Fasten your seatbelts, we’re driving through a postcard!

I don’t even know where to start. During the restless nights a few days before the trip, where I was already wide awake in bed at four o’clock in the morning because of sheer nervousness. Or the moment when I take a last look at the Athabasca Glacier in the rearview mirror and a tear of joy rolls down my cheek. Honestly, all the emotions I experienced during the 230 kilometers on the Icefields Parkway are hard to put into words. And in between, I would have liked to pause for a moment, squeeze the hand of a loved one and soak up this wild beauty together with all my senses.

But I was alone. And it was precisely this fact that robbed me of sleep. 230 kilometres of snow- and ice-covered roads, no mobile phone reception, no petrol station and no shop. Hello wilderness! As one of the most scenic roads in the world, the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper attracts road trippers from all over the world during the summer months. In winter, on the other hand, you can almost count on one finger the number of cars you encounter. Winter tires and snow chains are mandatory – at least if you take the sign at the turnoff to the Icefields Parkway in Lake Louise seriously. For me, this road trip had some challenges and firsts in store. For the first time, refueling independently and without three times “are you sure this is the right tap”, to give a trivial example. Now you may shake your head slightly confused and think to yourself “what is that?”. The explanation is simple. I don’t own a car, I travel 99.9% of the time by public transport in Switzerland and in recent years I have worked exclusively on my driving experience on road trips in the USA, Norway and recently in Croatia. With me always my favorite travel companion, who doesn’t have a driver’s license, but has always taken over the refueling and navigation. Maybe you can now imagine how nervous the solo ride over the Icefields Parkway made me. In hindsight, easy peasy. I had a great day, the road was snow-covered but grippy and with Mumford & Sons in my ears it’s good to drive anyway. I would have loved to stop every five minutes and take photos. But my time budget was limited to five hours. At least enough leeway to incorporate the “mandatory stops” that I have put together for you below. A good overview of the highlights along the Bow and Icefields Parkway between Banff and Lake Louise can be found here: Icefields Parkway Travel Card.

One thing I can guarantee you: you won’t survive the drive over the Icefields Parkway without side effects. The dream road has mercilessly infected me with the road trip virus and I would have liked to turn around and drive it in the opposite direction.

Stopp #1: Peyto Lake und Bow Summit

Shortly before you pass the Bow Summit – at almost 2,100 m above sea level the highest point of the Icefields Parkway and the highest point in Canada that is crossed by a public road, a small road branches off to the left to a parking lot. This is a popular starting point for ski and snowshoe tours. For the 15-minute walk to the Bow Summit lookout, good winter shoes are an advantage. I’m the first one at the viewpoint this morning and only come across a few animal tracks in the snow that point to a lynx. Goosebumps guaranteed.

Stopp #2: Mount Cephren

The striking Mount Chephren is hard to miss. In front of him is the frozen Waterfowl Lake.

Stopp #3: Saskatchewan River Crossing

The Saskatchewan River flows 550 kilometres from the Rocky Mountains until it finally flows into Lake Winnipeg in southern Manitoba. At the point where the bridge crosses the Saskatchewan River, it meets the two rivers “Howse” and “Mistaya”.

Stopp #4: Columbia Icefield

In addition to the wonderful view of Peyto Lake, my personal highlight was the stop at the Columbia Icefield with the Athabasca Glacier visible from the Parkway. The sheer beauty of this landscape of ice and rocks touched me deep in my heart.

Stopp #5: Beauty Creek

If you’re lucky, you might spot animals along the Icefields Parkway. Loyal companions are the ravens, at least in winter. As soon as the car is stopped, a cheeky guy jumps up. In the case of the bighorn sheep, the name probably comes not only from the thick horns, but also from their stubborn stubbornness. They are absolutely unimpressed when a car approaches and stand firmly. At the height of Beauty Creek there is a chance to see one or the other rare caribou.

If you plan to drive along the Icefields Parkway in winter, you should make sure that your car is equipped for the conditions. Since rental cars usually only have all-season tires, it is recommended to be on the road with a 4×4. Unless you’re a pro at chaining (that was my personal horror scenario). You can check the current road condition here: Alberta road condition. The parkway may be temporarily closed after a heavy snowfall. Otherwise, it is important that your car is refueled – the only gas station along the route is closed in winter – and that you pack provisions for the road. But you’re not completely lonely. Every now and then a car came towards me. Many use the Parkway as a jumping-off point for backcountry ski tours.

This trip was supported by Travel Alberta and Canusa – thank you very much! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.