Rocky Mountains Ride

Tombstone Loop: 7 days, 6 nights (5 riding days)

All guests must be capable of:

• Long, sometimes physically and mentally demanding days
• Riding for up to 2 hours non-stop on moderate to complex mountain terrain (up/down inclines, rocky/technical trails)
• Hiking for up to 2km on mountain terrain leading a horse up/downhill
• Mounting from the ground
• Riding safely and with good control at a walk, trot (rising and sitting) and canter (balanced), and riding actively and independently
• Catching, leading, tying, grooming (including picking hooves), and tacking your horse (western saddle and bridle)
• Working comfortably with and around horses, taking safe and situationally-aware actions.

All guests must be comfortable with:

• Heights
• Camping and spending time in the backcountry, e.g. sleeping outdoors in a tent on a mat on the ground, no plumbing/electricity/showers, and no WiFi/cellular service
• Embracing unpredictable challenges and getting out of your comfort zone in the wilderness, e.g. weather changes (rain, possibly snow) changes to itineraries, fallen trees across trails.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be collected from Calgary in the afternoon – either from the international airport or your hotel – with pick-ups typically starting from 4pm. After an hour’s drive you will arrive at the ranch for a welcome meet-and-greet BBQ, the perfect chance to settle in, chat through the days ahead and discuss your riding experience so your hosts can match you with the right horse. You will be issued with a sturdy duffle bag, sleeping bag and mattress, then check into your room with time to pack, prepare and mingle with your fellow adventurers.

Day 2: Elbow Camp

After breakfast you will meet your horse – a carefully chosen partner matched to your ability and build – and spend time grooming and saddling to start building your bond. You will then trailer to the Elbow Valley and ride for around four hours into Elbow Camp, where you will settle the horses, enjoy cowboy coffee or tea by the river and cool off with a refreshing splash if the weather is warm. Dinner will be cooked over an open fire beneath the peaks.

Day 3: Rae Creek

After breakfast you will break camp, load the packhorses and ride up the Elbow River and over a mountain pass to Rae Creek, where you will make a simple overnight camp.

Day 4: Tombstone Pass

This morning you will pack up again and ride over Tombstone Pass to your next camp on the Little Elbow, deep in classic Kananaskis country.

Day 5: Opal Range

Today you will explore the majestic Opal Range – a striking stretch of serrated Rocky Mountain peaks that makes for an unforgettable day in the saddle.

Day 6: Return to the Ranch

After breakfast you will pack up camp for the final time and ride to the pickup point, where trucks and trailers will meet you for the journey back to the ranch. A warm supper and cosy night’s sleep await.

Day 7: Departure

After breakfast you will say your goodbyes. The shuttle departs around 9:30am for Calgary, carrying you home with memories of an unforgettable Kananaskis adventure.

Kananaskis Longrider: 10 days, 9 nights (8 riding days)

All guests must be capable of:

• Long, sometimes physically and mentally demanding days
• Riding for up to 2 hours non-stop on moderate to complex mountain terrain (up/down inclines, rocky/technical trails)
• Hiking for up to 2km on mountain terrain leading a horse up/downhill
• Mounting from the ground
• Riding safely and with good control at a walk, trot (rising and sitting) and canter (balanced), and riding actively and independently
• Catching, leading, tying, grooming (including picking hooves), and tacking your horse (western saddle and bridle)
• Working comfortably with and around horses, taking safe and situationally-aware actions.

All guests must be comfortable with:

• Heights
• Camping and spending time in the backcountry, e.g. sleeping outdoors in a tent on a mat on the ground, no plumbing/electricity/showers, and no WiFi/cellular service
• Embracing unpredictable challenges and getting out of your comfort zone in the wilderness, e.g. weather changes (rain, possibly snow) changes to itineraries, fallen trees across trails.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be collected from Calgary in the afternoon – either from the international airport or your hotel – with pick-ups generally starting from 4pm. After an hour’s drive you will arrive at the ranch for a welcome BBQ or dinner with your hosts and fellow guests, the perfect chance to settle in, ask questions and run through the days ahead, including weather, packing reminders and a chat about your riding experience so your hosts can match you with the right horse. You will be issued with a sturdy duffle bag, sleeping bag and mattress, then check into your room with time to organise your gear and socialise.

Day 2: Orientation and First Camp

After breakfast you will meet your horse – carefully chosen to suit your ability and build – and spend time grooming and saddling to form the first threads of your partnership. After a short test ride in the arena, you will pack lunch and ride out from the ranch or a nearby trailhead, easing into the adventure with a gentle five-hour journey through foothill forests and meadows to your first camp. On arrival you will tend to the horses, then unwind with cowboy coffee or tea beside the river before enjoying dinner cooked over the fire and a night in spacious wall tents.

Day 3: Long Ride

This morning you will break camp and set out on the longest ride of the week – over seven hours across rolling foothills that climb steadily toward the high country. You will arrive at your next camp tired, happy and fully immersed in life on the trail.

Day 4: Hidden Valley

Today brings a shorter but dramatic ride up a hidden valley. With no need to pack up camp, the morning begins at a leisurely pace, and you will return early enough in the afternoon for a refreshing swim in the river.

Day 5: Mountain Loop

Weather permitting, you will navigate around a rugged mountain range via challenging trails – a full seven-hour loop often described as an equestrian obstacle course. You will return to the same camp in the late afternoon, exhilarated and well earned.

Day 6: Sheep River

You will pack up the horses and ride up the valley, crossing a low pass into the Sheep River drainage beneath a towering 3,200-metre peak – the highest of the trip. It’s a fairly relaxed day covering around 24 kilometres.

Day 7: Alpine Lakes

Today you will head north, riding past alpine lakes where you will stop for lunch and perhaps a swim if the sun is warm. You will reach your new camp – a beautiful open meadow – in time for supper.

Day 8: Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley offers several options, but if conditions allow you will climb to Paradise Pass at 2,575 metres. If the group is feeling strong, you may continue around an unnamed mountain range and return via a steep, rugged valley – an unforgettable loop.

Day 9: Return to the Ranch

After breakfast you will break camp for the final time and ride down the valley to meet the truck and trailer. After eight extraordinary days in Kananaskis Country, you will return to the ranch for hot showers, a final dinner and a well-earned night in the lodge.

Day 10: Departure

After breakfast you will say your goodbyes. The shuttle departs around 9:30am for Calgary, sending you home with memories of an unforgettable mountain adventure.

Alberta Drifter: 10 days, 9 nights (7.5 riding days)

All guests must be capable of:

• Long, sometimes physically and mentally demanding days
• Prairie days: riding 4 to 8+ hours per day, with long trots and canters.
• Mountain days: riding for up to 2 hours non-stop on moderate to complex mountain terrain (up/down inclines, rocky/technical trails)
• Hiking for up to 2km on mountain terrain leading a horse up/downhill
• Mounting from the ground
• Riding safely and with full control at a walk, trot (rising and sitting) and canter (balanced). Full control of the horse at all gaits is required.
• Ride actively, independently and alert to possible hazards
• Catching, leading, tying, grooming (including picking hooves), and tacking your horse (western saddle and bridle)
• Working comfortably with and around horses, taking safe and situationally-aware actions.

All guests must be comfortable with:

• Heights
• Camping and spending time in the backcountry, e.g. sleeping outdoors in a tent on a mat on the ground, no plumbing/electricity/showers, and no WiFi/cellular service
• Embracing unpredictable challenges and getting out of your comfort zone in the wilderness, e.g. weather changes (rain, possibly snow) changes to itineraries, fallen trees across trails.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be collected from Calgary in the afternoon – either from the international airport or your hotel – with pick-ups generally starting from 4pm. After an hour’s drive you will arrive at the ranch for a welcome BBQ or dinner with your hosts and fellow guests, the perfect chance to settle in, ask questions and run through the days ahead, including weather, packing reminders and a chat about your riding experience so your hosts can match you with the right horse. You will be issued with a sturdy duffle bag, sleeping bag and mattress, then check into your room with time to organise your gear and socialise.

Day 2: The Foothills

After breakfast you will meet your horse – carefully chosen to suit your ability and build – and spend time grooming and saddling to form the first threads of your partnership. After a short test ride in the arena, you will ride straight out from the ranch into the golden foothills of Kananaskis Country. This is big, open horse country where aspen forests give way to rolling ridgelines and the first blue silhouettes of the Rockies rise ahead of you. You’ll spend around five hours on the trail, returning to the ranch in the late afternoon with dust on your boots and that unmistakable buzz that comes from day one of a real riding adventure.

Day 3: Elbow Valley

This morning you will trailer the horses to a nearby trailhead and ride deeper into the Elbow Valley, where the mountains close in and the scenery turns dramatic. Expect around seven hours on the trail, climbing through dense forest, crossing clear streams and breaking out onto sweeping viewpoints that reveal the raw beauty of the Canadian Rockies. You will return to the ranch with a satisfied ache in your muscles and a heart full of mountain air.

Day 4: To The Badlands

Today the landscape shifts entirely as you trailer the horses approximately 4 hours south to the otherworldly terrain of Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, a place steeped in Indigenous history and sculpted by wind and time. After setting up camp and settling in, you will head out on a gentle afternoon ride through ancient hoodoos and river-carved coulees – a completely different world to the mountains you left behind.

Day 5: Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

You will spend the day riding through the magical backcountry of Writing-on-Stone, weaving between sandstone formations and travelling the same landscapes once used by the Blackfoot people. By late afternoon you will arrive at a new camp tucked among the hoodoos, with the warm glow of the badlands stretching out around you.

Day 6: Milk River

After breaking camp, you will ride across the sweeping grasslands of southeastern Alberta, travelling down the Milk River under a vast, endless prairie sky. This is a full day in the saddle – a proper long-distance ride – where you’ll feel the rhythm of open-range country and the true freedom of riding across unbroken plains.

Day 7: Pinhorn Ranch

Another full day in the saddle awaits as you continue south-east to the historic Pinhorn Ranch. The vistas seem to stretch forever, painted in shades of gold and sage. You’ll overnight in the tiny prairie town of Manyberries, a welcome slice of local life after a big day riding the open range.

Day 8: Cypress Hills

After packing up, you will ride into the extraordinary Cypress Hills – a high, forested plateau that rises unexpectedly from the prairies and creates its own microclimate. Cool conifer forests, wide-open ridges, and sweeping overlooks make this a spectacular full-day ride and a striking contrast to the grasslands below.

Day 9: Banquet

This morning brings a final ride through the Cypress Hills, soaking up your last views from the heights before trailering back to the ranch. Tonight you’ll gather for a celebratory banquet dinner – a well-earned feast after crossing mountains, badlands, prairies and high plateau together.

Day 10: Departure

After breakfast you will say your goodbyes. The shuttle departs around 9:30am for Calgary, sending you home with memories of an unforgettable mountain adventure.

Fall Spectacular: 7 days, 6 nights (5 riding days)

All guests must be capable of:

• Long, sometimes physically and mentally demanding days
• Riding for up to 2 hours non-stop on moderate to complex mountain terrain (up/down inclines, rocky/technical trails)
• Hiking for up to 2km on mountain terrain leading a horse up/downhill
• Mounting from the ground
• Riding safely and with good control at a walk, trot (rising and sitting) and canter (balanced), and riding actively and independently
• Catching, leading, tying, grooming (including picking hooves), and tacking your horse (western saddle and bridle)
• Working comfortably with and around horses, taking safe and situationally-aware actions.

All guests must be comfortable with:

• Heights
• Embracing unpredictable challenges and getting out of your comfort zone in the wilderness, e.g. weather changes (rain, possibly snow) changes to itineraries, fallen trees across trails.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be collected from Calgary International Airport (YYC) around 4pm for the one-hour drive to the ranch, where you will check in, settle into the guest house and enjoy a relaxed meet-and-greet dinner with your hosts and fellow guests.

Day 2: Whiskey Ridge

After breakfast you will meet your horse for the week. You will groom, saddle and spend a little time getting comfortable in the arena before heading out on your first ride to Whiskey Ridge – a perfect introduction to the country ahead.

Day 3: Bragg Creek

Today you will enjoy a relaxed four-hour ride in the foothills west of Bragg Creek, followed by free time to explore the hamlet’s shops and cafés before returning to the ranch for supper.

Day 4: North Fork Loop

You will ride the 23-kilometre North Fork loop southwest of the ranch, a stunning route through aspen forest with sweeping Rocky Mountain views – especially beautiful in late September.

Day 5: Upper Elbow Valley

You will trailer the horses deeper into the mountains to explore the upper Elbow Valley, riding beneath 3,000-metre peaks and splashing through the icy Elbow River. Your exact route will depend on the group’s appetite for adventure, with plenty of trails to choose from.

Day 6: Powderface Ridge

Your final ride takes you over Powderface Ridge, saved for last because it’s a true showstopper. From the 2,100-metre summit you will soak up panoramic views stretching more than a hundred kilometres in every direction.

Day 7: Departure

Departure is usually at 9:30am, getting you back to the airport or your Calgary destination by around 10:30am – farewell with a full heart and a week’s worth of Rocky Mountain memories.

Both Sides of the Great Divide: 8 days, 7 nights (6 riding days)

All guests must be capable of:

• Long, sometimes physically and mentally demanding days
• Riding for up to 2 hours non-stop on moderate to complex mountain terrain (up/down inclines, rocky/technical trails)
• Hiking for up to 2km on mountain terrain leading a horse up/downhill
• Mounting from the ground
• Riding safely and with good control at a walk, trot (rising and sitting) and canter (balanced), and riding actively and independently
• Catching, leading, tying, grooming (including picking hooves), and tacking your horse (western saddle and bridle)
• Working comfortably with and around horses, taking safe and situationally-aware actions.

All guests must be comfortable with:

• Heights
• Embracing unpredictable challenges and getting out of your comfort zone in the wilderness, e.g. weather changes (rain, possibly snow) changes to itineraries, fallen trees across trails.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be collected in Calgary at 4pm for the drive to the ranch, where a warm reception and meet-and-greet awaits. With autumn settling across the foothills, the ranch glows with golden aspens and crisp mountain air – the perfect introduction to Fall in the Rockies.

Day 2: Kananaskis Country

After breakfast you will meet your horse and begin building the partnership that will carry you through the week. With an introduction to wilderness riding techniques, you will head out on a full-day ride in Kananaskis Country, where September and October transform the valleys into a tapestry of amber, gold and russet.

Day 3: A Day in the Mountains

Today brings another full day in the mountains, with the exact route chosen according to weather and conditions. Expect sweeping views, quiet forests and that unmistakable Fall magic – cool mornings, warm sunshine and mountains dusted with the first hints of winter.

Day 4: Kananaskis Country

You will spend a second full day riding deep into Kananaskis, soaking up the season at its finest: crystal-clear air, vibrant foliage and endless panoramas that seem to sharpen in the autumn light.

Day 5: Nipika Mountain Resort

This morning you will load the horses and enjoy a spectacular three-hour drive through Banff and Kootenay National Parks – one of the most scenic Fall road journeys in Canada. On arrival at Nipika Mountain Resort, you will saddle up for a late-afternoon ride along the Kootenay River Valley, where turquoise water meets fiery autumn colours.

Day 6: Cross River

You will ride up the Cross River today, exploring rugged canyons, cedar forests and alpine viewpoints before returning for a second cosy night at Nipika.

Day 7: Return to the Ranch

After a peaceful two-hour morning ride, you will load the horses and travel back to the ranch, arriving in time for supper and a final evening shared with your riding companions.

Day 8: Departure

After breakfast you will say your goodbyes. Departure is at 9:30am, carrying you back to Calgary with a heart full of Fall-coloured memories.