A ride to remember! Five full days in the saddle (with a non-riding transit day either side) covering over 100 kilometres of foothills, forests, rivers, meadows and mountains. 

You’ll be picked up in Calgary on the afternoon of day one and brought to the ranch for a meet-and-greet dinner. The next morning you’ll be paired up with your steed and hit the trail, wandering through the foothills for four to five hours to reach your first campsite. Days three to six take you across the aptly named Forgetmenot Range, with each day’s ride decided based on the weather and trail conditions. The trails range from easy to rugged; some sections are very technical and require good balance and careful riding.

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.

This ride starts where the Forgetmenot trail ends: in the secluded surrounds of Elbow Valley. It’s another 100-kilometre, five-day ride (again, with a non-riding transit day either side) with a variety of trails, some straightforward and others technically challenging. You’ll move camp three times and ride through three different alpine valleys, separated by the awe-inspiring Tombstone Pass. 

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.

For the hardcore adventurers among us, this 10-day pack trip is unmissable. Covering between 170 and 200 kilometres, the ride starts in the foothills and travels west, deeper and deeper into the mountains. Although you’ll ride new trails every day, you’ll only move camp four times, which means there will be days when you can leave the packhorses behind and satisfy your need for speed with free-flying canters across valleys and mountaintops. A highlight is riding to Paradise Pass, one of the most beautiful passes in the Rockies with heavenly views across the surrounding peaks.

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.

Another 10-day itinerary full of diversity, with two days in the Rocky Mountains; three and a half days riding point-to-point through the vast expanse of Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and the surrounding prairie (see above description); and two days traversing the historic Cypress Hills. The trail follows in the footsteps of the First Nations, European explorers, mounted police and cowboys. You’ll come away with a deep appreciation for Alberta’s history, hospitality and scenery, not to mention your trusty steed!

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.

The only ride where every night is spent in the cosy comfort of ‘The Barn’, this week-long itinerary embraces the ethereal beauty of the fall season. Golden forests of aspen, fresh air, crisp, clear skies and a dusting of snow on the mountains – what more could you want? With five full days in the saddle, you’ll have ample time to traverse the constantly changing scenery within a day’s ride of the ranch. And on day five, you’ll trailer the horses further into the mountains for a thrilling ride in the Upper Elbow Valley, in the shadows of magnificent snowy peaks, with the icy water of the Elbow tumbling beside the trail.

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.

If you want to explore the mountains of Alberta AND British Columbia but you’ve only got time for one riding holiday, here’s your answer: an eight-day vacation with three days’ riding in each province! 

First up, you’ll be accommodated in ‘The Barn’ while you ride through the wilderness surrounding your hosts’ ranch in the Rockies. You’ll see the ‘best of the best’ in terms of scenery. 

Then you’ll load the horses onto the trailer for a stunningly scenic drive through Banff and Kootenay National Parks to Nipika Mountain Resort in BC. Here you’ll spend two nights in beautifully situated log cabins while exploring the mountain-lined, densely forested Kootenay River Valley. Finally, you’ll travel back to the Rockies, arriving in time for a hearty dinner on day 7 and a good sleep before you head home in the morning.

Bonus: this itinerary runs in the fall, so you’ll see those beautiful aspen forests in their full golden splendour!

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.

A round trip transfer service from Calgary Airport or hotel is included in the ride price at set times on arrival and departure days only.

The local shuttle company used to conduct the transfers is called ‘Calgary Corporate Shuttle’.

Pick up on day 1 is at 4pm from the Calgary International Airport (pick up from a hotel can also be arranged, after 4pm). Please plan your travel itineraries accordingly and ensure your flight lands with plenty of time to clear customs, collect your luggage and meet the transfer.

Meeting location at airport: at the large 5-horse statue on the arrival level of the International Terminal.

On the last day, the group will be transferred back to Calgary after breakfast, with expected arrival at Calgary International Airport by 11am. We kindly ask that you arrange your travel itineraries accordingly, so if booking an international flight home today ensure it’s after 2pm so that you meet your 3-hour check in window. 

Transfers at any other time or day other than the group transfer can be arranged but will be an additional cost.

If you plan to arrive by your own means of transport, please contact us for detailed driving directions.