9:30am, 1:00pm
Departure Time
3 Hours
Duration
8+
Age
Active
Activity
Jun-Sep
Season

The ultimate private hiking experience! Take a scenic helicopter flight to a secluded area high above the Bow River Valley for a guided high-alpine hike.

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Experience one of the best days of hiking you can ever imagine! With little effort you’ll be transported by helicopter up through a mountain valley and then dropped off onto a high alpine meadow  in the Charles Stewart/Cougar Creek Headwaters area where you’ll have fantastic high alpine hiking, unsurpassed mountain views in all directions – and you’ll be the only people around for miles! From the starting point, you’ll have 2.5 to 3 hours to hike over open meadows and ridges with your guide.

The hiking difficulty ranges from easy to moderate depending the makeup of the group with lots of changes in terrain. Depending on the ability of the group, you’ll have options to walk grassy ridgelines, cross streams, observe herds of bighorn sheep a short ways away and summit one of the easy to reach mountain tops or walk up to an ancient native medicine wheel. After 2 to 3 hours of walking, you’ll be picked up at a new location and transported back to the Canmore base.

This tour is operating on a private basis, with a maximum of five people per flight.

Included
  • Use of hiking boots and poles
  • Rain ponchos
  • Professional Guides
  • Light snack & refreshment
DAYS OF THE WEEK
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
Transport Options
  • Meet at the Canmore Heliport
  • Roam Transit Bus

The best parts of the tour for most people include the following:

1

Scenic helicopter flight

You’ll be transported by helicopter up on a 6-8 minute scenic flight through a mountain valley and then dropped off onto a high alpine meadow.
2

Guided alpine hike

From the starting point, you’ll have 2.5-3 hours to hike over open meadows and ridges with your guide.
Included
  • Use of hiking boots and poles
  • Rain ponchos
  • Professional Guides
  • Light snack & refreshment
DAYS OF THE WEEK
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
Transport Options
  • Meet at the Canmore Heliport
  • Roam Transit Bus

How long is the tour?

The tour runs for approximately 3 hours, including a 6-8 minute helicopter flight and a hike for up to three hours.

The tour includes a 6-8 minute scenic helicopter flight through a mountain valley and up to a high alpine meadow to your secluded landing location in the Charles Stewart/Cougar Creek Headwater area at around 7,000 feet. Your professional trained and certified guide will lead you on an alpine hike, mostly across grassy meadows and alpine ridgelines with mountain peaks on all sides. After 2 to 3 hours of walking, you’ll be picked up at a new location and transported back to the Canmore base. The tour includes the limited use of hiking boots, poles and rain ponchos (if needed), light snacks such as trail mix, granola bars, dried fruit and beef jerky, and bottled water and juice.

The Heli Pad is located at the Canmore Municipal Heliport in Canmore, 22 kilometers east of Banff. Please allow 30 minutes to drive from Banff to the Heli Pad. The Roam Transit bus also runs from Banff to stop 109, a short walk from the Heli Base.

You are required to arrive at the Heliplex 45 minutes prior to your scheduled flight time for a personal orientation during which the guide will determine your route based on the fitness level of your group.

When making the reservation, you will be asked to indicate whether you are looking for an easy, moderate or challenging hike led by a professional guide. The guide will also determine the group’s route based on their fitness level during your orientation at the Heli Pad. Please note that the difficulty is largely determined by the terrain rather than the distance.

There are three main hike options:

Easy: Mt Charles Stewart Ridge to Picnic Site
Distance: 2.55 km
Loss: 210m
Gain: 30m
Note: This hike is on gentle meadows with a very minor section of broken rock which is almost flat. If time allows there is the option to hike to the fossil beds from the picnic site, which adds .5km to the distance and 50 meters loss and gain.

Moderate: Wedding Site to Picnic Site
Distance: 2.2 km
Loss: 267m
Gain: 121m
Note: The ascent on this hike is on a steep narrow sidehilling trail. If time is short you can go to North Bowl instead, which eliminates 110 meters of uphill and reduces the distance by 1km.

Difficult: Medicine Wheel to North Bowl
Distance: 2.15 km
Loss: 360m
Gain: 50m
Note: The descent from Medicine Wheel is over loose large rock and would be rated as easy scrambling. If time allows you can continue to the Picnic Site, which adds 110 meters of uphill and increases the distance by 1km.

This private tour can accommodate up to five guests.

Please bring appropriate hiking shoes for walking on uneven ground, and a proper rain jacket and layers suitable for changing temperatures. There is a limited selection of boots, rain ponchos, and hiking poles available for your use in you need them. Complimentary bottled water and juice and light snacks such as trail mix, granola bars and beef jerky snacks are included.

Tours depend on weather conditions and must be confirmed the morning of the flight. In this situation, your tour will be rescheduled or refunded.

There is a 48 hour cancellation policy, which allows you to change/cancel or refund your booking up to 48 hours outside your booked tour (up to 7 days for group bookings).

Tips are not expected, but are certainly appreciated. If you think your guide did a wonderful job and would like to indicate that with a tip, it will be graciously accepted.
Included
  • Use of hiking boots and poles
  • Rain ponchos
  • Professional Guides
  • Light snack & refreshment
DAYS OF THE WEEK
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
Transport Options
  • Meet at the Canmore Heliport
  • Roam Transit Bus

The trail map shows the three hiking options:

  • Easy: Mt Charles Stewart Ridge to Picnic Site
  • Moderate: Wedding Site to Picnic Site
  • Difficult: Medicine Wheel to North Bowl

Alpine Heli and Hike Trail Map in Canmore, Canadian Rockies

Included
  • Use of hiking boots and poles
  • Rain ponchos
  • Professional Guides
  • Light snack & refreshment
DAYS OF THE WEEK
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
Transport Options
  • Meet at the Canmore Heliport
  • Roam Transit Bus
  • The minimum age for this tour is 8 years old.
  • Prices are based on two passengers, and this tour requires a minimum of two passengers.
  • No loose articles are permitted. Zips, ties and belts on clothing must be secured.
  • Photo ID may be required for identity verification.
  • Tours depend on weather conditions and must be confirmed the morning of the flight.
Included
  • Use of hiking boots and poles
  • Rain ponchos
  • Professional Guides
  • Light snack & refreshment
DAYS OF THE WEEK
  • Wednesday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
Transport Options
  • Meet at the Canmore Heliport
  • Roam Transit Bus
Alpine Heli Hike Landing at Charles Mount Stewart
Guided Alpine Heli Hike at Mount Charles Stewart
Alpine Heli Guided Hike at Mount Charles Stewart
Take a guided alpine heli hike
Take a scenic helicopter flight for a guided alpine

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