In fact, I’ve become so obsessed that I am now an expedition guide, spending roughly half the year at sea in Antarctica and the Arctic. And I’m not slowing down anytime soon. I’ve already started a three-month season with Adventure Canada in the Arctic for this summer in Canada and Greenland.

These polar places are almost inaccessible. The easiest and most efficient way to visit is by expedition ship. Most of the year, sea ice locks the Arctic away. Only for a few months in the summer does it melt enough to allow access. Most people get around by small planes, boats, or snowmobiles (in winter). Personally, I find this isolation fascinating.

Here, whales swim by us all the time, polar bears peek out from behind the sea ice, and colorful communities give us the most incredible welcomes. The Arctic is vast, wild, and unpredictable. It gets under your skin.

Curious about traveling to the Arctic? Check out my trips and learn more here

If you’re already keen to go, you can fill out this form, and I’ll help you find your dream trip!

Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my work over the years, blogging, writing, and taking photos. I managed to craft a career out of thin air, getting paid to travel the world and write about it. But if I’m being honest, I’ve felt somewhat disillusioned since the pandemic. I’m tired of hustling. I’m tired of the meaningless competition. It’s not good for my headspace or creativity.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change a thing in the past. But I think I’ve grown and stepped onto a new path I’m keen to explore more of. Guiding.

Visiting the Arctic and writing about it isn’t enough for me. Deep down, I yearned to be part of a team again, a community. Adventure Canada feels like family. Owned and operated by three siblings (started by their dad, uncle, and friend), as soon as you step on board, you feel a connection like no other. The same guides always come back year after year – it feels like going to summer camp and reuniting with all of your friends. And it’s the same with the passengers.

On most trips, half of the passengers are returning, having traveled with AC before. I mean, you can’t invent that kind of loyalty. 

I know it sounds super cheesy, but working in the Arctic fulfills me in a way I didn’t know I needed. It’s freaking hard work but so worth it. I feel like I belong here. It’s an area I know really well, and I love sharing it with others.

Whether I’m driving zodiacs around icebergs the size of skyscrapers, looking for wildlife from the bridge with my eyes glued to my binoculars, or hanging out with everyone in the evenings listening to live music as we steam onwards to our next destination, I’m just so happy. On one trip alone last year, I saw 20 polar bears, including a mom and cubs eating a beluga whale. I walked on sea ice and followed in Franklin’s footsteps on Beechey Island before falling asleep beneath the dancing northern lights in Greenland. I mean, come on!

Over the past year, I have considered the direction I want to take with my work, and I always end up in the same place: polar travel. So, I’ve decided to try something new. In addition to continuing to write and share travel stories, I’m also going to start selling polar trips.

If you or someone you know is interested in traveling to the Arctic, let me help connect you with the perfect trip.

Almost like a travel agent, if someone books a trip to the Arctic through my referral, I’ll make a small commission. I know that no one likes to be sold to, me included, but I’m hoping that by using my knowledge, skills, and experience in the Arctic to help people book the perfect trip there, it’s worth it. I will also be on many of the trips, so you can travel with me (if you want, haha). I’m fun, I swear!

To be honest, I already do this kind of thing anyway; this just makes it more hands-on and a little more official. Being honest about this is really important to me. Changing direction with my income means that I can step back from the Influencer world and focus on the things I really love. It will free me up to be creative, play, and have fun again. It will also give me free reign to never shut up about the polar places I love. Sorry, not sorry.

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
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I promise not to be annoying about it, either. 

To me, this should be natural and organic. Perhaps you’ve followed me for years, and your curiosity about the polar world is piqued (as it should be). Or is it your lifelong dream to see polar bears in the wild? Maybe you have an auntie who loves Inuit art and wants to spend time in the most northerly communities. Or do you want to experience the far north sea ice and diminishing glaciers of Greenland?

Reach out, and I can help you make these dreams a reality. You can also send along my information or this page here if you feel inclined.

I care about our polar worlds more than you could ever imagine. And I firmly believe that everyone who visits becomes a lifelong ambassador for them. We need this now more than ever. Come play in the Arctic; I promise you won’t regret it.

The post A big life update: join me in the Arctic appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Coningham Bay might look like any other bay in the vast, sprawling tundra of the Arctic. Wide and desolate, it is special because it has a narrow, shallow entrance. Inside, the bay itself is pretty shallow. Beluga whales like to come inside the bay and roll around in the shallows, scraping their skin. But because it’s very shallow at low tide, the belugas are trapped inside the bay until the tide comes in again.

Bring on the hungry polar bears!

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
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When I first heard this, I almost didn’t believe it. There is a place where polar bears hunt beluga whales? I was skeptical. That sounds like some Planet Earth documentary, rare and uncommon, not something people usually see. 

Polar bears mainly hunt seals on the pack ice. While I’ve seen polar bears in the wild many times, I have never seen them hunt a whale or even make a kill. Doubtful me was all like, “Can they even take down a beluga?” Maybe an injured one or a calf, or maybe chow down once it’s already dead and washed ashore.  

Boy, was I wrong.

At over 70° N, Coningham Bay is not easy to access. Very few people will ever be lucky enough to visit here, and it’s usually only on the few expedition ships that make the full journey through the Northwest Passage.

Even then, it’s not guaranteed. Mother Nature rules the Arctic with an iron fist. 

Expedition travel is complicated by many factors, especially the weather. The swells of the water, the wind, the visibility, and the sea ice all call the shots. And, of course, polar bears and belugas keep their own schedules. We never know exactly where they will be. There might be none there and heaps in other places. It’s one of the reasons I love exploring this way.

It really is an adventure. It really is an expedition. We have to look and explore to find the amazing places. And hope that the place where polar bears hunt beluga whales delivers.

Bundled up in a million layers, it was a sunny morning when we approached Coningham Bay on Adventure Canada’s Out of the Northwest Passage trip. 

September in the Arctic is already full autumn, with snow just beginning to fall. Before we even arrived near Coningham Bay, we got the call over the radio that we could already spot more than a dozen bears in the area. Holy shit!

25 photos to inspire you to voyage through the Northwest Passage

I was so excited, even more excited than usual. Hanging out on the outer decks with my binoculars glued to my face, the suspense was killing me. I couldn’t wait til it was my turn in the zodiac to go out and see the bears. 

I’ll also mention that we follow the AECO guidelines for wildlife, including polar bears and whales: not approaching them, keeping a safe distance, never disturbing them, etc. Adventure Canada also has a solid team of experienced polar bear guards who come with deterrents and firearms; many of them are local Inuit. But don’t fret; it almost never happens that situations escalate to that. 

Almost as soon as we piled in the zodiac at the gangway, we began to see wildlife. Out of nowhere, a narwhal popped up right next to us in the shallows. Sea unicorn, omg!!! It just rolled around in the water next to us for ages. The water was nearly crystal clear, looking almost Mediterranean. You could see straight to the bottom, though ice cold. 

Zooming through the shallow entrance, Coningham Bay greeted us with about a dozen polar bears dotted all around. Mom and cubs. Big boys. Swimming bears. Even a freshly dead bear. And there were beluga splashing around, too. There were so many bears, usually solitary, just hanging around, unbothered by each other. There was enough food to go around. It’s hard not to want to pull sides – who do you root for? The bear or beluga?

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And sure enough, we hit the motherload. There was a mom with two cubs feasting on a dead whale. As a photographer and storyteller who loves wildlife, seeing things in action is so exciting. I’ve been on a few safaris in Africa, and the most exciting viewings are when a predator is hunting. I know this is morbid, but seeing bears covered in gore was wild and unforgettable. 

Watching the polar bears and belugas of Coningham Bay ranks among my best wildlife experiences. I’ll never, ever forget that day.

Many thanks to Adventure Canada for hosting me in the Arctic. As always, I’m keeping it real—all opinions are my own, and you could expect less from me!

The post Is this place for real? Where polar bears hunt beluga whales in Arctic Canada appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Actually, if I’m being honest, I am more of a beach person now than I used to be. Pretentious young traveler me always wanted to be doing things and taking in the sights. Relaxing and holiday never belonged in the same sentence. I need to SEE and DO it ALL.

Having burnt myself out so many times since, your girl loves a lazy holiday now. Show me the resort happy hour!

But back to the ocean. With no idea where this passion came from, I can say now that I am really happy at sea. To visit the Arctic is to fall in love. I adore it. I enjoy the rocking of the boat. The wild weather and waves. The feeling of transiting in a new way. The briny air and the feeling of insignificance. Mother Natch is in charge at sea.

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
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I’ve been traveling to the polar worlds by ship for years and years, making some of my favorite travel memories along the way. In these remote corners of the earth, getting around by boat is pretty much the only feasible way to visit the Arctic. My job onboard was always travel content, photography, writing, and storytelling. I sat somewhere in between the expedition team and passengers. 

But deep down, I knew I wanted to be part of the team. I wanted to get my hands dirty and learn how to work at sea. In 2023, I finally found the courage to pursue working as an expedition guide on the Ocean Endeavour, an expedition ship alternating between the Arctic with Adventure Canada and the Antarctic with Intrepid, summer to summer. 

A new polar chapter begins

I spent three months onboard with Adventure Canada last summer, traveling from Scotland to the Faroes to Iceland to Greenland and finishing in Canada. It was the adventure of a lifetime, and I feel honored to be part of their family. There’s such a close-knit vibe onboard. My main job was as media, taking photos and gathering content for storytelling, but I also doubled as part of the expedition team. After a decade of working independently, being part of a team felt so good. 

And arguably the best part of it all? Three months at sea means you see a ton of cool stuff. It allowed me to build on my experience, revisit places I loved, and see things through fresh eyes. If you visit the Arctic one day, hopefully, you will get to share some of these adventures, too. Here are ten of the coolest things I saw while onboard with Adventure Canada – enjoy!

1. Polar bears eating a beluga whale

I’ve managed to see some pretty amazing things in my life, especially since I became a full-time travel blogger in 2013. But without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences of all happened while visiting the Arctic in the Northwest Passage last September.

There is this incredible place called Coningham Bay, with a wide, shallow bay with a narrow inlet. Beluga whales like to swim into the bay to roll around and scrape off their old skin. But they become trapped inside at low tide because of the shallow entrance. Dinner time for the polar bears. 

Here, we saw over a dozen polar bears, including cubs feasting on dead whales. It was wild. Only in my morbid dreams did I imagine seeing polar bears with bloody, gorey faces. There were beluga in the bay splashing around and even narwhal! It ranks at the top of the coolest wildlife experiences ever. 

2. Sailing from Iceland to Greenland with Margaret Attwood

One of the coolest experiences last summer at sea was that Canadian icon and legend Margaret Attwood was onboard with us as a special guest on the Iceland to Greenland: In the Wake of the Vikings trip. If you visit the Arctic, arriving by ship is a real adventure.

A longtime friend of Adventure Canada, Margaret Attwood, joins in on a trip per year. A passionate conservationist and bird nerd along with her late husband, it was ridiculously cool to be on board with her on such a fun adventure. Very much like everybody else except with a cunning and dark sense of humor, it was inspirational to be around one of the greatest writers of our age. Hanging out with her and hearing her stories, you kind of just shut up and listen because they’re so riveting. 

She even penned a short story called Stone Mattress while onboard years ago. About revenge and murder (of course) on the Northwest Passage traveling by expedition ship, it’s now part of the book of the same name. 

3. Finally seeing the Northern Lights

I am so happy to report that I have finally seen the Northern Lights after all these years. It was a huge experience for me and one that I almost missed out on. 

I’ve been to the Arctic a few times, and Aurora territory, and I have never seen them. I spent a week in Arctic Finland in winter—cloudy the entire time. Other times, I’ve been in the Arctic in summertime when it doesn’t get dark—no lights. I’ve seen their equivalent a lot in New Zealand, but down here, it is nowhere near as bright or dramatic—we’re not far enough south. 

But this time, in September, as we made our way south along the western coast of Greenland, the Northern Lights came out in full force. I was getting over being sick and had gone to bed early when I started to hear knocking on my door. I ignored it for ages, but my resilient boat bestie, Krista, was not leaving til I got up to see them. Thank god for good friends!

Throwing my gear over my pajamas, we made our way to the top deck, and the aurora was popping off! It was insane! I watched it dance for ages, took a few photos, and just jumped around with everyone, celebrating such a cool experience. If you visit the Arctic and want to see the Northern Lights, Greenland is the place to be.

4. Hanging out with the Shetland ponies in Scotland

My very first trip with Adventure Canada was Scotland Slowly, which explores the northern Scottish Isles. Exploring Scotland by sea was incredible, and going by expedition ship meant we could take in many places that are usually hard to get to.

As a huge history nerd, I loved this trip. In fact, most of the books I bought for the whole season were on this trip around Scotland. 

But if I’m being honest here, my favorite part was being around the Shetland ponies. The Shetland Islands are not easy to access, nearly 200 kilometers north of mainland Scotland, close to Norway. We called into the tiny island of Foula for the day, home to a few dozen humans and a hell of a lot more ponies. With beautiful bird cliffs and incredible views, and tiny horses roaming around, it was a real highlight for me for the whole some.  

5. Standing on sea ice in Baffin Bay

By this point, I’ve been to the Arctic and Antarctic many times and spent a fair amount of time moving through sea ice, either by ship or on zodiac cruises. Punching through the ice, the crackles and booms against the ship, looking towards the horizon for polar bears, sea ice exploration is one of my favorite things about polar travel. It makes you feel like you’re exploring if you visit the Arctic.

Baffin Bay sprawls across northern Canada to Greenland. Frozen all year, channels and large parts open up in the summertime. Ice conditions definitely dictate how we travel by ship. Ships are assigned ice class rankings, depending on the strengthening to go through sea ice. The ice can be thick or thin, super-condensed, or spread out. There are heaps of factors that go into understanding sea ice conditions – many I’m still learning myself. 

But one thing I have never done before is land on sea ice, i.e., get out and walk on it. It has to be old, thick, and sturdy. This season, we found the perfect sea ice to land on in Baffin Bay, nudging the zodiacs onto the ice before hopping out and exploring for a bit. It was a really, really cool experience that not many of us have done before. It was so special. 

6. Getting a real education about Inuit life and history

I’ll be completely honest: I did not know heaps about Inuit life and culture before heading to the Arctic. I knew a fair amount about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada, along with the horrors of the residential schools, mostly from crime podcasts I listen to. 

But then, there is only so much you can read about until you experience it yourself. And there is only so much you can even begin to comprehend as an outsider. 

Adventure Canada cares a lot about indigenous life, especially since they operate around their lands. Each trip has many local Inuk guides on board as cultural educators. They even have the only Inuk Expedition Leader in the industry. Everything happens in a real, authentic way; nothing is hidden or sugarcoated. We visited abandoned communities where Inuit residents were forced to move, see graves, and learn about the tragic history, particularly in Canada. It was really eye-opening.

7. Getting up close and personal with puffins in the Faroe Islands

Just like the ponies of Scotland, I was enraptured by another adorable creature – the puffin. If you visit the Arctic, hopefully you’ll see them!

I had seen puffins before on my first trip to Iceland a million years ago, but it was before I had a telephoto lens and they weren’t particularly up close. This time around, I saw them heaps, sometimes right next to you, and wow, are they one of the cutest birds of all time ever. I will die on this hill!

Much smaller than they look, they fly with the weirdest gait, legs splayed wide. We saw them a few times around Iceland and then heaps in the Faroe Islands, where they hang out on the cliffs next to some of the most popular walks. 

8. Having my mind blown in the Torngat Mountains 

At the edge of the Arctic Circle in Canada is one of the most incredible wilderness areas I had never heard of: the Torngat Mountains. 

I hadn’t been onboard the Ocean Endeavour long before I heard that one of the most universally beloved trips is their Greenland and Wild Labrador adventure, which spends time in the remote Torngats. Forever enamored by the very far north, land of bears and ice, Labrador hadn’t really occurred to me as a place I would love.

My very last trip of the season went here, and holy crap, guys, it was my favorite place of all. I’ll definitely go into this in detail later, but the Torngats might be my favorite mountain range in the world. A special Inuit homeland, this place is highly protected and only open for a few weeks a year. There are no roads anywhere near here. But because of Adventure Canada’s incredible relationship with Inuit, and by bringing locals onboard this trip as guides, we are able to spend nearly a week in the Torngat Mountains – with it all to ourselves. And the bears. There are tons of bears here. 

9. Crazy sunsets at sea in East Greenland

By mid-July we were fully immersed in the Arctic as we sailed from Iceland over to Greenland. We spent a good amount of time exploring the remote eastern side of Greenland, where very few people reside. With lots of sea ice and good weather, it was beautiful cruising through the most picturesque of Arctic landscapes. 

But what made it even more beautiful than normal with the crazy sunrises and sunsets we were getting. Sadly, this wasn’t for a good reason. 2023 was Canada’s worst wildfire summer ever. Nearly 20 million hectares of land went up in flame, burning for months at a time. 

And the smoke drifted to Greenland. Though it wasn’t super smokey or strong in southeastern Greenland, the haze contributed to long, misty sunsets that were out of this world—a beautiful tragedy.

10. Wandering the magnificent autumn tundra

Autumn comes early if you visit the Arctic. By September 1st, the entire countryside had turned red and gold in the far north. The mountains had their peaks dusted with the first snow, and there was a bite to the air heralding the change of seasons. The midnight sign was gone, and night returned, bringing dancing auroras amongst the stars. 

I love autumn so much, and it was cool to experience it in an entirely new landscape. There are no trees this far north, so the tundra changes colors instead. It’s also when all the berries come out, so it made hikes even better, munching on them. 

Would you like to experience some of these things if you visit the Arctic? Or have you already? Share!

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
Check out my trips and learn more here

Many thanks to Adventure Canada for hosting me in the Arctic – like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post 10 incredible moments from three months at sea in the Arctic appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I always think of that George Mallory quote when asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest: “Because it’s there.” It’s either the dumbest reason or the cleanest reason. And since old mate George died on Everest, leaving the question of whether or not he was the first person ever to summit it in question, the world leaned towards it being aspirational. 

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Fully gripped by the polar bug for nearly a decade, I have adopted the habit of reading many of the journals and accounts of Arctic explorers in the 19th and 20th centuries. And there is no shortage of material when it comes to the Lost Franklin Expedition (capitalized for emphasis) and the quest to conquer the Northwest Passage.

For hundreds of years, Europeans were obsessed with finding a way through the mythical Northwest Passage. There are several main routes through Canada’s Arctic archipelago of 36,500 islands, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Seeking an alternative trade route to Asia faster than via the Cape of Good Hope, it took centuries for white people to properly find a path through thousands of kilometers of icy, unforgivable wilderness. Inuit and other indigenous people were, of course, there the entire time. 

For death and glory, gentlemen!

Sir John Franklin was an exceptionally average British naval officer who somehow managed to land the position of leading the best-outfitted polar expedition of the time to travel the Northwest Passage completely. Departing England in 1845 with the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, they were last seen anchored to an iceberg in Baffin Bay (never attach a boat to an iceberg, folks; it’s super dangerous).

The mystery of what exactly happened to Franklin, his fancy ships, and his crew of 128 men has captivated the world since he didn’t return. While bits and pieces were found, we do know cannibalism was involved, solidifying the mystery into the global imagination. Hundreds of missions were launched to search for them, but the full story has never been revealed. 

It wasn’t until 60 years later that legendary Norwegian Polar explorer Ronald Amundsen finally completed the journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific onboard his little boat, the Gjøa. Ever since I don’t think there is a voyage more iconic in the Arctic than traversing the Northwest Passage. Climate change makes the Northwest Passage more navigable than ever with less sea ice. 

Last summer, I spent nearly three weeks with Adventure Canada, voyaging through the Northwest Passage by expedition ship. It was an iconic, unforgettable experience; here are some of my photos that made me fall in love with it.

Beechey Island

One of the big highlights of cruising the Northwest Passage has to be visiting Beechey Island. If you’re interested in the history and mystery around the Franklin Expedition, Beechey Island is an important site to visit. I’ve visited Beechey Island a few times now. Every single time, I think to myself, how the hell did these men survive here for years?! Cold, windy, and desolate in summertime, I can’t even fathom this place in winter. To travel the Northwest Passage meant hardship.

Notorious for being the place where the expedition first overwintered from 1845–1846, you can see three graves of Franklin’s sailors. This gave some insight into the beginning of what happened once they disappeared. It also launched the theory of lead poisoning when the bodies when studied. Google “Beechey Island mummies” if you want to unlock some new nightmares. 

We also visit Beechey Island on Adventure Canada’s High Arctic Explorer trips too. 

Coningham Bay

The Northwest Passage is a great place to see polar bears in the wild. Over half of the global polar bear population lives in the Canadian Arctic.

While traveling the Northwest Passage last summer onboard the Ocean Endeavour, I heard about this crazy bay where beluga whales go to roll around and scrape their dead skin off in the shallows. They are trapped inside the bay at low tide because the entrance is so narrow and shallow, and polar bears flock here to hunt them.

At first, I was like, that’s insane and can’t be real. Polar bears hunting whales?!

But then, when we rocked up to Coningham Bay, sure enough, there were over a dozen polar bears eating beluga whales! We passed narwhal as we zoomed inside the bay, and there were beluga splashing around, too. Mum and cubs, big bears, even a bear that had just died. I can’t stress how rare it is to see multiple bears together who aren’t a family. 

It was wild, and it definitely ranks high as one of the coolest wildlife experiences of my life!

Port Epworth

One of the coolest things about Adventure Canada is that they have had a long-term relationship with Canadian icon Margaret Attwood. A passionate conservationist and birder with her late husband, Graeme Gibson, they support and encourage many conservation efforts and leaders, especially with BirdLife International.

She generally comes on a trip per year. Last year, I was lucky enough to sail with her from Iceland to Greenland. She is even more amazing in person. A few years ago, she even wrote a short story onboard the Ocean Endeavour called Stone Mattress about murder and revenge. It is so dark and so good. 

I won’t give too much away, but the setting was Port Epworth in the Northwest Passage. Home of stromatolites, fossilized algae colonies, they were some of the earliest forms of oxygen production; they’re really freaking old. Stromatolite in Greek means more or less “stone mattress.” Strikingly similar in appearance to cinnamon buns, which the kitchen served that day, sparking the idea for some of the guys onboard to form a band called the Frosted Stromatolites, jamming after dinner some nights.

I’ll just say it was a really fun trip. 

Baffin Bay/Saknirutiak Imanga

If you travel by sea through the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland, you’ll eventually reach the vast icy wilderness of Baffin Bay. 

Home to mostly sea ice, lots of wildlife, and a ton of history, Baffin Bay is an iconic waterway in the Arctic. We venture into Baffin Bay on most Arctic trips with Adventure Canada, whether we are crossing over to Canada from Greenland or along as we voyage up and down Greenland’s western coastline. One of the coolest experiences of the season was landing on some old sea ice and walking around in Baffin Bay. That was new for me!

Postcards from icy Baffin Bay

Indigenous peoples had settled around the area for thousands of years, and some of the earliest Europeans venturing into the Arctic, including early Norse colonizers, also visited. Baffin Bay is an important hub if you want to travel the Northwest Passage one day.

Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq

Netsilik Inuit have long used the area around Gjoa Haven/Uqsuqtuuq for traditional hunting and fishing grounds. But like so many places in the Canadian Arctic, the history we see today is based on when Europeans arrived to travel the Northwest Passage.

Gjoa Haven is a community where legendary explorer Roald Amundsen based himself for two years on his journey to be the first European to sail through the Northwest Passage. Here, he learned so much about surviving in the Arctic from the Inuit. It was named after his boat, the Gjøa.

Nowadays, it’s a remote community, and we spent the day here visiting the incredible Nattilik Heritage Centre and at the school. It was the first Arctic community I ever visited. 

Powell Inlet (in the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area)

Ok, guys, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: after three months at sea working in the Arctic, I can safely say that I’m more scared of a walrus than a polar bear. I’m only partly kidding. 

We all know the king of the north is the great white polar bear. Something everyone longs to see, but only in a safe environment. Traveling with a gun in polar bear country is pretty standard wide across the Arctic. Most expedition companies will have polar bear guards, scouting landing sites and setting safe perimeters for guests to explore.

It’s to protect the bears as much as the humans and many protocols exist. NO ONE ever wants to shoot a bear. Any hint of danger and landings are called off. I felt totally safe everywhere, including in Svalbard. Most of the bears we saw ignored us, including one day in Labrador, where a big fat chonky mama bear snoozed amongst the tundra berries for hours. 

However, I reckon the real predator of the Arctic is the walrus. Hear me out. If their crazy red eyes didn’t hint at their true nature, just watch some YouTube videos of them popping zodiacs in Russia. Terrifying. After spending so much time with Inuit guides and plowing through tons of old Arctic expedition journals, I learned that everyone fears the mighty walrus. 

There are so many stories of them attacking kayaks and boats with people, torpedoing up from underneath, and killing people. Up here, humans are very wary of the ferocious walrus. But seeing them (at a safe distance) is pretty special and not super common. 

Croker Bay 

It was one of those misty, low-cloud days when we cruised into Croker Bay. It is located on the southern side of Devon Island, the largest uninhabited island in the world. In 1819, British polar explorer William Edward Parry named it in honor of John Wilson Croker, the First Secretary to the Admiralty at the time.

At the head of the fiord, the spectacular Croker Glacier drops down to the water from the Devon ice cap. As the day darkened, the sun peeked through the clouds above the glacier, creating the most beautiful misy light. We cruised back and forth along the glacier face by ship, allowing us to get close to the ice. 

It was a spectacular evening to travel the Northwest Passage.

Dundas Harbour

Regarding the darker side of history in the Arctic, Dundas Harbour sits high on my list of grim places. It didn’t help that it was moody, snowing intermittently when we arrived. The ground was strewn with huge, grisly bones left by polar bears. The vibe was definitely bleak and desolate.

Located on the eastern side of Devon Island, Dundas Harbour was set up in the 1920s as an outpost by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This allowed them to stake their claim in the Arctic. All the big guns were doing this at the time. And speaking of guns, two young Mounties stationed there died. One a suicide, the other when a gun accidentally discharged. Their graves overlook the harbor. 

But the even darker side of Dundas Harbour began shortly after when the Hudson’s Bay Company leased it as a trading post, coinciding with Canada’s High Arctic relocation program, forcibly moving Inuit around the Arctic. The impact of forcibly taking people from their homes and traditional hunting grounds and moving them where the government decided they should be has had such traumatic consequences that ring strong today among Canadian Inuit and other First Nations people.

Port Leopold

When we first arrived at Port Leopold, we could see a mother polar bear and cubs on shore, heralding a change of plans. 

Instead, we cruised near a new landing site on Somerset Island, surrounded by iconic cliffs and Arctic landscapes. In 1848, British explorer James Clark Ross spent a winter here during his search for the missing Franklin expedition. Port Leopold was once a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. 

The change meant we were able to visit Thule archaeological sites. This style of expedition travel gave us a feeling of discovery. How many people ever walked here? Not a lot. 

Would you ever be up to travel the Northwest Passage one day? Spill!

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
Check out my trips and learn more here

Many thanks to Adventure Canada for hosting me in the Arctic – like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post 25 photos to inspire you to voyage through the Northwest Passage appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Life in the far north revolves around the sea ice in every single way. In fact, in Inuktitut and other Inuit dialects all across the Arctic, there are usually at least 100 words for snow and ice. Thick sea ice that lasts for years. The ice crystals that form on the sea just before it freezes. Snow that can be used to ice the sled’s runner. Ice that breaks after its strength has been tested with a harpoon.

Ice is life in the far north. In the summertime, ice dictates where we can go on expedition ships, too. While a lot of sea ice melts in the warmer months, not all. The wind and the tides move the sea ice all around, often blocking in bays and harbors. The thickness and ability to move in it in different types of ships is a real skill. Learning to read these charts is something I’d love to learn. Our ship, the Ocean Endeavour, has a 1B ice class rating, which means it can navigate moderate sea but also might need to rely on an icebreaker.

While I was at sea with Adventure Canada in the Arctic last summer, a real highlight was the sea ice. And there’s nowhere better to see it than in Baffin Bay.

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
Check out my trips and learn more here

Baffin Bay is a huge stretch of marginal sea between west Greenland and Baffin Island in Canada. Situated above the 70° North parallel, Baffin Bay spans an area of nearly 700,000 square kilometers. And it’s nearly always frozen solid and chocked full of icebergs. Ships cannot pass through in the winter.

I spent a lot of time in Baffin Bay this past summer. Most of Adventure Canada’s Arctic expedition trips pass through or along Baffin Bay at one point or another. 

Baffin Bay is a great place to see the iconic sea ice, and we often had to travel along the edges of the pack ice looking for ways through or for paths to open up. I didn’t sleep much on these days because the pack ice is one of the best spots to look for polar bears as they hunt here. 

We crossed Baffin Bay between Greenland and Canada a few times, and each trip was magical. And the water was dead calm.

Sea ice often brings down the swells and waves, making it flat. We sometimes stopped in the bay and unloaded the zodiacs to cruise through the pack ice looking for wildlife. Often, the water was like glass, even in the middle of the bay. It was particularly beautiful when fog and mists would move in and out, creating an ethereal feeling. 

In the summertime, part of Baffin Bay opens up in the north called North Water, and it’s a polynya (an area of open water surrounded by sea ice) that is around 80,000 square kilometers. It’s really important for its biodiversity; here, in this little microclimate, you’ll find some of the most iconic Arctic animals, such as seals, seabirds, polar bears, walrus, narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales. 

We saw them all.

Baffin Bay connects the Labrador Sea and the Davis Strait with the Atlantic Ocean.

First, the Thule and later the Inuit inhabited this area for thousands of years. During their explorations, there is evidence that the Norse also arrived. There are still settlements along the bay today. 

The first record of Europeans arriving here was in 1585, with John Davis sailing under Queen Elizabeth I. The British began searching for the mysterious Northwest Passage through Canada that would connect them to the Far East to no avail. The Davis Strait is named after him, a stretch of sea between Baffin Bay to the north and the Labrador Sea to the south.

This was the beginning of the endless searches for the Northwest Passage over centuries. I spent nearly three weeks onboard as we navigated the length of the Northwest Passage; it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. 

In the early 17th century, William Baffin explored and charted the area all around Lancaster Sound as a pilot under Henry Hudson. He is considered to be the first European to “discover” Baffin Bay, which is named after him, though they did not find a way through the Northwest Passage. 

It wouldn’t be until 1906 that the great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen would successfully find a route through the Northwest Passage. 

Something that’s important to distinguish when you’re in the Arctic (or Antarctic) is sea ice versus icebergs. We see plenty of both in the Arctic, especially around Baffin Bay. 

Sea ice forms in the ocean from salt water. It’s also classified by age and thickness, with multiyear ice being the strongest, having survived the summer melts. The water needs to be -1.8°C for the ice to begin to form, and as it ages year after year, the brine in the frozen water disappears, meaning that it turns to frozen freshwater – this was often used by polar expeditions.

Many of the Arctic expeditions involve intentionally getting their ships stuck in the sea ice and overwintering. This didn’t end well meant times. First off, the sea ice will move and drift, taking you away following currents. Secondly, the pressure in the ridges and the ice often smash and destroy the ship, especially in the spring when it begins to melt. 

Inuit rely on predictable sea ice patterns and traditional routes on the ice for hunting by dogsled or snowmobile. Sadly, climate change is impacting the sea ice, making it unpredictable. You can walk on stable, thick sea ice. You should never walk on an iceberg. In fact, you shouldn’t go near icebergs. 

Icebergs come from glaciers on land. They’re chunks of ice that break off of the glaciers that fall into the sea. As they melt, their freshwater is what raises the sea levels.

Icebergs are beautiful, and Baffin Bay is full of them. They’re also dangerous. I mean, I assume everyone knows that from Titanic, but there are other reasons than just sinking a ship. In fact, the iceberg that sunk the Titanic is thought to have originated from the Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland. 

There are icebergs that are bigger than buildings or even city blocks or even Manhattan. They can be gigantic. A23a was the largest iceberg in the world, calving off an ice shelf in Antarctica in 1986. It was nearly 4,000 square kilometers in size. 

Only 10% of an iceberg is usually visible above the waterline; this means there is a shit-ton of ice underneath stretching out in every direction.

And icebergs love to break apart or flip spontaneously. This means if you’re anywhere near one, let alone on top of one, you’re screwed. Just Google videos of it; it’s terrifying. If the ice is beneath you, you might fly. They’ll send out large tidal waves that could easily swamp nearby boats and flying ice shrapnel, too. 

When we zodiac cruise along icebergs and glacier faces, we keep a safe distance away. You can tell when an iceberg has flipped over because it’ll often be bright, shiny blue. They’re mesmerizing.

For the past 15 years, Greenland has been losing 300 billion tons of ice and water annually, and it’s increasing. One day in July 2012, the entire surface of the Greenland ice sheet melted.

In fact, there still wasn’t regular cargo shipping through the passage for most of the year until 2009. After that, the declining sea ice, thanks to climate change, means that you can access here longer. 

We saw many glaciers on my travels with Adventure Canada, and my mind kept returning to both the profound sadness and fear I have around climate change. I wish everyone could see what I have seen. Hot days in Greenland, no sea ice in the Northwest Passage. Starving polar bears trapped on land. Traditional Inuit hunting tracks gone.

Will all these beautiful glaciers that drop down into the sea dissapear in my lifetime?

By far, one of the coolest experiences I had last summer was actually landing on the sea ice. It’s something I’ve ever done once, and it was along the pack ice in Baffin Bay on our Out of the Northwest Passage trip. 

We spent some time exploring the pack ice in northern Baffin Bay before our expedition leader found a large, solid, and old, safe patch of sea ice. It was misty and beautiful, making the blue of the ice pop against moody skies. Every so often, the sun would peek through the fog, creating the most incredible atmosphere.

Revving the zodiacs up onto an icy beach, we were able to hop out and explore the ridges and pools of this old sea ice. It was absolutely magical.

Nothing is more of a poignant reminder that you are far from home, exploring the Arctic than drifting through the ice. 

You could be centuries back in time. The silence is profound, only broken up by the occasional crunches through newer sea ice. Your eyes constantly scan the horizon, along the edges of the pack ice, looking for an unusual shape, the pale yellow that indicates a polar bear in contrast to the bright whitish-blue ice. Or the black of the flippers of a seal. Maybe even the spray from a passing whale. 

Baffin Bay is a magical part of the world. I can’t wait to return.

Does sea ice hold a fascination over you, too? Would you like to visit Baffin Bay one day? Spill!

Curious about traveling to the Arctic?
Check out my trips and learn more here

Many thanks to Adventure Canada for hosting me in the Arctic – like always, I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post Postcards from icy Baffin Bay appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Well over a decade later I can safely say I’m still doing things that make my mum shake her head BUT also very proud (I think). Sorry I’m not sorry!

And while my travel has changed, shaped, grown and evolved in many ways, I’m still (and always will be) a diehard solo female traveler, and I will always stand up for and try to inspire other women to do the same, always open to sharing safe destinations solo female travel.

Solo female travel is life-changing, it can really make you as a person, teach you lessons that would have been difficult to find otherwise, and above all, inspire you to confidence and to believe in yourself, as well as to find your inner Beyonce.

I stand by these words.

The Solo Female Traveler’s Manifesto

According to Google, interest in solo female travel has risen by 131%, hitting an peak of 100 million searches in 2018.

Can I get a fuck yes?

Ladies, let’s keep leading the charge shall we? I’m a firm believer in leading by example, the stronger we are and the more supportive community we build around solo female travel, is better for everyone. And shame on you, New York Times, for your vile fearmongering. Women who travel alone AREN’T THE PROBLEM. MEN WHO ATTACK WOMEN ARE THE FUCKING PROBLEM.

Calm down, Liz. Where was I going with this?

So anyways, nestled amongst the heart emoji replies, OMG how can I have your life messages, and general vulgarity that lands in my DM’s and inbox, I often find my favorite question of all. Where should I go as a solo female traveler. Now there I am the expert.

Here are my choices for 10 safe destinations solo female travel. Enjoy!

1. Come hang down with me in New Zealand

My adopted home of New Zealand is an incredible place for women to travel solo and also happens to rank No.2 on the Global Peace Index (GPI). Built for year-round adventure, you can hike through pristine landscapes, ski or snowboard, go whale-watching, or slow things down with a winery tour, and feel safe while you’re doing any of the above.

Crime is minimal here, and it often makes the news if someone steals free range eggs from an honesty box on the side of the road, well, at least it makes the news here in little Wanaka where I live; I suppose South Auckland is a different story.

Violent crimes here are negligent compared to where I grew up outside Washington D.C., where I have never felt to walk outside to my car at night, and as a general rule I’ve found most kiwis to be honest and helpful here, and it’s definitely feels the safest of all the countries I’ve explored, especially for solo female travelers.

If you really need a kick in the butt, come see me at my next Travel Bootcamp in Queenstown in October 2019.

2. Go frolic in Iceland with the elves

Bubbling thermal springs, jaw-dropping rugged scenery and the chance to see the Northern Lights are just a few of the attractions in Iceland, listed the safest country in the world on the 2018 GPI. Don’t be deceived by their general belief in the fairy folk, Icelanders are actually some of the kindest, die-hard drinkers I’ve ever met. 

It was one of the first countries I visited when I quit my day job to travel and took a road trip through some of the most remote parts of Iceland under the midnight summer sun.

In many ways Iceland feels a lot like New Zealand in terms of its wild landscapes, few humans, lots of sheep and small crime rates. There’s something to be said about places with small populations and a be kind to stranger attitude still.

3. Dance until dawn with new friends in Uruguay

If you have a yen to travel to South America, World Packers says Uruguay is one of the safest countries in the region for female travelers. Expect a warm welcome in this small country, tucked in between Brazil and Argentina, where you can relax on the beaches of Punta del Este, go hiking in the Parque Nacional Santa Teresa, or see a tango show in Montevideo.

Boasting one of the lowest crime rates in the Americas, Uruguay is a good safe start for solo female travelers looking to hit up South America.

4. Prepare to be blown away by the wild beauty of Norway

Home to World Heritage-listed fjords and unspoiled national parks, Norway is a magnet for those in search of dramatic natural landscapes. Hi! 

Scandinavia often reigns supreme in many ways from healthcare and a high standard of living, to universal happiness and low crime rates, a perfect combo for women like us.

5. Fall in love with the magic of Switzerland

Spectacular lakes and mountains and picture-postcard villages, as well as its No.12 position on the GPI, make Switzerland an attractive proposition.

Here, you can hike, ski in the Alps, go boating on the many lakes, grab a bike and go exploring, or take advantage of the amazingly efficient trains, all in the knowledge that solo female travelers find this an easy and safe country to navigate, not to mention exceptionally efficient and very very tidy. 

Just don’t go out to a fancy restaurant where you’ll likely be robbed when you go to pay the bill. Switzerland is many things, but cheap isn’t one of them.

6. Go on the hunt for the perfect street food in Hong Kong

Big cities can be some of the safest places to travel for solo females and Hong Kong is no exception, but it’s always good to use commonsense.

Hong Kong is one of my favorite big cities in Asia and I’ve felt safe here both during the day and after dark, on the hunt for dumplings and bao.

Enjoy the amazing shopping and lively culture, but don’t carry too many valuables, advises Lonely Planet. If you’re navigating the city at night, Lonely Planet says the MTR is safe, or if you’re walking, stick to well-lit streets.

7. Get your backpacker on in Portugal

With its spectacular coastline, medieval castles, delicious cuisine and a capital city, Lisbon, that’s hipster central, Portugal also rates highly for safety, occupying fourth place on the GPI.

Former foreign correspondent and diplomat Leyla Giray Alyanak from Women on the Road says Portugal is the safest country she’s travelled in, but advises taking the normal precautions of keeping an eye on your valuables and not putting yourself in risky situations.

8. Canada

One of the friendliest countries in the world, Canada is also one of the safest, coming in at No.6 on the GPI. Being mainly English-speaking gives it an instant advantage for travelers, plus there are safe and efficient transport systems in the cities as well as between destinations.

Major attractions include the spectacular national parks, world-class skiing and vibrant, multicultural cities.

As an American, I’ve come to love my neighbor to the great white north, and I have spent a few winters exploring around Alberta and BC, two magical regions worth visiting. Definitely hope to go back again soon!

9. Japan

Snow sports, onsen, hiking trails and incredible food… what’s not to love about Japan. Plus, CNTraveler names it No.1 in its top 15 spots for solo women travelers. Getting around is fast and efficient with the excellent public transport system, and the Japanese are notoriously helpful to travelers.

Lonely Planet advises that some peak-hour trains have women-only cars to protect female passengers from chikan (men who grope women on packed trains). And, although Japan is relatively safe, they advise the usual precautions and preparedness. 

10. Australia

The land down under also makes CNTraveler’s top 15 travel destinations for women, and also comes in at No.13 on the GPI.

With year-round sunshine, you can hit the beaches in the southern states in the warmer months, and follow the sun by heading north when the mercury drops in March/April. Australia’s brilliantly set up for single travelers, with backpacker hostels in most popular spots and buses or budget airlines to get you around this vast country.

What did I miss? Have a favorite? Where do you think is the best country for solo female travelers? Spill!

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A travel website dedicated to providing information on outdoor activities and photography tips via my Canada, Iceland and New Zealand Travel Guide. Over a year ago I moved to Canada on a Working Holiday Visa with one purpose: to hike and capture the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains through my camera. Luckily hiking and photography go hand in hand here. In just one year I have managed to walk hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers of trails and I’ve narrowed them down in this post to some of my favorite hikes in the Canadian Rockies. Enjoy!

I’ve also still got spots left on my autumn photography tour next year in New Zealand. Use code “youngadventuress” to save 5% on your booking.

1. Berg Lake Trail 

One of the first multi-day hikes I completed here in the Rockies was the Berg Lake Trail. It finishes at an icy blue glacial lake at the foot of the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies – Mount Robson.

Just under 4000 meters, the summit slopes are home to many glaciers, the most prominent being the Berg Glacier. When camping at the nearby Marmot campsite, at night, all you can hear is the sound of your own breath against your sleeping bag and the vibration of your heart beating until suddenly a loud ear-shattering crack, then a deep thunder like rumble, a splash and then several echoes later again complete silence, the unmistakable sound of a glacier carving into a lake. This is the experience camping on the Berg lake trail summed up in one sentence.

Certainly enough to make you sit up alert in your tent. I spent 3 days on the Berg Lake Trail listening to this each night. You can read more about it in my hiking guide to the Berg lake trail, completed with hints and tips about tackling one of the best multiday hikes in the Canadian Rockies.

2. Larch Tree Valley 

I’ve heard that 95% of people who visit the iconic Moraine lake make it only as far as the famous rock pile at the southern tip of the lake, without realizing how much they are missing out on! The car park of the Moraine lake is where a myriad of hiking trails veer off into the backcountry.

One of the hikes is the Larch Tree Valley. During early fall, usually around mid September, when the larches’ needles turn from green to yellow, many hikes become absolutely breathtaking.

Larch trees are the only conifers that loose its needles for the winter. The Larch Tree Valley Hike, as the name suggest is full of them and will guarantee a few hours of pure amazement.

3. Lakes Agnes/Beehive/Mount Saint Piran 

There’s several great hikes around Lake Louise but these 3 are some of my favorites!

A 3 in 1 mega deal of the Canadian Rockies! That is if you are an early bird! You can start with hiking to Lake Agnes, then continue to Little Beehive and if you still have energy in you, you can even tick off the nearby summit of Mount St Piran from where you can stare at the mind-blogging turquoise color of Lake Louise, and the peaks that tower over it. On the way back down you can stop again at Lake Agnes for afternoon tea and biscuits at the famous teahouse!

All together it shouldn’t take you longer than 5-6 hours return. Make sure to leave early. Because of the relatively easy access and minimal views to effort ratio both Lake Agnes and Little Beehive can attract quite the crowd. However only a small fraction of the hikers continues up mount St Piran, so if you are after solitude make sure to complete all 3!

4. Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park 

Mount Assiniboine is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite multi-day hike in the Canadian Rockies and one I will be returning to very soon! There are three paths, all similar in length (around 30 km) to get to Lake Magog and the domineering Mount Assiniboine, the main attractions of the park.

The most popular route is from Sunshine Village over the Citadel Pass, the second one is from Mt Shark Trailhead via the Wonder Pass and the third one via the Assiniboine Pass. If you plan a visit to Mt Assiniboine, make sure to spend at least 4 days in the park to fully enjoy the stunning views it offers.

I’ve created a hiking and photography guide to Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park including information about the area and how to book a helicopter to fly you in if you can’t make the walk.

5. Tonquin Valley 

The first time I did the Tonquin Valley trail was during some pretty bad wildfires happening on the other side of the Ramparts – a mountain range in the Tonquin Valley which divides the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The wind, which was blowing to the east, took the smoke into the nearby valleys, where the 44km long trail ambles through. A thick haze blanketed the mountains. When the sun was high in the sky, the light pierced through clouds striking the haze and creating these incredible sun rays.

I didn’t come out with the photos that I’d hoped for but I came out with something even better. A story and some unique pictures. As soon as I emerged from the backcountry I headed straight to the nearest café and booked another 4 nights on the trail in September.

With so many amazing hikes here in Jasper National Park and with my time in the Rockies running out, to do a trail twice, must mean it’s a special one! The Tonquin Valley certainly is. Just make sure to plan it correctly.

Tonquin Valley is notorious for mosquitos in July when the trail finally becomes open to hikers. If you want to get the best experience, wait until later in the summer or early autumn. Otherwise prepare for a mosquito battle of biblical scale!

6. Edith Cavell meadows 

The Edith Cavell meadows hike offers an incredible view to effort ratio. Because of the collapse of the Ghost Glacier in 2015 that flooded and destroyed the adjacent parking lot, there is currently restricted access to the area.

The visitor center in Jasper gives out 180 permits a day to visitors at varying time slots. On the positive side, it means the trail isn’t overcrowded.

In the height of summer, the adjacent meadows turn into a beautiful symphony of colorful blooming wildflowers. It’s also a perfect place for spotting the cute pikas and marmots!

7. Pocaterra Ridge 

Kananaskis country near Canmore, where I spent most of my time when working on my guide to Canada, is an area often omitted by international tourists. The locals however know it very well! It also happens to be a perfect playground for hiking enthusiasts like me!

Pocaterra Ridge is an undulating ridgeline filled with jaw dropping views in every direction! It’s an unofficial hike that starts 80km south of Canmore near the Highwood Pass. Considered by many locals to be one of the best hikes in Kananaskis Country. I’ve done this hike in June, when I saw a 24-hour clear weather window in forecast. Unfortunately, the colloquially known June Monsoon didn’t agree with my plans and I had a real eventful, and at times scary, realization how treacherous the mountains can be.

I came away with so many beautiful photos though, that I felt compelled to share them in a photo essay along with the full story of my experience on Pocaterra Ridge.

8. Ha ling Peak 

The most popular hike in Canmore and certainly one of the best day trips in this area. The views from Ha Ling peak are spectacular, but the hike can get busy. If you’re brave, and maybe a little bit crazy, then consider doing it through the night, arriving at the Ha Ling summit for sunrise. If you do, chances are you’ll be all alone on the trail. It’s never easy to wake up early, but you’ll come away with photographs, and more importantly an experience, that you’ll be telling all your friends and family for years to come.

9. Indian Ridge 

A lesser known hike in Jasper National Park, Indian Ridge starts at the top of Jasper SkyTram. Majority of visitors take the Gondola and hike up the the nearby Whistlers summit.

If you are looking for solitude in the mountains you should break away from the crowds and continue toward the Indian Ridge. I can appreciate views much better when there’s less people around me. Less noise, less chaos, less garbage, all in all a much more relaxing. It’s not an easy hike though.

A little scrambling is involved and the hike should take around 5/6 hours in total. 

10. Parker Ridge 

One of the my favorite spots on the Icefields Parkway, the famous stretch of road that connects Jasper with Lake Louise. The short hike takes you away from the road along a very well-maintained trail to a ridgeline, where the Saskatchewan Glacial Tongue can be seen protruding out of the Columbia Icefield.

It’s a popular spot to view wildflowers in the summer and should take around 3 hours to complete. The hike is awesome for beginners, who want to experience Canada’s rugged landscape. It will give you an opportunity to see a glacier that sadly might not exist in a few decades. 

11. Lake O’hara Alpine Circuit 

Lake O’hara alpine region might be the most sought after backcountry experience in the Canadian Rockies! What’s the fuss you may wonder? Every square kilometer of this place is filled with the most awe inspiring views.

The added bonus is the shuttle bus that will transport any keen hikers into this alpine paradise. There is a catch though! The bus only runs few times a day, spaces are very limited and prior reservations are mandatory. Only those with perseverance and patience of a saint will succeed in securing a spot. Your efforts however will be rewarded!

Lake O’hara is a place that will always be dear to my heart as that’s where I got engaged!

12. Rawson lake/Sarrail Ridge 

A favorite hike for instagrammers and another trip in the Kananaskis region that you shouldn’t miss. The hike starts along the shoreline of Upper Kananaskis lake.

After a mere 20 minutes, it starts gently climbing up to Rawson lake. A site to behold in its own terms. Those who like me, just can’t get enough of beautiful views should keep going. After circling around to the other end of the lake you will start a relentless ascent to the ridgeline. It may seem close, but mountains always like to play visual tricks on you. It’s definitely harder and longer than it seems! After another hour you will be compensated for your efforts with some of the best views in the Rockies! 

I hope this has filled your mind with possibilities, if you’re looking for more advice on hiking check out my Canada Travel Guide. Hiking is something very close to my heart and I’ve noticed a huge shift towards the outdoors in recent years. Whether it’s modern society being influenced by all the Instagrammers posting photos of the mountains or whether it’s a profound realization that we are part of something bigger, some kind of unified underlying global rising consciousness that we are one with nature. One thing is certain, the more people start to appreciate our beautiful Mother Earth the better, for her, and for us! So if you are planning a road-trip around the Canadian Rockies, make sure to squeeze a hike or two!

Have you been hiking in Canada and the Rockies? What’s your favorite? Share in the comments

The post 12 hikes in the Canadian Rockies to fuel your wanderlust appeared first on Young Adventuress.

I moved to Canada on a Working Holiday Visa last year and headed straight for the mountains. After road tripping for a few months in the fall last year I decided to base myself in Canmore, a little town tucked in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It was without a doubt the coldest winter I have ever experienced with temperatures sometimes reaching -45 celsius (<40f). However with the cold came some beautiful Albertan winter landscapes so I can’t complain too much.

Enjoy the read and hope to see you in the mountains soon and enjoy my best advice to visit Canmore Canada.

Situated in the proverbial shadow of the world-famous mountain town of Banff, Canmore isn’t somewhere that should be overlooked while planning your road trip to the Canadian Rockies. Don’t get me wrong Banff and Canmore aren’t exactly Yin and Yang. They are both located in the Bow Valley, around an hour east of the closest international airport of Calgary in Alberta, are similar in size, and they both share an infectious eclectic adventurous spirit.

I lived in Canmore for 6 months while planning and researching for my outdoor guide to Canada. I found it to be much more stable than Banff, still touristy for sure, but nowhere near the level of its neighbor. Banff is like a steroid-crazed body builder talking smack whilst bench pressing twice his body weight whilst Canmore is the mixed martial artist, planking in the corner, quietly confident, biding their time.

Canmore is more sophisticated; it isn’t tacky souvenir stores, overpriced steak restaurants and two for one jäger bombs. It’s local craft beer and artisanal bakeries, if you are catching my drift. Much more up my alley, you know?

When Calgary had the opportunity to host the Winter Olympics in 1988, back then, the little mountain town of Canmore was suffering as the mining industry had just collapsed in the previous decade, but it soon saw a huge development and a sharp increase of world class athletes, that later became permanent Canmorons.

Yes, you read that correctly.

It’s not something I came up with myself however, the term ‘Canmoron’ must have been the self-deprecating humor of founding few that was carried forward over time. The official terminology however is Canmorite which I personally find a little predictable. This influx of new Olympian Canmorons, and the installation of many multimillion dollar world class facilities, coaxed the rest of the town into exploring the outdoors.

Today Canmore has skiing of all types, mountain biking, snowshoeing, dog sledding, rock climbing, ice climbing, a bunch of lakes and a myriad of some of my favorite hiking trails in Canada plus loads more. Additionally, Canmore has the best access to Kananaskis Country and there’s a big possibility that it might bid to host the Winter Olympics again in 2026.

Kananaskis Country is an amalgamation of over 10 provincial parks that surround the town.

However (and thankfully) Canmore isn’t inside any of these parks so doesn’t have to comply to the building cap that such places like Banff do. For locals and visitors alike it means cheaper accommodation, better supermarkets, more outdoor activities and less government interference.

My two favorite activities, photography and hiking, dance gleefully hand in hand around this place. Some of the best photos I’ve ever taken have been from here, especially those from the eventful time I decided to hike up Ha Ling Peak for sunrise.

Ha Ling Peak, in Kananaskis Country, is the most popular trail here and for good reason. It starts 8km south west of Canmore on the Smith Dorien Highway (742) at the Goat Creek Trailhead. The trail is a semi steep series of switch backs which takes the average hiker 2 hours to summit.

From the top you’ll be able to see east over Canmore to the peaks of Mount Lady McDonald and Grotto Mountain, situated on the other side of the Bow Valley, north toward the 7 peaks of Mount Rundle, south into the lake ridden Spray Valley and west toward Mount Lawrence Grassi, which Ha Ling peak is actually a part of.

Ha Ling peak is one of my favourite day hikes not only in the Kananaskis country, but it’s high up on the list of all day hikes I have completed in the Canadian Rockies!

Further into the heart of Spray Valley down the Smith Dorien Trail (742) lies an expansive wilderness area. A true drive into the Canadian wilderness. It’s a gravel road, but during the summer any car can manage it.

In the winter make sure you have decent snow tires or better yet snow chains and please drive carefully. When I was based in Canmore I saw at least 20 car crashes in the winter, every single one of them on this road! If you are visiting Canmore in the Winter, the Spray Lakes Road is where you can become a musher and go dog sledding! I had the opportunity to participate in a tour and it was one of the best winter experiences of my life. The cool air blowing through your hair, chocolate brownies by an open fire and the sound of over 100 excited huskies!

I went with a company called Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours, one that supports humane mushing and takes extremely good care of their dogs. I only did a two hour tour, but if I could have afford it I would have seriously considered joining one of their overnight tours! Here’s a picture of me with one of the dogs on my team, the goofball Hugo.

Even if you don’t feel like dog sledding or decide to visit the Rockies in the summer, you can still go and play with the pups! In the summer Snowy Owl offers kennel tours. You can go and play with the dogs and learn all about the life of a musher.

If you are lucky you may even see puppies! OMG.

Further down into Kananaskis Country, past the dog sledding is an excellent chance to see moose, eagles, elk, wolves, cougars, coyotes, lynxes, weasels and in the summer black and grizzly bears. Just promise me to respect all wildlife and never approach any large mammal as they can be unpredictable.

NEVER FEED any of the animals either.

Thankfully there’s a hefty fine if you get caught, like $25,000 hefty!!!! And with good reason too, in my eyes. If bears, for example, become habituated and used to being fed by humans, they pose a threat in all future human interactions and have to be euthanized. Basically if you feed it, you kill it. Don’t be that person.

The border between Kananaskis Country and the stunning Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is one of three central hubs in the Canadian Rockies where mother grizzly bears favour raising their offspring.

On a lighter note back to hiking!

Another mountain close to Ha Ling Peak is Mount Rundle, which runs parallel to the Trans Canada Highway all the way from Canmore to Banff. The East End of Rundle (EEOR), known as the Eeyore (like Winnie the Pooh’s friend), is the end closer to Canmore. Certainly a harder hike than Ha Ling peak, it can take up to 6 hours to complete, even though it’s only 6km long.

However the views are much more frequent because you’re in the trees less of the time compared to its counterpart Ha Ling on the other side of White Man’s Pass.

The summit views are spectacular.

I have personally attempted three times to summit EEOR, twice being interrupted by bad weather conditions. But as they say, third time is a charm and I finally got to witness both sunset and sunrise from the top of EEOR, involving camping on a very narrow ridge line at the top.

If you’re a little more extreme then you might consider hiking the Pocaterra Ridge. It’s tougher than Ha Ling and the East End of Rundle but the views are out of this world.

If one of the many peaks around doesn’t give you your fill of exercise, or it happens to be raining that day, then Elevation Place should be your next port of call.

The newly built, architectural masterpiece offers a huge climbing wall, a full aquatics centre including a sauna, a gym, an award winning library, a café and a small art gallery which showcases the work of local artists. Hopefully one day my work will be hanging there!

The town of Canmore is named after Malcolm III of Scotland. It was his nickname and translates to “Big Head” in Gaelic which is quite contradictory of the aforementioned colloquialism “Canmoron”. That always cracks me up inside.

Growing up the town was a popular mining destination and was once inside the perimeter of Banff National Park. When inside the National Park however logging and mining could not continue to flourish and after significant pressure from the big coal corporations in 1902 Banff National Park shrunk and Canmore was excluded. Mining continued to grow and coal production was eventually ceased in 1979.

It’s location next the Bow River, then the Canadian Pacific Railway and then the Trans-Canada Highway meant that tourism in the area has always been rife but it’s only in the recent years that Canmore has begun to blossom into your next holiday destination. You may now wonder, when’s best time to come?

The best time of the year, in my opinion, is summer and fall ranging from June to early October, with September being my favorite month. That’s when most of the hikes are accessible and not covered in snow.

No promises about the snow though.  It could be there at any time of year!

The mild alpine climate boasts average summer time temperatures of a whopping 15C/59F (with highs of normally around 22C/72F). However the weather here is unpredictable and very tempestuous, it’s possible to have extreme high’s breaking into the early thirties (more than 90F).

The winters are also a very nice time to visit. Snowshoeing, cross country skiing and dog sledding are very popular. Temperatures at this time of year can be brutal though, especially in January.

On extreme cold nights the temperature can go as low as -50C (-58F) and the monthly average is a bone-chilling -9C. Thank the heavens above for the Chinook Winds.

If you haven’t heard of Chinook Effect before, it’s basically a really really warm wind that comes over the mountains, known as Föhn winds in the rest of the world but Chinook Winds in North America. Chinook Winds occur when moisture rich coastal air coming in from the west coast is forced upward by the mountains, it drops its moisture by the means of snow or rain, and then falls down the eastern slopes.

The adiabatic warming of downward moving air causes these warm winds. And trust me they are warm. They can raise the temperature of the entire town by easily 20C/68F in just few hours and maybe even 30C/86F for a strong one. The strongest Chinook world wide was experienced just south of Canmore in Montana in the US, where the temperature rose from -48C to +9C or -54F to +49F. A change of 57 degree celsius, or 103F, in 24 hours!!!

Winter becomes summer for maybe a few hours, snow melts for maybe a day or two before returning to normal.

When Leo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy were down in Kananaskis Country filming the incredible movie The Revenant a Chinook blew through and melted a lot of snow, it forced the entire production to move down to Ushuaia in Patagonia. DiCaprio was later heard blaming the problem on global warming even though this phenomenon has existed since the mountains were erected by Mother Nature, a good 300 million years ago.

Leo you’re beautiful, and you’re right about global warming but not about this one sorry!!!

However dark and cold winter is I can’t complain too much, I used it as an excuse to drink multiple hot chocolates a day, stay at home, bake cinnamon rolls and lounge in front of the fire.

When I couldn’t be bothered to make myself treats I became an expert on all the local eateries around town. The best café without a doubt is the Bagel Co.

There are two of them in Canmore but my favorite is the one on Main Street (8^th Street). It’s got a great atmosphere and it has the best goodies and a really wide selection of freshly made sandwiches.

Communitea is another great place if you are tea lover like me!

My favorite place to drink was The Wood on the corner of 8^th and 8^th, lots of local craft beers, 4.50$ per pound of chicken wings on Mondays and 10$ steak on Tuesday.

For a place as expensive as the Bow Valley, the deals came as a welcomed change. I still must have spent a small fortune in there though. Well in between there and the Grizzly Paw Brewery I probably spent enough money to invest into a property 😉

When I wasn’t stuffing all manner of pastries into my face or double fisting 2L pitchers I was out taking photos.

Most of the time I took pastries with me too but regretfully couldn’t take the beer because I was driving.

There’s so many photography spots in Canmore, some of which are roadside stops, some of which are huge mountains. I was lucky enough to visit many photography spots in the Canadian Rockies but the one’s around Canmore stood out amongst the rest (maybe apart from the jaw dropping Icefields Parkway). Canada is pretty beautiful, especially in the Rockies.

Canmore’s topography includes everything a photographer could ever dream of. Rugged mountains, alpine lakes, wild flowers in the summer and mesmerizing ice formations in the winter.

All in all, Canmore is stunning and you should visit, that’s a fact and I hope when you will be planning your Canadian Road Trip Itinerary , that you will add Canmore to your list of places to stop, at least for a few days.

As always feel free to like and share and I’ll try to answer all the questions you may have about Canmore and the Bow Valley. Happy travels!

Have you ever been to Canmore or Alberta? Have any of your own tips to share? Spill!

My name is Marta and I am the voice behind In A Faraway Land. A travel website dedicated to providing information on outdoor activities and photography tips via my New Zealand, Iceland  and Canada Travel Guide.

The post Everything you need to know about visiting Canmore, Canada appeared first on Young Adventuress.

Moving on.

This year I went home for the holidays, which was really nice. I was mostly offline (except for my absurd Instagram Stories – seriously, follow me on there. I have no filter at all), and spending time with old friends and family back on the East Coast of the US. It was mellow and wonderful, and just what I needed to reset the old internal clock, and also weirdly make me appreciative of my life in New Zealand.

But come January after a few weeks at home, I was getting itchy feet and needed to get out of small town Virginia again. And ever since I got hooked on snowboarding at my home mountain of Treble Cone in New Zealand, I knew I had to squeeze in a cheeky trip at some point while at home.

Also, sidenote, I brought my snowboarding gear home with me because I got sent a ski bag, wait for it, called the Douchebag. Yes, it exists. Finally a bag for me!

Ok, I just have to gush about flying for a second; if you are not a travel nerd, skip this section.

Living in New Zealand, when I fly home to the US, I always try and fly Air New Zealand. Apart from being pretty much the dopest airline out there (so trendy, so funny, so quirky), two years ago I finally started collecting my miles with them to get status. Yes, I did in fact travel for almost a decade and never collected miles with any airline. CRINGE.

But, now that I have tasted the beautiful glorious benefits that come with airline loyalty, in addition to no longer being completely broke, I book pretty much with only airlines I have loyalty on. Last year I hit Silver status with Air New Zealand Airpoints, which means that I get one recognition upgrade per year. I managed to nab a great deal on a Premium Economy (the middle class) flight to San Francisco and then put in a free upgrade request to Business. And boom, got it the night before. Yay.

Once you’ve flown business class on long-haul international flights, your world will be rocked. Disclosure, I did this all on my own, nothing sponsored.

The Air New Zelaand Economy Skycouch

Air New Zealand’s main North American hubs are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and Vancouver. Knowing that I wanted to squeeze in a ski holiday, I booked my flights back to New Zealand via Vancouver, BC in Canada. And by happy chance I also managed to get upgraded to the secret Skycouch from Vancouver to Auckland. On Air New Zealand, you can get a whole row to yourself in Economy where the bottom of the seat pops up and converts the row into a flat bed with special bedding and everything. Holy crap.

And as luck would have it, North America was having the winter of a lifetime. And as a novice snowboarder passing through BC in January, there is one place you go – Whistler.

Whistler is pretty much the Mecca of winter destinations, and I had been hearing about it for years from all my friends in New Zealand who have done winter seasons there. It’s big. It’s epic. It’s famous. I had to see what all the fuss was about.

I wanted a solid week somewhere with great snow, easily accessible lifts and long, varied runs of all levels, where I could really focus on improving AND feel comfortable. Whistler ticks all of that. Also there is an entire cafe/shack on the mountain that sells different grilled cheeses called Ollies. SOLD.

As a general rule, I don’t like hyped-up destinations. Setting the bar impossibly high will often leave you disappointed. Maybe that’s the pessimist in me speaking, but it’s true. Aim low and you’ll always be happy, I say!

Let’s not delve into my attitude around that any further though, shivers.

Anywho, I was nervous Whistler would be too commercial or too touristy, but holy crap I loved it. Like, I-looked-into-changing-my-flights-to-stay-longer loved it. It was just what I needed at just the right time. Yes, yes there is a reason it’s consistently ranked North America’s #1 resort.

So without further ado, here is the vaguely chronological journey of my week vacation in Whistler. Tag along. Pull up a chair and a cup of tea, get cozy and stay for a while.

It’s no secret; most of the trips I do nowadays are for work. They are amazing and I love them, but they aren’t exactly a holiday. My trip to Whistler was a much-needed holiday, where I didn’t need to work 20 hour days and fry my brain.

I had only three things on my mind in Canada that week: snowboard, sleep a lot, and eat poutine. Repeat.

I also booked my whole trip the week before I left around Christmas for the beginning of January, which I advise you NOT to do as it is busy and peak season. All the good pickings for condos and apartment rentals were snatched up and I spent a small fortune on accommodation. However, I could literally ski to my door at Blackcomb which made it worth it. And there was nowhere else civilized and reasonable, also making it worth it.

Which also leads me to my second point, for those (like me) who are unaware, the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort is actually two mountains – Whistler and Blackcomb, makes sense right? There are dozens of chairlifts and gondolas that go up both, and there is an incredible freestanding gondola linking the two mountains with the village sprawling below along both mountains.

Breakfast poutine in town at Stonesedge is a must, the coziest spot ever

Maple bacon donuts are a MUST – The Portobello Bakery in the Fairmont

When I arrived in Vancouver, everyone was freaking out because it was snowy and icy. Um, hello Canada, that’s kind of your thing. But the locals ended up telling me that it actually doesn’t often do that in Vancouver. Sure.

Whistler is less than a two hour drive from the Vancouver Airport, so it’s easy to get there, though it was dumping snow the day I arrived, and yours truly was too cheap to rent a 4WD car. Luckily, most of the rentals have snow tires on them, which ended up being obligatory, and I did a slow cruise down to Whistler behind the snow plows on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway. No rush, I was on holiday.

With so much snow, I was fizzing. I knew the riding was going to be great, and oh my was the village of Whistler so cute. It was a real-life winter wonderland.

So. Much. Snow. Yes, yes YES!!

My first day back I was rusty. I am such a cautious snowboarder, but I am determined to get better, which is why I book so many snowboarding trips.

If you want to work on improving in a comfortable resort, Whistler is the place to be. The runs are long are there are so many different ones of all levels, I didn’t really have to repeat any of them. I mean hell, they have a run that’s 11 kilometers long. They had runs that progressed exactly with my ability which was perfect for me.

My days were pretty similar. I would wake up, go get coffee and walk over to Whistler mountain, catch the gondola up and spend most of the day riding on the mountain before catching the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and crossing over to Blackcomb and riding down. I ate a lot, I spent a lot of time in my onesie, and I read. It was so chill and great. Each day I felt like I was riding better and better.

I was also lucky enough to be there for the Deep Winter Photo Challenge, and managed to nab an invite. Six professional photographers are invited to Whistler to come and shoot for 72 hours in bounds at the resort and put together a slideshow with music of their story and shots and share them with a live audience on the Saturday.

Honestly, it sounds like one hell of a challenge, but amazing to watch. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was sure surprised when I showed up and pretty much all of Whistler turned out for it! It’s a huge event, and one of the biggest and most respected winter photography competitions in the world. Pay attention Liz.

It was such a fun night, meeting everyone at the event, watching the different shows and hearing their stories. For me, this whole ski/snow world is new, and I love getting these tastes for it with bright eyes.

The vibe was so amazing, and it reminded me so much of Wanaka. In fact, I kept feeling like I knew everyone, when in reality I didn’t know anyone. But they all could have blended right in in Wanaka! I got lots of feels and felt super inspired, and had a great time afterwards too and getting my first real taste of the Whistler nightlife. Oh my.

You can watch the winner’s show here, and follow him, Guy Fattal on Instagram. His shots are so inspiring and make me miss Whistler everyday.

Finally I had my absolute best day ever snowboarding while I was in Whistler. I am not exaggerating. Every time I remember it I get the biggest, dumbest grin on my face. It was the best.

Halfway through my trip we had an epic powder day, around 30 centimeters, so epic for me. One of the amazing Whistler girls invited me along to try out Fresh Tracks, where you head up the Whistler Gondola at 7:15am, have breakfast at the the Roundhouse Lodge, and then you get to ride the mountain before it opens to the public. Oh, and it’s only $21.

We had planned to go and it happened to be a powder day, so we got there early to queue up – only the first 650 are allowed up – the tickets are not day specific.

Sidenote – it’s not usually -17 degrees, that was just a major cold snap

So after that morning, I truly understand what all the fuss is all about on powder days. I’ve had powder days before here and there, but nothing like this, and not where I was first on the mountain.

We basically had whole runs to ourselves, I was the first to make the tracks on them. It’s basically flying, guys.

Looking down my board was covered in snow and powder was flying all over me and in my face. I became fearless, falling couldn’t hurt me; it was like landing on a cloud. It was a huge step forward for me with my riding, and a day I’ll never forget.

If you were in Whistler on that day, I was the crazy loon in a yellow jacket screaming and hollering all morning as I carved out tracks. What a memory! Pure euphoria and joy.

Guys, I really get it now.

I rode until I couldn’t ride no more.

Unsurprisingly, the next day I couldn’t get out of bed. My body was so sore and it felt like I had been hit by a bus, so I did the only sensible thing you can do when faced with that situation; I went straight to the spa. This was my holiday!

After an amazing massage and a few hours spent soaking in the hot pools at the iconic Scandinave Spa, I felt like a new me, and was ready for the next round.

I went snowboarding until the day I left Whistler, and each day I felt better and more confident, and I was gutted when it was time to head home. But be warned. A week isn’t enough, and Whistler is one of those places that gets under your skin. I know I’ll be back.

Have you been to Whistler? Do you ski or snowboard? Are you a fan of winter wonderlands? What’s your dream holiday?

The post A dreamy winter holiday in Whistler appeared first on Young Adventuress.

2016 was a year of many firsts for me, of trying new things and having new experiences.

It was also the year I truly fell in love with winter, making it a specific part of my travel plans. I love nature and being in the mountains, and nothing compares to seeing places like that in the coldest months, when everything is a white winter wonderland. Cold is beautiful.

And nowhere does winter better than Alberta, Canada, especially in January.

2016 was also the year I felt my coldest EVER – a balmy -30° celsius (or -22°F) in Banff. That is NOT something I’m likely soon to forget.

To be totally honest here, I fell in love with Alberta even before I arrived. It was an easy sell. I had seen pictures of it over the years on Instagram, and it looked so similar to New Zealand (except 100 times more extreme) that I knew I’d love it.

And oh boy did it live up to expectations.

Its hard for me to pick a favorite moment from my time in Canada in winter, but if I had to chose, it probably was when I went for a sunrise hike in Johnston Canyon near Banff, which also happened to be the coldest morning I had ever felt to date.

Colder than a witch’s tit, as we say in the South.

It had been a clear, still night full of stars, white walker weather as I like to say. Shivers. Literally.

It was so cold when I went to bed that night in Banff at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, the snow outside didn’t look real. It was so still and cold, the snow was so dry it sparkled, like nothing I had ever seen before. It was so dry you couldn’t even form a snowball with it. Perfect, perfect powder.

It was still dark with a few stars twinkling before the dawn light began on the horizon as I layered up in my warm, cozy cabin room and packed my camera gear. Glancing at my phone, I almost couldn’t believe it when it said-30° C. I never felt temperatures that cold before.

Check out my post about traveling in extreme climates and not destroying your things.

The cold was dry with no wind so it wasn’t so shocking when I went outside to get picked up by Discover Banff Tours. No white walkers or ice spiders, a good sign.

I was joining in on one of their guided tours of Johnston Canyon since I was traveling on my own, an iconic spot in Banff I was dying to check out. I made sure to go on their very first early morning trip so we had the canyon to ourselves.

While you can definitely visit the canyon all year unguided, I wanted to learn about the area and I wanted to borrow the right gear for it in winter. The river and waterfalls freeze in winter, and the path is covered in snow and ice which gets compacted down and even more icy with all the visitors walking on it, and is super slippery.

While you don’t need crampons, you should definitely borrow some ice/snow cleats that slip over your shoes, or are provided along with warm gear if you go on a guided tour.

I wore two pairs of thick leggings, thick wooly merino socks, and my heavy duty winter Parajumpers Musher jacket. My breath froze on my hair immediately and all along the edges of my jacket, and my iPhone died within seconds of my taking it out of my warm pocket.

I feel like I should also take this opportunity to mention that it is NOT always that cold in Alberta, I think the usual January average is around -15°C, but because it’s so dry, it’s much more bearable than a damp cold. Ugh, not my favorite.

But I will say I loved experience the icy winter wonderland of Johnston Canyon in those temperatures because it made it seem even more eery, still and mystical. The dry snow sparkled in the early morning light and the ice seemed the most insane shades of blue.

Didn’t take long for me to start humming the Frozen soundtrack in the back of the group. FREAKING magical guys! Let it snow!

I was always last because I couldn’t stop taking photos and ogling the amazing ice formations. I had never seen anything like that before! Ice and frozen waterfalls that looked like blue stalactites in caves, I was in awe!

In one section you pop out at the bottom of a frozen waterfall, and you could still see the water tumbling down behind the ice in the most mesmerizing scene.

There are two sections of track leading to the upper and lower falls in the canyon, and definitely do both. If you go on a guided tour, you can warm up at the top with hot cocoa (YUS!) and maple cookies (OMG YUS I love Canada!).

You’ll probably get the chance to even see ice climbers at the top too, and can even go out yourself if you’re keen (it’s fun but hard).

We spent a few hours wandering up and down Johnston Canyon and finally made our way out just as the sun began to climb above the steep cliffs promising a beautiful bluebird day in Banff.

It’s hard for places to live up to expectations when you put them on a pedestal (like I have the tendency to do), but oh man, did Johnston Canyon and Banff live up to the hype!

I’d go back in a heartbeat!

Where’s the coldest place you’ve ever been? What temperatures? Do you enjoy winter travel? Would you visit a frozen canyon like this? Spill!

Many thanks to Travel Alberta for hosting me in Banff – like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post Exploring Johnston Canyon in winter appeared first on Young Adventuress.

When I imagine a perfect winter wonderland, Alberta, Canada immediately pops into mind.

From the dense pine trees caked with snow, to log cabins covered in icicles hidden away by frozen lakes to the towering Rocky Mountains to more winter activities to chose from than anywhere I’d ever been, I was in love. At first sight. I’m an easy target, guys.

I’d never seen such dry powdery snow that sparkled. In fact, I hadn’t seen that much snow ever! Seeing it piled a meter high on the roofs was able to give a bit of scale of how much snow this area of Canada actually gets in the year – a whole hell of a lot!

Alberta definitely fits the “winter wonderland” cliche to a T. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you love winter travel like me!

I’ve already shared my favorite photographs and memories from Alberta on the blog a while back, but this time I wanted to go ahead and tell you guys about one of the best days I had in Canada – going dogsledding. I’ve dogsledded in New Zealand and in Finland before, but I think Alberta was my favorite – don’t tell anyone.

Bring on the snow! And the husky puppies! YEOW!

It was also the very first activity I experienced on my way towards Banff National Park in Canmore Kananaskis Country, so it was the perfect introduction to the Rockies and the Canada I had always imagined.

After a few days hanging out and eating my way through Calgary, I was ready to finally see that pure Canadian wilderness for myself. Driving straight to Canmore from the big city , I made it just in time to the Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tour office just in time to check in for my afternoon adventure.

Putting on all my winter layers and borrowing their boots, I bundled up and got ready for an afternoon with the pups dogsledding in Alberta.

I grew up with dogs and I love being around animals more than anything, so any opportunity I have to ethically interact and be around animals on the road I jump at. Any kind of animal-based activity for tourism nowadays can be a touchy subject so I am always careful about what I endorse and which operators I work with.

Snowy Owl has an awesome mantra about how they breed, work and interact with their dogs so it was easy to get behind them. They also adopt out their retired dogs to the right people which is pretty rad. And kinda intense which shows how much they care about their four legged family.

Back in the day dogs were used all over North America and Canada as transport, explorations and even in the Gold Rush, and were probably used for far longer than that. The breeds you meet dogsledding like huskies and malamutes are strong energetic pack dogs that can run and pull for hours and hours. And they love it! This is literally what they’ve been bred to do for centuries, and man oh man are they good at it! But if you aren’t holding on, you will go flying!

They are made for very cold weather and even on these runs they get really hot, and roll around in the snow to cool off when they get the chance.

As we matched up and picked our teams the dogs knew they were getting the chance to go running, and began to howl! Excitement was in the air! Literally.

MUSH MUSH!

Sometimes the sled dogs wear booties to prevent abrasions on their paws from the snow and ice

I’d driven the sleds before (ungracefully hanging on for dear life) and this time I was keen to get more photos so I opted to sit bundled up in the sled for the ride instead – the lazy girl seat. Oh well, embrace it. Even though it was January, it wasn’t super cold (by Alberta standards) that day, so I didn’t have any problems staying warm.

Before I knew it we were off. The musher behind me on the sled was super knowledgable about the dogs, photography and all things Alberta, so we had no shortage of things to talk about on the ride.

This was my first proper introduction to the mountains of Canada and I think my jaw hung wide open in awe for the first part of the ride. That is until one of the dogs heard the call of mother nature and took care of business in the middle of the run – after that I kept my mouth shut.

When you notice one of your dogs needs to go to the bathroom you slow down and stop the sled by pushing down on the bar with your feet. If you don’t keep a solid grip and have your feet firmly planted on the ground, you might find yourself flat on your back and your dogs and your friend in the sled a kilometer down the trail.

I think I was mostly impressed by how smart and agile these dogs are. Even though they are working dogs on a job, which they take very seriously, they are super friendly and happy. You can just feel the excitement when they finally get to run.

Each dog has a role to play in pulling the sled, from the lead dogs in front setting the pace and keeping everyone in check to the swing dogs behind them which help steer around corners to the team dogs in the middle helping to pull the weight and finally the big brawny wheel dogs in the back by the sled that take a lot of the weight.

It’s like a well-oiled machine at work that sometimes has to stop and poop.

While I’m usually right in the thick of it traveling, it was really really nice to just sit back and enjoy the ride that afternoon. Out in the wilderness we passed glittering snow covered trees, huge mountains, rode by beautiful rivers and across a huge frozen lake as the sun was starting to set. We even (quickly) passed a moose! Canada turning on the goods!

I definitely had a few “pinch me – is this real life?” moments in the Alberta backcountry that afternoon. Magic, guys, pure magic!

Eventually we arrived back where we started and enjoy a nice hot cup of cocoa by the fire as the dogs rested, as you do when you are in a winter wonderland.

Have you been dogsledding before? Is this what you imagined? Would you try it in Alberta too?

Many thanks to Travel Alberta for hosting me in Canada, like always I’m keeping it real, like you could expect less from me!

The post Dogsledding in Alberta, Canada appeared first on Young Adventuress.

The gateway to Alberta is Calgary, a bustling big Canadian city that I didn’t have a lot of expectations for. My mind was more on the mountains.

I’m going to be totally honest here; I was not expecting a foodie scene and so many epic meals. Hell, I love surprises when traveling! But more on that in a minute.

But I love giving cities a chance, and I think it’s important to be openminded about places when you’re exploring the world, don’t you? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover and all that shit.

Anyways, I arrived in Calgary late in the evening right after New Years and headed straight to the Hotel Elan and planted facefirst into the comfiest bed ever.

The next morning I woke up early with my mind on coffee and headed over to the Simmons Building in the East Village. An old mattress factory converted into a thriving foodie center that just opened this year, I was really excited to see what was in store for me there.

Cough cough, hot coffee. Show me the beans!

Right next to the frozen river, the old school urban feel of the Simmon’s Building reminded me a bit of my old haunts around New York and New England, but I wasn’t prepared for just how an amazing experience it would be until I walked inside.

Wow, Alberta, you are full of surprises!

Tucked away in the heart of the up and coming East Village, the beautiful wooden beams, exposed brick and soft lighting of the building created one of the most welcoming atmospheres I’ve experienced in Canada. It felt like it’s own little market.

Right next to me as I walked in was Phil and Sebastian, an open coffee shop that you could immediately likely serves the best coffee in Calgary. Normally when I arrive in a city I seek out cafes like this, minimal with a focus on high quality coffee. It’s like they read my mind.

I’m such an addict.

In the back I could see the Charbar and Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, and my nose and interest was piqued. Without skipping a beat I ordered my standard latte before grabbing a seat and waiting for company. I was immediately curious about what made this place tick. Sometimes you just know when a place has a story.

And I was right, a rare occurrence.

When I walked inside the Simmons Building, I was immediately blown away by how cool of a spot this was. If you value quality food and meals prepared with mindfulness and love, THIS is the place for you!

A building destined for the wrecking ball, it was saved with the idea of turning it into a community space. Hundreds of people vied for the lease to set up shop but three innovators won out – a cafe, a bakery and a restaurant, none of them typical of course.

I’m not a food writer but this was too good not to share. Here’s their story along with my favorite bites from Calgary.

Phil and Sebastian

Phil and Sebastian studied engineering together at university, working as lab partners. They became friends over good food and better coffee. You can probably see where this is going, the result of which is amazing coffee in Calgary that Me (and probably plenty of you guys) couldn’t get enough of.

Read more of their epic story here. Trying to summarize it would just do it an injustice.

I like my coffee with a story so I was lapping it up when I was hearing the story of engineers turned award winning baristas. Isn’t that something we can all relate and aspire to? Leaving the comfortable to follow your dreams in the hopes that they pay off?

It’s an inspiring space, and I love that you see every angle of how the coffee is prepared, even it seems a bit intimidating. I’d rather learn that not, you know.

Sidewalk Citizen Bakery

After a couple cups of coffee, I wandered over to the Sidewalk Citizen Bakery. I needed something to stuff my face with after so much coffee. I was jittery.

With a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean menu and a no BS attitude, this Israeli owned bakery combines tradition and innovation in every bite. I knew I was going to like this place when the owner asked if she could feed me. Um, duh. Yes please!!!

With almost every ingredient made in house, including the yeast that makes the bread, there is though, purpose and love in every dish here to make you want to stay all day and try everything.

Charbar

Where do I start? The best brunch I’ve had EVER of all time was at Charbar. Omg did it blow me away. And I don’t say that lightly.

Blending together Argentinian, Spanish and Italian flavors over an Argentinian woodfire grill, I wish I hadn’t eaten for days to prepare me for this meal. But don’t worry, my mom raised me right and I didn’t leave anything. What was left came with me as leftovers. Obviously.

It’s also a really funky space. Definitely try the pizzas and ceviche mixto. ZOMG.

Working together with Phil and Sebastian and the Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, they all compliment each other and really show off the best there is in Calgary.

Yellow Door Bistro

The rest of my time in Calgary I ate pretty well too, with dinner one night at the Yellow Door Bistro, an eccentric restaurant with a fine menu. In a different part of the city from the Simmon’s Building, it was the first time I tried pierogies in Calgary, a local staple.

As someone with a Polish ancestry who is not the best chef, I’ve always struggled with making pierogies so it had been a while since I indulged. GOD, they have to be one of my favorite dishes. And honestly, what more could you want when it’s a balmy -10 degrees outside?

I couldn’t get enough of the delicious perfect sized mains or the regal throne chairs. This place was cool.

Red’s Diner

My last morning in Calgary I found I was quite bummed to leave the city. Living in one of the most remote, rural areas of the world here in New Zealand (wouldn’t have it any other way) I can fully appreciate it when I get to spend time in the big cities. Until I got a damn parking ticket. Seriously Calgary?

Starting with variety and ending with an ample selection of diverse and delicious food. Yum. I headed over to Red’s Diner, a local fave for a hot brunch before driving out to Canmore and the Rockies.

Ok, I am going to admit that I SERIOUSLY miss diner style food when I am outside of North America. It just takes me back to university and hanging with friends late at night or recovering from a big night out.

My spicy breakfast burrito with a whopping portion of guacamole was my last Mexican fix before heading back to a world without good Mexican food. And obviously we shared a plate of pierogies.

Calgary, I blame you for me not fitting into my snowpants when I arrived in Banff.

Have you ever visited a place with a surprising foodie scene? Have you been to any of these spots in Calgary?

Many thanks to Travel Alberta for hosting me in Canada. Like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me. 

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