Grand Canadian Rockies
Two questions: the info package suggests bringing crampons for glacier walk....are these really necessary? And, curious about the overnight on the train. Normally I have a backpack as my carry on but it sounds like there is hardly room for that on the train. How much space is there really?
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Barbara423,
Crampons are certainly not needed, nor would you want to travel with them! Although the ice can be slippery, you don't walk that far out on it. The overnight train is an experience. Tiny cabin with bunk beds and an equally tiny toilet/sink area. Showers are down the hall. We showered at night before retiring to avoid the rush in the morning. Yes, there is room for small overnight bags.
We were surprised at how nice the meals were on the train. We loved this tour so much that we have taken it twice through the years. The Fairmont hotels are exquisite.
Have a wonderful time!
Is it the Athabasca glacier! I’m not sure whether we took this tour in the past because there was no overnight train. It mist have been a similar one. We walked on the glacier and were never told to take crampons. Everyone was fine.
Yes, the Athabasca.
Did the glacier walk on a different Tauck tour. The walk is on a plowed flat portion of the glacier. It's like walking in a parking lot at a ski resort. They also do true glacier walks with ropes and crampons, but that is way beyond the Tauck tour. In that case, the outfitter provides the equipment anyway. I am shocked that your info recommends crampons. Some liability lawyer must have gotten overzealous.
I found walking on the Athabasca glacier to be quite treacherous! The ice was very slippery, so I walked in the slushy areas when possible to get better footing. My wife went back to the explorer vehicle shortly after venturing out as she didn't want to slip and get hurt. I did slip and fall on the ice once, and we're from Wisconsin! Some people brought walking sticks with them which would have been handy. I'm surprised the outfitter didn't offer crampons to rent, or they could have at least provided a guide rope on stanchions for people to use. I was very disappointed as the ice conditions completely ruined this walk for us.
The day we were on the Athabasca Glacier it was windy and rainy. We have YakTrax which slip on and are a small profile so easy to pack. They are not spiked like crampons however they do provide better traction.