Discover The Athabasca Glacier On A Canadian Rail Holiday

Climb aboard the iconic and world-famous Rocky Mountaineer to begin your Canadian rail holiday, which will undoubtedly include one of Canada’s most beautiful sights: the Athabasca Glacier in British Columbia.  Head into Jasper National Park and take a trip on an Ice Explorer to see it up close and personal. This is an experience you will never forget.

The Glacier: What You Need to Know

Athabasca is right up there with the most easily accessible glaciers in the world; it stretches out six kilometres in length and one kilometre in width. It is one of the six which the Columbia Icefield feeds, with vehicles specially designed for driving along this terrain giving you the chance to get near one of the most remarkable sights in the country.

A Wonder of the Natural World

There are so many interesting facts to learn when it comes to Athabasca. For example, it can take up to 200 years for the snow on the glacier to transform into ice and make its way along the glacier’s six-kilometre length to where it melts right down at the toe. When comparing this to other glaciers in the Columbia region and across the world, this is actually considered a relatively quick journey!

Ice Explorers

Some amateur explorers will likely take a diversion on their Canadian rail holidayto attempt to hike around the edges of the glacier. The most common way to take in this stunning site of natural wonder and beauty, however, is to go by Ice Explorer.

Whilst the journey might be slow, this is the safest and most accessible way to experience the full majesty of this site. Not only will the Ice Explorer take you right into the heart of the glacier, these vehicles are fully prepared to deal with the rivulets and ridges which glacial movement have shaped on the terrain leading into the centre.

You’ll Have to Be Quick!

It is a source of great regret for nature lovers that scientists estimate that the impacts of climate change could see Athabasca melt away entirely within the next generation. The snout is already receding at a rate of around five metres per year, whilst current forecasts have produced the shocking prediction that up to 70% of British Columbia’s and Alberta’s glaciers could be wiped out by the year 2100. Your Canadian rail holidaycan’t come soon enough!

What Canadian rail holidaywould be complete without a trip to take in the full beauty and wonder of the Athabasca Glacier? Take an Ice Explorer right into the heart of this iconic site and get up close and personal with a place that you will be desperate to revisit and tell all your friends about.

Author Plate

John Dixon is the Managing Director of Prestige Holidays, and has been working alongside his advisors for 30 years to craft luxury getaways in various resorts across the globe. Culture-fuelled escorted tours and unique experiences such as a Canadian rail holiday never fail to entice new clients, and John’s love for the finer things in life is echoed in the high standard of each holiday.