Travis and I saved the best for last during our four day whirlwind road trip in Alberta, Canada: an excursion on to Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefields. Neither of us had ever seen a glacier before this trip, let alone walked on one! We bought our tickets the day prior at the Columbia Icefields Information Centre to reserve our spot on the first trip of the next day. As the first visitors of the day, Travis & I, and only ten others, would have the glacier all to ourselves for 20 minutes – a rarity for other tours that have higher group numbers & overlapping glacier time.
We spent that evening giddy with excitement as we sat by our campfire gazing at the Columbia Icefields in the distance.
The Journey to the Top
At 8:30 a.m. we arrived at the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre and boarded a coach bus that brought us to the base of the glacier. There, an iconic red Brewster Ice Explorer was waiting for us. It had the appearance of a school bus with monster truck wheels and was specifically designed for driving in extreme ice conditions. Six massive tires with soft rubber & low PSI allowed the vehicle to safely maneuver up the steep grade of the glacier without damaging the ice. Once everyone settled into their seats, the ice explorer lurched to life and we started our ascent to the top of Athabasca Glacier.
We all introduced ourselves to the group & our guide began the tour by sharing the history of the glacial field and surrounding area as well as the science of glaciers and icefields. With every sentence my excitement continued to mount: this was really happening!
A Word of Warning
As we approached the top, our guide eased into a very detailed warning about the liabilities associated with walking on a glacier. He reminded us to exercise extreme caution while exploring because new weak patches or holes could have formed in the ice overnight. Outside of the designated area, one misstep could cause the ice to collapse, sending an unfortunate someone hundreds of feet below the surface. He pointed out the vetted safe zone we were permitted to explore and indicated to the orange cones scattered throughout the area – markers of weak ice and holes from the previous day. He also noted that the crew had not yet searched the area for new ice hazards, essentially rendering the cones ineffective for completely avoiding weak ice.
As soon as our guide concluded his warning, Travis made a joke about me breaking through the ice. We both laughed and agreed that the thought of me falling through thin ice on a glacier didn’t seem that far out of reach given my track record of being in the right place at the wrong time, all the time.
On to the Ice
While descending the stairs of the Brewster Ice Explorer, the subzero temperatures and whipping wind slapped us in the face. Small, frozen droplets of rain pierced our exposed faces and our eyes immediately began to water. Even the shock and pain of the weather couldn’t deter the excitement we felt to finally step out onto the top of our first glacier. Without hesitation, we disembarked the vehicle and pressed forward out onto the ice mass.
Approximately thirteen steps after disembarking, a loud cracking noise came from the ice below my feet. Before I could register what was happening, my right leg disappeared through the ice and my chest slammed to the ground. Hip-deep in a glacial puddle, my leg immediately felt prickly with cold. After a few-second delay, I finally realized what happened and began to panic. I firmly planted my left foot and attempted to use the strength from my left leg to pull my right leg out of the glacier. The ice splintered under my weight filling my other boot with freezing water. With two limbs stuck in the ice my mind raced with potential solutions for escape.
Before I had time to panic further, Travis linked his arms under mine and hoisted me out of the hole. Wide-eyed and soaking wet, it took a few seconds for the shock to wear off before I could comprehend the reality of what had happened.
The other members of our tour stood rooted to the spot gaping at my misfortune and reiterating the guide’s words of caution to their companions. As the shock wore off, Travis and I began laughing hysterically – still in disbelief of the whole situation.
Wiping the tears of mixed-emotions from my eyes, I quickly assessed my soaking legs and frozen feet white profusely thanking Travis for coming to my rescue. After confirming my well-being, we resumed the uncontainable excitement that had briefly left us. Even the brutal weather and shock of the whole experience couldn’t mar the thrill of fulfilling this bucket list item.
An Experience of a Lifetime
Travis and I proceeded to explore with caution, never straying outside of an arms reach of each other. Through trial and error, we quickly learned the difference between strong and weak ice based on its color and texture. Weak ice appeared white, opaque, and rough while strong ice had a transparent blue color and a smooth surface. After my incident, we tried to stay on the strong ice, a substantially slipperier decision. Comically, we made our way around the glacier slipping, laughing, and leaning on each other for support.
We wandered atop Athabasca Glacier with unbridled curiosity and excitement. I couldn’t stop staring at the brilliant blues of the glacier or marveling at its massive size. We indulged in cheesy tourist photos while sitting in the iconic Parks Canada Red Chairs and fulfilled the brochures’ promise of drinking the glacial melt directly from the source. The water was so cold we could feel it travel down our throats into our bellies – chilling us from the inside.
Frigid winds, piercing rain and frozen limbs aside, our brief time on Athabasca Glacier was such a magical and surreal experience that we didn’t want to leave. Even as the last people to return to the ice explorer, we still wished we could have stayed longer.
A Perfect Ending to a Perfect Trip
On our ride back to the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre we took turns warming each other’s frozen hands and reliving the amazing experience. I will never forget our experience at the Columbia Icefields and it will always remain as a fond memory. I can’t even imagine a better ending to a trip to Banff and Jasper National Parks.
For a detailed itinerary of this road trip, click here.
Tour Information:
- A part Pursuit’s Banff & Jasper Collection
- $90 per Adult
- Includes the excursion onto Athabasca Glacier & the glass-bottom Glacier Skywalk experience
- More details
