MOUNTAIN TREK FITNESS RETREAT AND HEALTH SPA, Box 1352,
Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia V0G lA0.
Tel. 250/229-5636,
Fax 250/229-5246,
Toll-free reservations 800/661-5161,
Web: www.hiking.com
Three-night hiking packages start at $1,595, Canadian; seven-night packages are about $3,395, Canadian; other fitness packages, such as snowshoeing andyoga retreats, are similarly priced. Accepts Visa and Mastercard. Includes Friday and Monday transfer to and from Castlegar Airport, which is a one hour flight from both the Vancouver and Calgary International airports. Alternatively, Mountain Trek can provide directions for the four hour drive from Spokane, Washington.
About halfway between Vancouver, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta, an alpine enthusiast named Wendy Pope has got something special happening. Justwhat this is depends on when you decide to visit herand herstaff. Throughouttheyear, her Rocky Mountain lodge plays host to a variety of expertly administered adventures.
Called "vacations for the body and mind", the happenings at Mountain Trek take full advantage of British Columbia’s backcountry splendor. A quick review of Pope’s 1999 programs is suggestive of what she’s got available off her doorstep: in the spring, a variety of hiking, biking, and kayaking weeks; in the fall, a yoga retreat, combined with more hiking; in the winter, a millennium snowshoe in the Kootenay Mountains.
What’s in a day of hiking here at Mountain Trek? First, it’s a light snack of fruit and the warmth of herbal teas. Gentle stretching and yoga welcome the sunrise, and then it’s offto a hearty breakfast. Don’t be shy with the helpings: depending on your abilities, you may not be back from your hike until nearly 12 hours later. All of what’s ahead, though, will be reviewed over breakfast as the guides tell you where you’re headed and what to expect.
Beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert hikes are all available among a network of some 25 trails. For a beginner hike, expect a drive of about 45 minutes to the trailhead, and about three hours of actual hiking time. Typically, you’ll cover about five miles and gain 500 feet in elevation. Advanced hikes may keep you on the trail for up to six hours and put you 3,000 feet above the trailhead. Do an expert hike, and you’ve done something akin to hiking your way out of the Grand Canyon: six plus hours on the trail for 12 or more miles, and 4,000 feet of elevation gain.
Guides provide lunch, but you carry it (these are the Rockies; if you want a Sherpa, go to the Himalayas). They also carry and know how to use a full range of first aid equipment. For emergencies beyond the quick fix of first aid — a rare thing — they also carry radios and mobile phones.
Back at the lodge, dinner is served around seven. Depending on the length of your hike, you may have had time for a massage, a soak in the nearby hot springs, or both. Once atthe dinnertable you can expect to be satisfied. While most consume a diet appropriate to long days in the mountains, others make special requests that are honored with a smile. Either way, you’ll see a fresh and appealing variety of balanced foods that model a satisfying pattern of “eating for a lifetime.”
Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat and Health Spa Services and Options |
