Luxury in wilderness comes a bit off the beaten track for many getaway lodges in the Canadian Rockies. But, Emerald Lake Lodge maintains a semblance of isolation and the elegance of simplicity, despite being just a short drive away from the nearest village. The historic Swiss-inspired lodge is just as inviting as the peaks seen from its windows, beckoning visitors to explore and enjoy the splendour of Yoho National Park. Tera Swanson tells you the best ways to experience this mountain gem in winter.

In Volume 3 of the Canadian Rockies Annual, we featured Wilderness First Aid courses as part of The Kit: Resources for Mountain Living. Here is a round-up of courses on offer throughout the Canadian Rockies, and where to find them.

From its first introduction to the Banff area by Scandinavian Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) workers and Swiss mountaineering guides, skiing has grown to be the very heartbeat and pulse of Canadian Rockies culture. Skiers may have traded in their pea coats and wooden skis for Gore Tex shells and the perfect camber, but the spirit of the sport remains in Canada’s first national park.

Luxury in wilderness comes a bit off the beaten track for many getaway lodges in the Canadian Rockies. But, Emerald Lake Lodge maintains a semblance of isolation and the elegance of simplicity, despite being just a short drive away from the nearest village. The historic Swiss-inspired lodge is just as inviting as the peaks seen from its windows, beckoning visitors to explore and enjoy the splendour of Yoho National Park. Tera Swanson tells you the best ways to experience this mountain gem in winter.

Good things come out of the Bow Valley, and this new craft distillery is just the latest. Bringing together local grain, local water, and local people, Wild Life Distillery offers authentic Rockies spirits made in small batches 100% on-site. We talked to co-owner Matt Widmer about the ins and outs of the distillery industry, and what to expect when they open their doors.

Once bustling centres of industry, these townsites were filled with dreamers and doers, plans and prospects. Today, very little remains of them all.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of Banff Avenue with the original establishments and shops? Or how modern ski events compare to those from fifty years ago? This winter we teamed up with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to discover just that in our #RockiesThrowback series: the settings, people, and events that made up Canadian Rockies mountain culture of long-gone eras and shaped our culture into what it is today.

If there’s a buzzword around Banff these days it’s busy. But instead of bracing yourself, embrace everything Banff has to offer – from off-the-beaten-track hikes to the chance to be a real ambassador if you’re lucky to call Banff home. Here are six ways to make the most of it!

Guidebook, handbook, history, photography: the canon of Canadian Rockies literature is vast – just like the mountain range that has inspired it. And while no list is ever quite complete, we’ve curated a selection of mountain literature that belongs on the bookshelves of every Rockies enthusiast.

In 1916, Conrad Kain led the first ascent of Bugaboo Spire – the hardest technical route in the world at that time. This summer, a team of climbers set out to recreate that experience using period gear – hobnailed boots, a hemp rope and a 100-year-old camp stove – and captured it on film. Tera Swanson interviews expedition photographer and project publicist, Ivan Petrov, about the challenges of the centennial climb, and how it compares to Kain’s original ascent.