Hot Springs in The Great Wilderness
The Great Wilderness is home to many breathtaking landscapes, but among its most endearing features are hot springs, natural wonders offering solace and healing
Guest Post by Josie Heisig
Hiking up, up, up into the alpine usually takes many hours and much grunt-work. That’s when having a chopper comes in handy. Decadent? Absolutely. Worth it? Oh yeah. We’re talking about an unforgettable trip.
Heli-hiking has been around for 40 years, but it’s still largely under the radar. Canadian Mountain Holidays invented it in the Bugaboos — an area so remote you likely won’t see another soul. Lift-off is from a heli-pad near Radium Hot Springs in the southeast corner of the province. Fifteen minutes later, the massive granite Bugaboo spires come into view, and so does the renovated, 33-room CMH Bugaboo Lodge.
“Go to the highest places whenever you can,” says Dave Cochrane, manager of the lodge, which is 1,500 metres (almost a mile) above sea level. It’s not a bad motto when you have a helicopter at your beck and call. Shale ridges, deep blue glaciers, alpine meadows in full bloom — a short flight from the lodge takes you to any number of glorious vantage points.
Getting in and out of the chopper is part of the adventure. For take-offs and landings you huddle as a group and hold on tight; the rotor can create hurricane-force winds and blow your sunglasses off. Hopping a helicopter means more time in picturesque places. Hard-core hikers will feel at home in the rugged terrain, but so will those who prefer a more leisurely pace. CMH guides split the guests into groups depending on interests and abilities.
Thrill-seekers challenge the Skyladder Via Ferrata (Italian for “Iron Way”). It’s a half-day vertical journey up the side of Mount Trundle — no climbing experience necessary. Strategically placed metal rungs help you navigate. So do CMH’s guides and guests, who shout encouragement when the going gets super-steep.
At the end of each day the lodge is a welcome sight. Yes, it’s beautiful and luxurious, but it’s also the kind of place where people kick back in slippers with a book, a glass of wine, and a snack in the lounge. The food is so plentiful and delicious the staff jokingly warn guests about getting “heli-belly.”
A three-night, all-inclusive trip will set you back a little over $3,000 per person — a splurge, but an unforgettable holiday. Watching the sun rise over the iconic Bugaboo spires, and then sink behind them at the end of a spectacular day, is a memory of a lifetime.