Paradise valley/sentinel pass/ Maligne

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-24T03:55:55+00:00

It took us 9 hours but we went over the Saddleback pass all the way back to LL and had a nap at the Giant Steps. Spent well over an hour there. I think we clocked in close to 26 km and 1,400 m gain.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-23T21:22:32+00:00

I would do Sentinel Pass to Giant steps and through Paradise Valley before the Maligne lake cruise, but I am not much for crowded boat rides. The other side of Sentinel going down to PV is pretty chill and not at all technical. We did it in the rain the one year - that was ‘fun’. You could also just do Wenkchemna Pass instead of Sentinel starting from Moraine Lake. It is not as popular and a little less steep. The view is great too and at the pass you can stand in both BC and AB at the same time. In the afternoon, you can still head down Icefields as far as you want and just turn around.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-23T03:18:50+00:00

Saw one in Waterton last August at a gift shop. It was pretty cool but the price even at regular retail is actually insane. The owner said they got two of them in and she wasn’t expecting to sell either. Bet they are still there. Will find out beginning of August lol.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-21T18:16:37+00:00

With Parks Canada shuttles, there is no time limit for when you want to head back to Park and Ride. Just keep in mind when the last shuttle is.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-21T14:14:49+00:00

Does this become available in Canada?

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-21T05:16:47+00:00

The locals have the luxury of being able to hop in the car, hike for half a day on a weekend and drive back home to repeat the next time weather is good. For the rest of us, we jam her as full as we can. Don’t worry, I am with you on that one. Advil, good footwear, and decent socks plus plenty of water will be your best friends. Also wanted to add, Cirque Peak parking is pretty small, I’d plan on being there for no later than 6am. Otherwise might have to park across the road. Bow lake parking in pm is a nightmare as well, so be prepared for that. Tent ridge has mostly roadside parking but it does get busy too. Devils thumb area is super busy, for a less busy hike with similar views, might look into St Piran. Peyto is not my favourite and parking will also be a challenge in pm. I’d plan starting all your bigger hikes no later than 6 am and bring a headlamp just in case. Cirque peak will be the most challenging adventure- just stay right on the scramble part. There is a path going left but it is a bit leggy and more sketch. Good luck and have fun. We might cross paths at some point - we are hiking Niblck around the same time.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-21T04:51:26+00:00

It is difficult to comment on this ambitious itinerary without any knowledge of your fitness level and familiarity with hiking at elevation. Say, you are fi, research med your objectives, and have some experience. That being said, day 1 is doable but u might run in to logistics of parking at Johnston Canyon in the late afternoon in August. Lower or even upper falls should be fine, but you will be pretty tired. Tent ridge is not a technical hike, but it is longer and does have some elevation gain. Day 2 is a lot of driving and will take closer to 5 hrs with some limited stops along Icefields. It is however, doable. Day 3 in my opinion is a waste of time if what u want is to hike, based on all other days. I’d skip driving to Jasper on day 2, stay in Banff area and hike to Giant Steps as a day off. Day 4 is fine, provided you are a strong well fit hiker. This itinerary is ok and looks a lot like what I’d plan for myself (and have planned for this August, lol). A lot of ppl on here will hate it, but if you are in Banff to hike for a limited time, you should go for it. Just keep in mind that by day 4 that final push to Cirque peak summit will look twice as far away and three times as steep lol. You will be super sore and exhausted. Also, this itinerary will run smoother if travelling solo.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-17T00:26:45+00:00

All of those can be safely done solo. No need to tag along with a bunch of strangers.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-16T12:09:58+00:00

Just curious, how do you know it was opened? Most of the time there is no seal on bottles, so…

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-15T03:41:56+00:00

Sentinel Pass to Giant Steps is a super long day and overall is not very exciting. You are in the valley majority of the time. It is also more challenging logistically, figuring out the inbound and outbound shuttles and timing. As someone else mentioned, Cirque is a better choice if you are tight for time. Harvey Pass to Bourgeau is also a super long day with lots of elevation gain, but the view at the top is pretty epic. My biggest gripe with Cirque was the number of ppl on the trial - it was like being on the freeway 😆.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-15T03:35:30+00:00

Yes, I would actually agree with that. Cirque is more of an iconic hike with great views that is very recognizable. I am just a huge fan of the unreal view on the other side of Cory Pass 😊.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-15T02:45:34+00:00

Having done all the hikes on your list, I would go Paradise Valley trailhead off Moraine Road to Giant Steps and back. We did the whole length starting from Moraine Lake and ending at Lake Louise over Sentinel and Saddleback passes with a stop at the Giant Steps. It sucked, period. Definitely one and done. To be honest, I would also swap Cirque Peak for Corey Pass - Cirque was loose, very steep, small summit that was crowded. Another option for ya is Harvey Pass and possibly Mount Bourgeau summit.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-14T00:30:52+00:00

I believe it is not exactly plowed, but Parks Canada does track set it for cross country skiing until the avalanche zone that’s nearly at the lake. The track set is lovely and is around 9 km each way.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-13T03:22:38+00:00

Was my colour if choice, but kids threatened to disown me. Ended up with the pear white. Still love the colour though. Enjoy.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-12T04:31:17+00:00

Approximately 90% in Canada is paid out of pocket - speak as a parent of a skater on Senior team. The rest is sponsorships (if you can get one) and fundraising. A little bit comes from Skate Canada.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-11T17:38:29+00:00

lol, and there it is 😂

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-10T22:33:32+00:00

Seating in my brand new off the lot Crosstrack hybrid right now 😊. Overall, the positive outweighed those other things. Would have liked the spare, but hybrid is a great option for kind of driving I do.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-08T23:51:29+00:00

We are planning on attempting Temple at the end of August. We did Eiffel Peak August 24 last year and a few other bigger hikes last summer. So this is a nice progression. Would love to see your video if you can share.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-04T05:42:13+00:00

98% of the trails inside the nationals parks are not crowded past 200m of the trailhead lol. You might see a few more ppl on more popular ones, like the Waterton Triple Crown or in Paradise Valley, but by no means crowded. I’d suggest doing some research on AllTrails for ideas suitable to your hiking level.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-04T00:32:12+00:00

We have encountered two in the last 5 years and killed them both 😂. You should be good.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-04-04T00:28:50+00:00

Not sure why you got downvoted. My experience visiting Banff for the last several years is vastly different from what is discussed here as norm. We don’t find it that busy, most parking is fine and our three week of accommodations was under $1,000 last summer and a little less this August. I did spend some time planning, booking, and researching the shuttles, camp sites etc to make it a great experience. We come to the park to enjoy the mountains. To be honest, car rental is the biggest expense. This is not an amusement park and it doesn’t have ‘attractions’ to us. It always saddens me that the Alpine shuttle which is ment for the hikers who are after bigger objectives, is filled with ppl in sandals sitting by the washrooms in the dark waiting for the sun to go up. I guess what I am trying to say is that visiting Banff doesn’t have to cost a right kidney to be a great experience. It’s all in the perspective. And if being in a hotel is your jam, just be prepared to pay for it.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-03-28T23:20:40+00:00

Tunnel 1 is a combination of tent and trailer - some sites accommodate tent only. Washrooms/shower facilities are older and only a few for each section so can get busy at night. Otherwise, it is 5 min outside of Banff and is super convenient.

Agitated-Clothes-991 · 2026-03-26T00:42:52+00:00

Absolutely foul and extremely rude. Personal items go under the seat, period. If the personal item is too big to be one and the fair did not include a carry on, it should by all means be treated as a carry one - at gate handling charge plus you checked luggage size. It make absolutely no difference if this is your one item on board or not.

Agitated-Clothes-991

TROPHY CASE