The penultimate stop on our great Canadian adventure was Banff in the Banff national Park in Alberta. We started our trip here with a wander around the town, which consisted of several chateau-style hotels, lots of gift shops, and plenty of places to eat and drink. We also walked beyond the hustle and bustle of the town centre and strolled over the bridge and along by the river, which was a lovely scenic walk. Our ultimate goal here, though, was to experience the amazing Sulphur Mountain that overlooks the town and is a staggering 7,486
feet high with two sulphurous hot springs on the lower slopes. You can actually hike up the mountain, but we were going to take the more leisurely route up in the Gondola.
We set off for the Sulphur Mountain gondola from the centre of Banff with the idea of walking there, but we soon found it was further than we thought, so we ended up catching a bus on the road out of the centre. It took us nicely up to the base of the mountain where we were able to get the gondola. The gondola is open all year round and only takes about 8 minutes to reach the summit. It was a brilliant experience with great views of Banff centre, the mountains, and Bow Valley. Sulphur mountain has also been the site for two research facilities: a meteorological observatory building (1903) and the Mountain Cosmic Ray Station (1956 -1957). The Cosmic Ray Station has a plaque to mark its location.
Once we exited the gondola, the air smelt fresh, and my ears felt like they needed to pop with the high altitude. The scenery at the top is almost like a boarded version of the Great Wall of China, as a well-constructed boardwalk stretches as far as the eye can see. It was quite misty when we arrived and snowing, but the walk was invigorating. The boards were covered with snow and ice, so it was quite slippery in places. The walk offers great views of the mountain range and numerous pine trees line the route. There is also a large building at the top of the mountain that offers food and drink, an interpretive centre, a theatre, a multi-sensory experience, and a large outdoor viewing that is perfect for taking photos. This was a great trip, and a real ‘must’ if you ever take a trip to Banff.
