This is an absolutely amazing hike. I did not do it with a guide. The reason I am writing the review is to advise anyone else that is researching this to consider hiring someone experienced before attempting it. From my research I knew I would only be going to the second summit before the squeeze. While enjoying the views, four full grown rams came down the trail where you would not be able to survive the fall, turn back, or get out of their way. Don’t be a news story.
This hike had some challenging sections for us, a family of five, ages 13 up to 62 years old. Other parts of the hike were relatively easy. A nice mix. One of us is very afraid of heights, and chose this hike as a goal to achieve, to reach one or two of the Sulfur Mountain peaks. Amongst us were varying levels of fitness and heights (5’1” up to 6’7”). The day before our trek, we emailed Alpine Air Adventures about being a bit nervous and both the owner, Jeff and our guide, Chris, got back to us within the hour. They explained choices, like not having to complete all of the peaks on the hike. As well, in their reply, supports were offered for any part of the trek, like our guide letting us use a mountain climbing harness, hooking us up to a locking carabiner and mountain rope, while they slowly let the rope out, to help climb down any stretches we felt a little uncomfortable with, along with very supportive guidance. We chose to do only 2 peaks, and some of us did take advantage of the extra mountain climbing equipment the guide brought, in a couple of very short sections. The supports, guidance and ongoing conversation had us all feeling very safe and more confident as time went on. Our guide Chris, is extremely experienced, both a mountaineer and rock climber, with decades of experience. We would recommend this hike, as safety, accommodation, support and comfort were provided throughout. Our group member who is very scared of heights, was really pleased to have achieved their goal, and felt really glad they had done the hike, because of Alpine Air Adventures approach to meeting all our needs and differing abilities. What a great adventure!!! Thank you, Chris, for a great day!
We are experienced hikers who decided to go on a guided hike for ease, adventure, and potentially to meet some friendly people. Laura was an excellent guide, and everyone in the group got on great. But, overall, I don't know that the views of this hike are any more spectacular than other hikes you might experience in Banff. The only reason I say that is because there is a section of trail that several people would, and should, find intimidating. The path narrows down to the width of your shoe (yes, one shoe), and eventually, you have to turn with your belly against the rocks and shuffle your way across an exposed rock face. As you near the end of this section, there is a large rock you need to maneuver around, again, with very minimal footing. And absolutely nothing is protecting you from a fall. So the "family-friendly" description of this hike is up for debate. Unfortunately, two people in our group felt this exceeded their comfort level and had to stay back while we moved on. The only other note I would add is for the admin team who sends the details out to the hikers. If/when plans change, it is probably best to call with the updated info. When people are traveling to their destination, email might not be the most efficient way to communicate.
I wrote this review to give hikers a realistic expectation of the hike, not to discourage anyone from going. We felt the original description lacked this detail, and honestly, if any of us had known this, we wouldn't have picked this hike. However, if you are less risk-averse and love a challenge, the guides will ensure you have a great experience.