Ro Wells Travel

I honestly can’t believe how quickly the last 5 months have gone. Let alone the last 5 weeks. I’ve spent the last month and a bit back in Banff, Alberta. I loved the town the first time I was here and wanted to take some time to ‘live’ in the mountains again. More than that, I really wanted to be able to snowboard (and ski a bit) whilst I was out in Canada and being able to do that in Banff is definitely a bucket list item. After my Workaway and my much needed recharge, I was ready to throw myself back into hostel life and into the thick of socialising again.

I stayed back in the same hostel as I was in when I was here in November, and weirdly ended up in the same room and in the same bed as the first time! When I was here in November, I met the most wonderful people in my dorm room and didn’t think I would get that again, but I am very happy to report that I was wrong. Once again, I have absolutely lucked out with my dormmates. And as I’ve said previously, the people really do make the place.

I love Banff for so many reasons, but the people here is definitely one of the main reasons. Almost everyone here is here because they are doing a ski season or because they just want to be in the mountains and enjoy snowboarding/skiing whilst they’re here. It’s really special to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who share similar passions to myself. It’s also making me really want to do another ski season – so maybe that’s a vague plan for Winter 2024. I have met so many incredible people whilst I’ve been back in Banff, and have been so inspired by everyone’s stories, their adventures and their passion for the mountains.

I have had the best time here – yet again – and have made some unbelievable memories. Firstly, the skiing and snowboarding here is unreal. The snow (when there is fresh snow) is fantastic, way better than anything I’ve experienced in Europe. The slopes are crazy quiet in comparison to Europe, you really have space to enjoy yourself and enjoy the scenery without fear of crashing into someone else. At some points, I literally had the entire slope to myself. I snowboarded in Sunshine Village with friends I have made during my time here and I skied in Lake Louise with a friend I had made in Calgary (again!) and I adored both. I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to do so.

I met up with another friend I had made in Calgary way back in November whilst I was here and we went snow-tubing on Mount Norquay. For anyone who doesn’t know what snow-tubing is – picture a large blow-up donut hurtling down a mountain at up to 60kmh with you inside it. It’s an absolute blast! I honestly can’t recommend it enough. We had so much fun trying out the different ways to go down the slope – from a hotdog (2 of you go down together, facing each other) to a starfish (you go down on your own but create extra spin – not for the easily queasy!).

I have never really considered myself a hiker – I’m not overly fit when it comes to walking uphill – but a group of us decided to hike to the top of Tunnel Mountain for sunrise one day. It was fecking freezing, around -20⁰C. We only had one head torch between us (slight error) and it was pitch black. But oh my days was it worth it. The climb up was actually gorgeous. Walking through the silent forest, with the stars overhead on a clear night, just listening to the wind in the trees and the odd animal call. And then the actual sunrise. Just wow. I have no words to describe how breathtaking it was. It was incredibly special to be atop a mountain, watching a new day dawn, no noise, no screens, just us and nature. It filled me with a sense of awe that was enough to keep the cold at bay whilst we stood there enjoying it. The walk down was also beautiful. We could see now (bonus!) and were able to enjoy views stretching all the way over the Bow Valley and Banff town as we descended. We were brought to a halt several times by the sight of the mountains on the opposite side of the valley slowly being bathed in sunlight. We were all very, very cold by the time we got back to town and treated ourselves to a hot chocolate. Once we got back to the hostel, my dormmate made us beans on toast (in true British fashion) and I have never had such a delicious breakfast.

There are so many beautiful mountains surrounding Banff, and whilst I don’t yet have the hiking/climbing experience (or fitness) to concur all of them, I did want to climb one more before I left. Sulphur Mountain is Tunnel Mountains big sister in my opinion. There is a gondola you can take to just below the summit but I wanted to feel the achievement of having hiked it. Towards the end of my stay in Banff, there was a beautiful sunny day and I jumped at the chance to go hike the mountain. I’m not going to lie, it was tough. Definitely a harder hike than Tunnel Mountain but double the reward. I just took it steady, taking my time, enjoying the scenery on the way. The views from the top were unreal. It was a really sunny day and again I was blessed with fantastic scenery and breathtaking landscapes in every direction. I went to Banff Springs afterwards and just enjoyed letting my muscles relax and be soothed in the warm water. There is nothing that compares to sitting in a hot spring, surrounded by mountains with blue skies overhead.

I have spent my days snowboarding and skiing, and my evenings hanging out with friends, playing pool, listening to live music and eating excellent food. I have met so many amazing people, had so many fantastic experiences and made some really brilliant memories. I am genuinely sad to be leaving Banff but I know I’ll be back to visit in summer. In the meantime, I’m heading back to the UK for a couple of weeks to celebrate my brother’s wedding!