Join us for a day of exploring Alberta's beautiful mountains and our inner selves.
Trip includes:
return transportation from Calgary
hiking guide
one-hour yoga class with certified instructor
lunch (vegetarian option available on request)
Itinerary:
7:30 - 8:00 AM: Gather at Chinook LRT (free parking), load up Big Red and hit the road
9:00 / 10:00 AM: Arrive at trail head/parking, gear up and head out on the trail
11:30 AM / 12:00 PM: Break for lunch, take photos, chat
12:30 / 1:00 PM: Head back to trail head
2:30 / 3:00 PM: Yoga class*
3:30/ 4:00 PM : Depart for Calgary
6:00 / 6:30 PM: Arrive Chinook LRT, Calgary
Pocaterra Cirque is located on the west side of the Highwood Pass, the highest paved road in Canada at 2000+ft. A cirque is an bowl shaped, amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Also called corrie (from Scottish Gaelic coire, meaning a pot or cauldron) and cwm (Welsh for "valley", pronounced [kʊm]). On the way to the cirque we will encounter a tarn (or corrie loch) which is a pond, pool or mountain lake formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.
The Hike:
A fairly intense/steep 2.1 km climb (+200m) to the tarn, and another 0.5 km to the cirque with the option of hitting the ridge at 4 km. This hike has the added challenge of being at a high altitude.
Length: 1.5-2.5 hours each way
Distance: 6 - 9 km return
Elevation gain: moderate
Difficulty: Level 2/3 (novice/intermediate)
Please bring plenty of water, a yoga mat**, sunscreen, snacks, and dress in layers and appropriately for the weather (note that the temperature can drop significantly with higher elevation).
* If the weather permits, the yoga portion will be held where we hike, before we leave the park. If weather does not permit (too cold or raining) we will hold an optional 6 pm yoga class at a studio after returning to Calgary
**Yoga mat is provided, however if you prefer more cushion for your practice, please feel free to bring your favorite mat.
Registration (closes 24h before departure).