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Travel on Trial: Kayaking across frozen lakes? It's the coolest way to explore the Rocky Mountains

By air, land and glacial mountain lake, Sophie Butler embarks on an exhilarating adventure through the Canadian Rockies
By air, land and glacial mountain lake, Sophie Butler embarks on an exhilarating adventure through the Canadian Rockies

The Canadian Rockies have some of the most majestic and remote scenery anywhere in the world. I know, because I once spent two weeks hiking across them. But one thing you can’t do when you are walking is carry a boat with you. And if you want to get out and explore the beautiful meltwater lakes in the highest reaches of the mountains, that’s the kit you need. However, in British Columbia, I found that there is a way to do it – on a day-trip, by helicopter.

A quiet airfield on the outskirts of Abbotsford, an hour’s drive east of Vancouver, was our rendezvous for an 8.30am start. I was to fly with a small group, an Australian, an American and a German couple from Berlin who had travelled all the way here, to west coast Canada, for a long weekend, specifically for this heli-kayaking trip.

There to meet us was our young pilot and guide, Nick Drader. Flying helicopters is in Nick’s blood. Chief pilot for 11 years in his father’s forestry company, he perfected his skills by hovering over the tips of pine trees high up in the Rockies, while his colleague nipped out the tips for replanting (apparently this is the best way to propagate the strongest specimens). His father and three brothers were also pilots. It felt like we were in good hands.

ice kayaking, rockies, canada
Rocky mountain high: the approach by helicopter gives a whole new perspective on the majestic range

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Our first challenge was to prepare for temperature changes. The skies were blue and it was pleasantly warm in Abbotsford, but Nick told us that higher up it had been snowing for most of June and the lake we were visiting was still partly frozen. It was cold up there, so we’d come prepared with long trousers, long-sleeved shirt, hoody, rain jacket, warm socks and hiking boots as well as sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Nick gave us headsets and ran through a safety briefing, asking us to remain silent until we’d cleared the airspace. He didn’t need to worry: we were too awed by the scenery to do much talking. As we climbed steadily upwards, we could see the Matsqui Prairie and the Fraser River to the north and, in the distance, Golden Ears Park dominated by the Robie Reid and Judge Howay mountains. 

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I loved the idea of combining a scenic helicopter ride with kayaking in the remote mountains.

Kelly Scudamore, Estate Agent, 43, Chicago

To the east were the Chilliwack and the Cheam ranges while Mount Baker reared up to the south. Behind us, the grey skyscrapers of Vancouver punctured the skyline.

We were seeing British Columbia in all its sheer, wild, enormity. Great tracts of water with deserted, untouched shores, plummeting cliff edges and craggy outcrops. Far below us a lone eagle glided lazily on huge outspread wings as if mocking our cumbersome, wind-buffeted machine.

Passing Stave Lake towards the higher snow-capped peaks of the Lillooet Ranges to the north, Nick steadied his speed as he cleared Lake Harrison, edging towards a clearing among the pine forest, landing gently on the snow before turning off the engines to herald a silence so profound and still that none of us wanted to break it. No birdsong, no breeze rustling the branches, a pure mountaintop nothingness. 

ice kayaking, rockies, canada
The trip is crowned with a picnic in the middle of the wilderness

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But we didn’t have long to soak up the peace. Nick asked us to follow him to a circular lake below the clearing. The icy centre was surrounded by aquamarine water – an almost miraculous, vivid colour created by snow melting and pooling on top of the frozen lake ice.

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My partner and I booked this because it's a unique experience that we couldn't find anywhere else.

Hans Weiss, Consultant, 28, Berlin

Although the best time for vibrant colour, kayaking on the slushy water of early summer proved hard going, and occasionally impossible. Where the ice was thicker, Nick helped drag the kayaks over it, sometimes by wading waist-deep into the freezing lake. We sometimes doubted whether we would manage to complete the entire circuit of the lake, but Nick was not a man to be beaten by a mere glacier. Through a mix of slithering and shunting we eventually triumphed. 

Nick then morphed into head chef, handing out packed lunches from a local organic farmers’ market. Sitting at a couple of wooden picnic tables, marooned in the wilderness, we tucked into an impressively varied platter of cheeses, charcuterie and pickles accompanied by quinoa salad and carrot cake, accompanied by ginger ale. Canada’s great outdoors had not only reduced us all to a reverent silence, but it also had made us very hungry indeed. 

A 60-minute round-trip helicopter transfer from Abbotsford with Glacial Lake Kayaking costs from £2,844, plus tax, per group (maximum four guests per helicopter), through Compass Heli Tours. Individual seats cost from £710, plus tax. The price includes use of kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, flotation devices and picnic lunch. Air Canada flies directly to Vancouver from Heathrow. Fares from £456 return based on travel in June 2019. For more information on British Columbia, see hellobc.co.uk.