Berg Lake

Berg Lake was set to be our most challenging trip yet... Especially as Madeleine mistakenly thought it was half the length it actually is! We set off in the early morning drizzle, slightly disappointed that the weather was a bit crap. 20 minutes in and we were already stripping off our waterproof layers - who knew there would be a rainforest at the bottom of the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies?! We made it up to Kinney Lake in good time and the weather was already starting to brighten open. Kinney Lake really is a stunning start to the hike with turquoise green waters and the valley opening up around you.

We met a few hikers and campers at Kinney Lake and stopped for breakfast. The next section starts to climb quite significantly and we started to feel the weight of the bags and the heat of the day! All layers now stuffed into the top of Maddie's bag. We finally made it to halfway at Whitehorn campground and got to go over the rope bridge! Very cool. We had been warned about how steep the next 5km was, but we weren't quite prepared for how tough it would be with a full pack! Emperor falls was the destination that kept us going in the distance and it was pretty awesome when we got there! Never seen so much water! We thought it would be an easy last few miles, but what a slog it turned out to be.

But we eventually arrived at Berg Lake with Mount Robson looming above us in all its glory. The weather was as clear as it could be and we could see right across the valley and mountain range. We arrived the campsite completely knackered, but in good time to enjoy the view and the lake. They have an amazing hut up there which everyone cooks in - a great place to rest and keep warm at the foot of the mountain. We were in bed by about 9pm, dressed in as many layer possible to keep warm. Would hate to be up there any later in the year!

We woke up a bit late, so we packed up and set off quickly. Another incredible morning, even clearer than the night before! We hared it down the mountain and made good time. Stopped at Kinney Lake for a much needed rest and a swim! Cold, but very refreshing! The last 5km felt like 20, but we finally made it back to the car hoping to head straight to the cafe. Unfortunately, on closer inspection of the car, we found a squirrel or something had got in the car and nibbled all our food! We spent 30 mins cleaning up and throwing away all our food and finally made it to the cafe. We still had a drive back to Jasper where we tried to find a place to stay for the night, but no such luck in September apparently! We found a cheapy hotel in Hinton in the end - not sure we'd been that tired on our trip since we started!Læs mere