia. Small, isolated Inuit bands developed a unique culture in the harsh environment of the Arctic. John Cabot, a Venetian working in the service of the English sailed to Newfoundland in 1497. This and later explorations formed the basis of the English claim to Canada. The Frenchman Jacques Cartier undertook a series of explorations, mainly along the route of the St Lawrence River during the 1530s and 1540s and he claimed the land for France. It's the edginess between Canada's indigenous, French and British traditions that gives the nation its complex three-dimensional character. Add to this a constant infusion of US culture and a plethora of traditions brought by migrants, and you have a thriving multicultural society. Canada is between 3.5 and 8 hours behind GMT depending on where you are in the country. They use the metric weights and measures system, so kilometres and kilograms instead of miles and pounds. There is approximately 1.6 kilometres in a mile and 2.2 pounds in a kilogram. The international dialling code is +1.