GDMBR day by day

Icefield Parkway to Banff

We decided to start our trip from Jasper and take the Icefield Parkway to Banff to warm up/get a bit fitter and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Many people start the GDMBR from Banff, and there is also an ACA off-road route from Jasper but this goes east of the main Rockies and through forests, missing out on the Parkway scenery.

Day Zero – 19 July 2022 Icefield Parkway,Alberta

Armathwaite, Cumbria to Jasper, Alberta

July 19, 2022: flew from London Gatwick to Edmonton, then to Jasper via Sundog Tours bus. Overnight at Bloc Hotel at Gatwick and Holiday Inn Express Edmonton. Record-breaking heatwave, with roads reportedly melting in the UK… arrived 4 hours late due to flight rerouting, then the bikes took a different plane, so had to wait longer for them to arrive. Got to the hotel at breakfast time GMT but happy we made it.

Highlights were the Sundog Tours bus driver who practically took us and our heavy bike boxes to our camp spot at the huge Wapiti campsite in Jasper, and an introduction to Tim Hortons, the Canadian answer to UK’s Greggs!

From Armathwaite in the Eden Valley, Cumbria to…

Start of the icefield parkway, south of Jasper, Alberta

Daves bike: Salsa Fargo; Ortlieb packs, Alpikit front bag and Salsa fork bags

Jane’s tiny Fargo with Orlieb front roll and bikepacking paniers, Salsa rear roll as it cant fit a seat pack.

Day 1 Icefield Parkway – 22 July 2022 Icefield Parkway Jasper to Honeymoon lake

Warm up first day: 30 miles 2150 ft ascent. Gradually uphill to a national park campground that has a cheap, cyclist-only, area.

We took the icefields parkway road route rather than the official GDMBR off-road route (to the east) to warm up, double check the bike set-up was all ok and enjoy the stunning scenery. This meant we would start the GDMBR at Banff, which most people do, about a week later, allowing sightseeing and a meet-up with Jane’s family at Spray lakes near Banff.

Honeymoon Lake, Icefield parkway.

Day 2 Icefield Parkway – 23 July 2022 Honeymoon Lake to Columbia Icefield

33 miles, 2400 ft ascent to pass at 6500 ft.

First proper hill and a scorching day in the heat wave up to the pass at the Columbia glacier. Stopped for lunch at Beauty Creek Hostel which we had originally booked to stop over at. This is a great spot, just before the climb to the ice field. Soon after we made early use of our tyre boot kit: a passing cyclist from Banff with a hire bike had ripped his tyre up, glad we could help out.

At the top of the main climb, there is the glacier Skywalk, and we were clapped and cheered by the people in the queue!

Near Beauty Creek hostel, lunch spot

Nearing the Columbia icefield: the road tops out at the skywalk, then descends to a flat valley below the glacier, before a short final climb to the visitor centre and campground.

Just before the final climb to the columbia icefield campground

Day 3 Icefield Parkway – 24 July 2022 Columbia Icefield to Waterfowl lake

43 Miles 1700 ft of ascent, but 800 downhill!

A steep drop down to the long valley took us to Saskatchewan Crossing, then a shortish climb to Waterfowl lake Campground, which sits just below the final pass over to Lake Louise. Saskatchewan Crossing has a large shop/cafe/rest/motel- bigger than we expected, so we need not have carried all that food across the pass!

Waterfowl campground had a dedicated cyclists/walk in area where we met some Europeans on there way to the pacific coast and maybe on to south america,. We saw them again the next day briefly at the cafe by Bow lake.

The top of the pass by the Icefield visitor center.

Top of the valley that goes down to Saskatchewan Crossing

Day 4 Icefield Parkway – 25 July 2022 Waterfowl Lake to Lake Louise

Short easy day 37 miles, 1700 ft ascent, and 2100 ft of descent. Pleasant coffee and cake stop at a cafe at Bow Lake.

Heading down towards Bow lake

At Bow Lake, good coffee/cake stop!

Day 5 Icefield Parkway – 28 July 2022 Lake Louise to Banff

36 miles 1100ft ascent.

We had a 2-day break at Lake Louise supposedly to take trips around the amazing lakes nearby. Unfortunately, the flight and cycling in a heat wave brought on a gout flare so I could barely walk, so Jane took a trip up to Lake Louise to join the hoards up there, and I went to the local clinic for some pills….

We still headed off to Banff in the hope my foot would get better, cycling mainly on my heel. It is an easy and gorgeous roll down the almost traffic-free scenic byway to Banff as the cars take the motorway. Then a handy bike path along lakes and rivers to the centre of town.,…and to Starbucks. Banff was much more of a complete resort compared to Jasper. It has everything, reminiscent in a way of Keswick in the Lake District, being situated at a junction of 3 valleys surrounded by peaks, and full of shops, people, and cafes!

Lakes and mountians on the way into Banff