CLAUDIA & CARSTEN'S WORLD EXPEDITION

Hello Canada

It was quite cold when we arrived

Calgary in the distance

Downtown Calgary

Calgary Olympic Park

where English ski-jumper Eddie Edwards soared like an Eagle during the 1988 Winter Olympics and thus got his nickname "Eddie the Eagle"

Jamaican bobsled history

Jamaica made history in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, by being the first tropical nation to participate.They quickly became very popular, largely because of their status as the ultimate 'underdog'. The movie Cool Runnings, starring John Candy, is loosely based on their experience at the 1988 games.This is the real bobsled used in the movie.

The Canadian sports shrine

The greatest hockey player ever

Wayne Gretzky played twenty seasons in the NHL for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the league itself. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. As of 2015, he still holds 60 NHL records.

Terry Fox, a Canadian hero

Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete. He was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 19 and had to have his right leg amputated. After seeing the healing effects that chemotherapy had on him, he decided to run a marathon to raise money for cancer research. He ran for 143 days reaching 5.373 km. Due to his illness he was forced to stop running. He died in 1981, four years after his cancer diagnose. He has been named many times as Canada's greatest hero and his foundation continues his work.

On the way to Banff

Our campground in Banff

Banff from above

Lake Johnson

The only Bighorn Sheep we saw

Lake Minnewanka

Or "Miniwanker" as the Canadians call it.

Cave and Basin Historic Site

The first thermal springs established in Canada. They were obviously found by the Indians first, but once re-discovered by the white man, they were almost immediately turned into to a tourist attraction.

Bow River

Hiking up Sulphur Mountain

Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station

a National Historic Site of Canada, which commemorates Canada's participation in the International Geophysical Year, during 1957 to 1958.

The summit of Sulphur Mountain

2.256 meters (7.402ft) above sea level.

Sulphur Mountain gondola station

If you do the two hour hike up Sulphur Mountain it's free to take the gondola down, otherwise it will cost you CAD 45 per person to take the gondola to the summit lookout.

Enjoying the view

You will find many of these red wooden chairs at the viewpoints in the National Parks of Canada.

The Canadian Flag

Unofficially known as the Maple Leaf and l'Unifolié. The flag made its first official appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day.

Nice view and great coffee

Vermillion Lakes

Wildlife crossing in Banff

Having the world’s longest national road bisect the country’s premier national park poses a serious potential for heavy roadkill. Since 1996, six wildlife overpasses and 38 underpasses were constructed, which has allowed for more than 140,000 documented wildlife crossings.These have proved very effective in reducing the number of roadkilled animals in Banff National Park.

Castle Mountain

Very similar to Cerro Castillo we have in Patagonian Chile.

Lake Louise

Once again, a frozen lake. All the lakes in Alberta are glacial lakes, thus they have beautiful colors when not covered in snow. Much like Lago General Carrera in Patagonian Chile. We will have to wait for the next trip to see it without ice.

The Icefields Parkway

between Lake Louise and Jasper is a 232 km (144mi) long road often referred to as "The most spectacular journey in the world"

We got a bit of weather enroute

One spectacular view after another

Driving the Icefields Parkway does not disappoint. It's surrounded by the most beautiful mountains and scenery and was the highlight of our trip to North America! We need to come back to do some hiking here!

Wind blowing the snow off the peak

The Columbia Icefield

is the largest ice-field in the Rocky Mountains. It is about 325 square kilometers (125 sq mi) in area, 100 meters (330 ft) to 365 meters (1,198 ft) in depth and receives up to 7 meters (280 in) of snowfall per year.

Hello Jasper

Totem pole in Jasper

The Totem pole is a monument created by Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples to serve variously as a signboard, genealogical record and memorial. Carved of large, straight red cedar and painted vibrant colours.

Road to Lake Maligne

Medicine Lake

Maligne Lake

Frozen again!

American Bald Eagle

The only one we saw close enough to take a picture.

Black Bear on the road

He was quietly strolling next to the road looking for roots and berries. There were many cars in front and behind us, so it was quite chaotic every time somebody spotted a bear and it was difficult to take pictures.

The Valley of the Five Lakes Trail

is a 4,5 km circuit which takes about 2 hours to complete. We had a long drive ahead of us, so we cut it short and only saw four of the lakes.

Mount Edith Cavell

Backtracking down the Icefields Parkway again on a western course towards British Columbia.

Athabasca Waterfalls

Columbia Icefield from the north

Somebody lucky got the perfect snow

The Zermatt (Matterhorn) in Canada??

Peyto Lake seen from Bow Summit

It was named after Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise colour. Because of its bright colour, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books.

Bye bye Alberta