Kootenay National Park to Calgary

Distance: 180.30 km, Total ascent: 1,321 m, Time: 09:07, Trip distance: 1,801.66 km

When I punched in the address in Calgary I was heading to, it came in around 180km... This is going to hurt. Little did I know, this day was going to hold a lot of other challenges other than distance.

I sat off before the break of dawn and quickly crossed over into Alberta.

The sun broke over the mountains just outside of Banff.

I made my way from Banff to Canmore, all along the beautifully smooth bike roads they have around there.

On this day, I had an unbelievable four punctures, which just added insult to injury.

After a very trying day, with punctures, rain and headwinds, I finally made it to Calgary! Just in time for the Stampede.


Gist: It was an EPIC final day! I achieved my target of cycling solo from the east coast on Vancouver Island to Calgary, through the Rocky mountain range - a total trip distance of 1,800km. It was a fantastic experience and the people I met along the road were simply fantastic.

If you ever consider doing the same trip, I would highly recommend it! I would even consider coming back and doing the same trip on the Trans Canada Trail with a mountain bike!

Radium Hot Springs to Kootenay National Park

Distance: 88.13 km, Total ascent: 1,403 m, Time: 05:37, Trip distance: 1,621.36 km

Today was a rough day. My legs were very tired from the previous day's 150km and the day started with a climb of 700m in less than 10km and the rest of the day was a gradual uphill. Despite the pain and the flat tire (see below) the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. A big effort with big rewards.

Snaps (more):

Entering avalanche country at the start of the climb.

It was bound to happen, and I finally had my first flat just before reaching the peak of the climb. Unfortunately, it wasn't simply a thorn or a nail. I somehow managed to ride right through the outer tire, so I ended up putting the patch on the outside. Surprisingly, it worked quite well.

The scenery in Kootenay National Park is simply spectacular.

I was lucky enough to meet Jim shortly after my tire blew. He said that he'll come find me as I cycle down the road and hand me a spare tire he had in his van. Unfortunately, I lost his details and never managed to thank him. So Jim, if you ever read this. Thanks a million! You saved me a ton of time and effort.

My camp site was next to the Marble Canyon, so I quickly set-up camp and walked down to the canyon.

The Marble Canyon is just amazing. Relative to other canyons, it is not massive, but the colour of the water and the stone is magical. Feels like the fountain of youth should be around these parts.


Gist: It was a really trying and painful day. Apart from a single downhill, the whole day was uphill with no flat sections offering respite. Luckily the scenery made it all worth it, and luckily Jim was kind enough to give me a tire, saving me a trip down into town. Tomorrow is going to be a big one. It is my last day on the bike, and from my GPS it seems as if I would need to do in excess of 170km. That's going to sting.

Cranbrook to Radium Hot Springs

Distance: 146.98 km, Total ascent: 901 m, Time: 07:00, Trip distance: 1,533.23 km

Today was a big one. Nearly 150 km. Luckily the road runs through the Kootenay Valley and there were hardly any climbs. The legs felt ok, the weather was mild and the skies were clear. Three days to go before the stampede...

Snaps (more):

The valley. Glad the road did not go over those.

Nice little farm.

Close to Fairmont.

The "hoodoos" rock formations just south of Fairmont.

More rubbish scenery.

Gaby and Geoff, owners of the Misty River Lodge where I stayed. Gaby rode across Canada on that yellow bike a few years back. Respect.

Gist: A pretty good day. Three 100+ km days in a row and I still felt pretty good. I ran out of steam the last 15 km or so, but I guess it was a heat and hydration issue. My fitness has come a long way since I first sat off.

Creston to Cranbrook

Distance: 115.42 km, Total ascent: 868 m, Time: 05:56, Trip distance: 1,386.25 km

I had a good night's rest and luckily the previous day's showers stayed away. With four days remaining and more than 500 km to go, you just have to put your head down and try to cover as much ground as possible.

Snaps (more):

The start of the Rocky Mountain range just outside Creston.

It's official. Luckily the roads snaked through the mountains and there were no big climbs on the day. Just a gradual incline up to Cranbrook.

Next time I'm taking the train. Should make for a cool trip.

I saw loads of deer. Felt like every time I lifted my head, I saw one by the side of the road. No moose or grisly's yet though. Still need to tick those two from the list.

After a 100 km or so I reached Cranbrook with a lot of daylight to spare. The legs felt ok, so I really had trouble keeping myself from continuing onward. If it wasn't for the lack of accommodation further down the road, I would've done 20-30 km more. Instead I filled the tank with a chicken salad from McDonald's and treated myself to a hot chocolate at Starbucks. The weather got pretty cold and miserable after I stopped, so in retrospect I'm glad I decided to stay the night.

The night was spent in a college residence, which is turned into a hostel during the summer holidays. I've always wondered what dorms looked like in North America and it wasn't all that different from the residences I stayed in back home.

I've lost a lot of weight during the trip. Not sure how much, but without a belt, those jeans would've been on the floor.

Gist: A very average day. The weather wasn't particularly nice or bad, nor was the scenery. The ride wasn't easy or hard either... Lol. I was happy with my progress though. Just wished I could've gone a bit further to take the sting out of tomorrow's 150 km.