Beyond Skiing: Dog Sledding, Snowshoeing and Skating in Alberta

A surprising number of people arrive in the Rockies in winter and do not want to ski. There is far more to do than the resorts suggest.

Dog sledding

Operators run out of Canmore, Kananaskis and Lake Louise, with trips from an hour to a full day. Most let you drive the sled part of the way, which is more work and more fun than being a passenger. Book ahead: the good operators fill weeks out over the holidays.

Dress warmer than you would for skiing. You are sitting still in moving air.

Snowshoeing

The most underrated winter activity in the park, because it needs almost no skill and opens up the whole valley.

• Chester Lake, Kananaskis. A wide, gentle trail through spruce to a frozen lake.
• Johnson Lake and Cascade Ponds, Banff. Short, flat, close to town.
• Lake Louise lakeshore. Flat and spectacular.
• Tunnel Mountain, Banff. A short climb for a valley view.

Snowshoes rent cheaply in Banff and Canmore. Stay off groomed cross-country tracks, which is the one piece of etiquette that matters.

Wild ice skating

Alberta has a short window, usually late November to mid-December, when lakes freeze hard before the snow arrives, and you can skate on clear black ice with the bottom of the lake visible under you. It is extraordinary and it is genuinely risky.

Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack, Vermilion Lakes and Lake Louise all produce it. Never go without checking recent local reports, never go alone, and if you are new to it, go with somebody who has done it.

The safe version: the maintained rink at Lake Louise in front of the Chateau, from late December, with skate rental on site.

Sleigh rides

Horse-drawn sleighs run along the Bow River in Banff and at Lake Louise. It is unashamedly a tourist thing and it is lovely at dusk with blankets and the lights on.

Ice climbing

For the ambitious. Guided intro days run in the Ghost, at Grotto and around Field, with all equipment supplied and no experience required. It is a serious workout and a very good day.

Nordic skiing

The Canmore Nordic Centre, built for the 1988 Olympics, has world-class groomed trails, night skiing on lit loops, and rentals and lessons on site. Kananaskis has extensive trail networks at Peter Lougheed and Mount Shark.

Getting to them

These are scattered: Canmore, Kananaskis Village, Banff townsite, Lake Louise. Several are best at dusk. All involve a winter drive at either end of a day spent outdoors in the cold.

We build fixed-rate winter activity days out of Calgary that string two or three of these together with the driving handled, so the sleigh ride at dusk does not have to be followed by ninety minutes on the Trans-Canada.