Located in Canmore, Alberta at the gates of Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska is a premier provider of hiking, backpacking, and trekking experiences in the Canadian Rockies. We also offer backcountry skiing, climbing, avalanche safety, and first aid training courses throughout the year. For over 30 years, we have hosted thousands of clients from Canada and all over the world. Our brand is known for quality mountain experiences, safety, and well-organized itineraries. We have some of the best hiking and mountain guides in the industry. All of our guides are certified through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and accredited by the Interpretive Guides Association. Please visit our Guides page.
From our humble beginnings as an adult wilderness program at the YMCA’s Yamnuska Center, we have grown to be recognized internationally for our superior guest service, exemplary safety record, and the highest standard of program delivery. We are proud to call Canmore our home but consider the mountains of western Canada to be our classroom and playground.
Our Vision
“Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska is passionately committed to providing exceptional mountain experiences and services in a sustainable and respectful manner with safety as our top priority”
Land Acknowledgement
Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska recognizes that the traditional stewards of the land on which we live, work and play are the First Nations and Metis peoples of Canada.
Yamnuska is located within Treaty 7 territory, the traditional territories and home of the Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot Confederacy and Tsuut’ina Nations, as well as Zone 3 Metis Nation.
We honour, respect and celebrate this territory with all those who steward this land.
Guest Service
All of our guides are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and accredited by the Interpretive Guides Association. In addition to their exceptional technical skill, our team is trained to give you the quality experience you expect. We pride ourselves on setting the standard for staff training and guest service.
Our modern 4,000 sq foot facility has a classroom, full-service backcountry kitchen, and guide’s lounge for your comfort and convenience. We maintain an inventory of quality technical gear for you to use on our programs.
Safety
As Canada’s largest trekking and mountain skills organization, our safety and risk management plans are unmatched. A full-time, on-call duty manager ensures that we are prepared to deal with any emergency or program requirement around the clock. Our rigorous safety policies and procedures have been developed through our experience from more than 30 years of training and working with military organizations from around the world.
All participants must sign our waiver of liability prior to commencing any Yamnuska Mountain Adventures program. Read the sample waiver.
Canadian Tourism Commission – Signature Experience
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures and Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska have been recognized as ‘Signature Experience’ providers for uniquely Canadian experiences by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). On October 18, 2011, the CTC announced that we had been granted this prestigious honour citing our Wapta Traverse ski trip as a signature winter experience and our Wapta Ice Hike as a signature summer experience. Both glacier traversing programs are located in Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest and largest National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Signature Experience program recognizes those travel-related companies and experiences who live the values of truly Canadian experiences.
Sustainability, Responsible Travel, and Environmental Policy
Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska is committed to sustainable travel and tourism and helping to promote the preservation of the fragile alpine areas of the world’s mountains. Our programs are typically human-powered endeavors and we strive to cut our impact on the environment by supporting local and national environmental organizations. Here are some of the ways that we have offset our footprint and are helping to educate the public about the ongoing challenge of environmental ethics.
Leave No Trace Canada:
Leave No Trace (LNT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through education, research, and partnerships. Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska practices Leave No Trace principles in all of our activities.. As backcountry users, an important goal for us is to respect and care for the environment that we enter and use. We must create as little impact as possible and in some cases leave the area in a more natural state than we found it. To better maintain the wilderness state of areas we travel in we adhere to the principles of the ‘Leave No Trace’ organization. Your assistance will be appreciated.
LNT principles are:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitor
Responsible Travel Policy
The objective of this policy is to increase positive and decrease negative impacts that Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska operational practices have on the physical environment within our operational area.
Environmental Impact Field Operations
Canadian Rockies Hiking is committed to providing its operations in a manner that has minimal impact on the environment with the following special considerations:
Disturbing Wildlife
- Maintain a minimum distance of 30m for most wildlife, and 100m for bears.
- Respect trail closures and restrictions relating to wildlife movement
- Respect park rules and regulations, and do not approach, feed, or chase wildlife for any reason.
- Wildlife viewing will be done from a safe distance.
- Encourage wildlife viewing through telephoto lenses and binoculars.
Vegetation Impact
- Stay on designated trails and use designated resting/stop areas.
- Soil Impact
- Ensure that all hiking is kept to designated trails and previously disturbed areas.
- Keep groups together to avoid trail braiding.
Water Impact
- Ensure hiking is kept to designated trails and that bridges or paths over water are used.
- Encouraged use of trailhead facilities to reduce the amount of human waste on the trail.
- Do not dispose of any human waste or gray water near any watercourses.
Pollution Impact
- Ensure that outhouse/washroom facilities are utilized whenever possible.
- Ensure that all garbage is packed out, and will actively collect garbage that is observed on the trail.
- Ensure that all soaps, if used, are biodegradable.
Canadian Rockies Hiking believes strongly in the philosophy, leave only footprints, take only pictures.
- Do not pick or disturb wildflowers, bushes, or trees
- Encourage the use of good footwear and gaiters so that hikers will not be going off-trail to avoid wet or muddy areas
- Ensure that any gray water is disposed of away from watercourses
- Select resting spots that have already been designated as such, or select barren/rocky areas
Environmental Impact Office Operations
At Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska we use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper for our office printing. The Forest Stewardship Council is recognized by the WWF and Rainforest Alliance as the leading standard in responsible forest management. The paper comes from responsibly managed forests. Paper bearing this stamp indicates that it was manufactured from environmentally sustainable and ecologically sound sources. The paper is free from chlorine and acid, is not bleached, and does not go through a chemical treatment process, reducing harmful by-products. Additionally, we have a recycling program that includes metals and plastics.
Travelers Code of Conduct
The following guidelines offer suggestions for low-impact and culturally sensitive travel:
- Stay on the trail
- Straying from the trail while hiking can cause erosion and other environmentally harmful impacts.
- Respect the wildlife
- Viewing animals from a safe distance is fine; approaching, touching, feeding, or cornering them is not acceptable.
- Respect endangered species
- Do not buy products that exploit wildlife, aid in habitat destruction, or come from endangered species.
- Do not litter
- Follow the principles of Leave No Trace. Dispose of litter properly.
- Reduce waste
- Avoid products with excess packaging; utilize hotel or hostel accommodation-recycling programs.
- Protect local water systems
- Use only biodegradable soaps and shampoos while camping.
- Respect historical and archaeological sites
- Leave any artifacts found in place including fossils and animal horns. These are serious federal offences in the national parks.
- Respect local vegetation
- Do not pick or remove wildflowers or other vegetation. It is illegal and takes a long time for alpine wildflowers to grow.
Tourism Associations
We are proud members of Banff Lake Louise Tourism, and Tourism Canmore Kananaskis.
Sales and Industry Trade Shows
We attend the following consumer trade shows each year:
- The Calgary Outdoor Adventure Show
- The Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show
We regularly attend the following Industry Trade Shows:
- Canada’s West Marketplace
- Rendezvous Canada
- The Banff Mountain Film Festival Sponsor Trade Show
Annual Sales Promotions
Like you, we think it’s unfair if everyone on a trip has paid a different price so we are transparent about our pricing policy and sales discounts. At the trade shows listed above, any purchase is eligible for a 10% discount (see restrictions below). As well, our Early Bird discounts offer guests 15% off scheduled trips and programs they purchase for the upcoming summer or winter season. The early bird discount for upcoming winter programs runs until July 1 of the previous season and for upcoming summer programs, the discount runs until December 31 of the previous season. We encourage you to take advantage of these great discount opportunities and assure you we will not suddenly offer other sale prices. The Mountain Skills and Summer Semesters, International programs, Lodge Based ski trips, and certain hiking programs are not eligible for these discounts. Programs that we re-sell for our partners are also not available for these discounts (i.e. Wilderness First Aid programs).
Receptive Tour Operators and Agents
With agreements, we offer some of our trips to commissioned sales agents. The terms and conditions vary based on volume and reciprocal marketing initiatives. We deal with some of Canada’s largest receptive tour operators and select international sales agents.
Our Address
Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska
Suite 202 Summit Centre 56 Lincoln Park
Canmore, Alberta, Canada T1W3E9
Toll-Free North America: 1 866 678 4164
Tel.: +1 403 678 4164 | Fax: +1 403 678 4450
E-mail: info@yamnuska.com