After we get in Yoho National Park After checking off a few easy hikes and enjoying the beautiful lakes and waterfalls, it was high time to challenge ourselves a bit. We decided to go Glacier National Park of Canada to drive and were determined to see a glacier up close. We gathered information about the hike to the Illecillewaet glacier. We spoke to park rangers, asked for tips and started preparing. Pack your bag, put on walking shoes and go with that banana! So we thought…
However, things turned out differently than we thought. In retrospect, this turned out to be a very challenging hike. At times it was even dangerous, because we had to cross melting ice on steep slopes several times. One wrong step there and you could easily fall hundreds of meters.
Because this hike was so challenging and because the goal (the Illecillewaet glacier) is so incredibly beautiful, I really want to take you through our experience in this article. So I don't just write about the common tips & tricks and standard photos, but I will take you on an adventure, exactly as we experienced it. I do this through (actually private) videos, which we gradually sent to family in the Netherlands. The videos were intended for personal use and therefore provide a unique look behind the scenes. Will you travel and walk with us?
Plan your vacation to Canada here
- Camper trips compare to Travelhome from ANWB.
- Itineraries : TUI, canada plus, sawadee.
- Winter sports in Canada book yourself OAD.nl.
- Flight tickets For Canada you can book via Skyscanner.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars, Alamo en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in Canada you book through GetYourGuide.
- Campsites in National Parks you book on Park Canada.
- Hotels & Resorts in Canada you book with Booking.com.
- Travel insurance for Canada you close at Allianz.
- SIM cards en e-sims for Canada you buy at International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, Central parking of iParking.
- travel items (you can order suitcases, world plug adapters, etc Bol.com.
Our journey through the United States and Canada
This article is part of a large one-year tour the United States en Canada, with a Dutch 4×4 camper that we shipped ourselves… It is a bucket list worthy and an once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten.
We wrote almost 100 articles about this ultimate tour. Visit our North America page for more information.
About Glacier National Park of Canada
Glacier National Park was established in 1886, simultaneously with Yoho National Park in the East. The Canadian Pacific Railway had just completed its transcontinental line connecting the fledgling nation of Canada. The spectacular scenery along the railway was an opportunity for the railway company to attract tourists.
Lodges and hotels were built to lure travelers into what was wilderness just a few years earlier. The famous Roger's Pass is located in the center of Glacier National Park. The pass is named after Major AB Rogers, chief engineer for the railways. It has been designated a National Historic Site in memory of its role as an essential, yet dangerous, link in the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
Camping in and around Glacier
Glacier National Park of Canada, as the park is officially called, does not have many options for camping. With only three official campsites in the park, the number of places is very limited and this is especially noticeable in the high season.
Because we visited the park in high season, everything was full just before the weekend. As a result, we were forced to divert for a day to a location for wild camping outside the boundaries of the park. The receptionist at the campsite advised to come back early the next day as it is a 'first come, first serve' campsite and many campers would be leaving the next day. No sooner said than done.
Official Campsites
There are three official campgrounds in Glacier National Park of Canada, one of which is currently (September 2022) still closed. These are the three official campgrounds in the park:
- Mount Sir Donald Campground (location here)
- Illecillewaet Campground (location here)
- Loop Brook Campground (location here)
Mount Sir Donald Campground is currently closed because an invasive beetle has been found that affects the trees in such a way that there is a great danger of trees falling over. At the moment they are cutting down all the trees in the area in hopes of stopping the beetle. It is not yet clear when the campsite will reopen.
We stayed a total of three nights at Illecillewaet Campground. This was the most logical choice for us because many of the famous trails to the glaciers start here. More about that later in the blog.
Are you thinking of following our footsteps and renting a camper(van) with friends, your partner or with your whole family? Then ask free of charge and without obligation submit a quote to Travelhome from ANWB. They have both campervans and full-fledged family campers on offer.
- Large selection, low prices
- Independent or Customized
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- Full quote with no hidden costs
Walk Brook Campground is located near the two other campgrounds and here too a few spots are available for 'first come, first serve'. Here too you have a chance to get a spot without a reservation.
De Illecillewaet campsite is located at the foot of the Glacier of the same name, the Illecillewaet Glacier. Camping here costs about 20 Canadian dollars per night and there are no facilities other than toilets. The campsite is located in a beautiful, wooded area with a roaring river next to it. This river starts at the Illecillewaet Glacier. So here centuries-old ice water flows directly past the campsite.
Het water is zelf zo ijskoud dat wij en (en andere campinggasten), het water ‘s morgens in onze koelbox deden om eten en drinken koel te houden. Zo bespaarden we weer wat (zonne-) energie.
wild camping
Before we could go to the campsite, we had to find somewhere to spend the night. Via iOverlander we found only a handful of locations for wild camping in the region. First of all you have to national park leave. It is in fact not allowed to wild camp in the national park and yes, fines are regularly handed out here. So not recommended…
Tip:: Wild camping in national parks is strictly prohibited throughout Canada. This is monitored and fines are handed out to people who do not comply with them.
We therefore drove about 50 kilometers to the town Revelstoke. This is because there is a large private car park, part of a large resort, where wild camping is allowed. Yes, it would be a shame to have to drive an extra 100 kilometers (50 there, 50 back) for this, but we simply had no choice.
Tip:: the wild camping location in Revelstoke can be found on iOverlander. For those who do not have iOverlander: wild camping is only allowed at 'parking lots 3' from Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
Preparation hike
In the end, we had really come to this national park for one purpose only. We really wanted to see and touch a glacier up close. I've been on a glacier before Switzerland, that was accompanied by a great bucket list-worthy helicopter flight. Unfortunately no helicopter flight this time, but just on foot. We had to prepare well, because the hikes from the campsite to the glacier are really tough.
Which walking route?
First of all, we had to choose a walking route. Below you can see the map that can be seen on a large information board at the campsite. The size of the Illecillewaet The glacier is best seen on hiking route 15, 16 and 18. However, if you want to see the glacier up close or even touch it, you can opt for hiking route 17.
Tip:: That specific numbers in the 'black' have been marked, there is a reason. These walking routes are seen as 'extreme', therefore very challenging. Hiking route 4, 5, 8 and 9 (also shown on the information board) are a lot less extreme.
Because we wanted to see the glacier up close and because Malou really wanted to touch the glacier (she had never done this before), we chose number 17.
Packing list
Walking route 17 is therefore a solid one. With no less than 1300 vertical meters and a total of 18 kilometers (round trip), it is an extreme hike that requires some preparation. Below is an overview of our packing list for this hike.
Note: This is calculated per person.
- 3 liters of water
- 1 large lunch meal (tuna pasta salad)
- 1 healthy sandwich (lavishly filled)
- 2 muesli bars
- 1 apple
- 1 boiled egg
- Extra pair of socks
- extra t-shirt
- Wind and waterproof jacket
- Mini first aid kit
- bear spray
- Camera
- Phone
Information from Park Rangers
After we had packed our things, we gathered some information from the park rangers, who could be found at the campsite. Some final advice; do not drink the night before. Set out early (at sunrise) and take many short breaks to allow your muscles to recover and get used to the thin air at 3000 meters. In addition, it was strongly recommended to also bring bear spray, as the first part of the walk goes through the forest, where bears are regularly spotted.
The hike to the Glacier
On the road early
The alarm went off at 05:00, sandwich and coffee in it and go. At 05:30 we were already on the road and immediately we felt it in our calves. We hadn't even finished the campsite when we were already going up. That will be something, those 1300 altimeters in one day.
After barely an hour we left the dense forests behind us. The climb became more and more challenging while the sun had been up for some time (still behind the mountains). In the distance we already see roaring waterfalls, caused by the melting water of the Illecillewaet glacier.
Where we still walked a reasonable hiking trail for the first hour, we then walked and clambered over large stones to continue our way up. Fortunately, you can still see where you have to go from the wear and the mud on the stones.
Rivers and Waterfalls
We had already been on the road for about three hours and we crossed several streams and rivers of melting water. Sometimes we passed a beautiful waterfall, while the sun was almost above the mountain peaks. It was still very cool and the slope was never ending… The path seemed to go straight up.
The first rays of sunshine
The first rays of the sun shone over the mountain tops, it was already half past ten. In the distance we already saw a part of the Illecillewaet Glacier. We ate an apple and an egg in the sun and continued our way up. The legs were already starting to tremble from all the effort.
Tip:: Curious what we shoot with? Then view the display below.
The Fujifilm X-T5 with 16-80 is the ultimate all-round world travel camera† This camera has been declared several times by both the consumer association and Tweakers.net the best system camera you can buy. Even on automatic mode, you suddenly feel like a professional photographer!
- The best tested camera
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We realized we were on the 'snow edge' in August. So we were already really high, at almost 3000 meters. Fortunately, we do not suffer from altitude sickness. At the moment it is still a lot of laughing and enjoying the views behind us. All the way down in the valley, that's where we started out camping.
Extremely steep slope
It is often difficult to see in photos how extreme a slope can be. When I asked Malou whether she still enjoys it after 5 hours of slog uphill, I got a resounding 'no!'. Fortunately it was still something to laugh about.
Meanwhile, we saw the blue color of the ice of the Illecillewaet glacier in the distance. At this point we already had the feeling that we were almost there, but the difficult and most dangerous part was still to come.
Crossing melting ice on the mountainside
In the distance we saw a group crossing the ice in front of us. Some people wear spiked shoes for this purpose. The Park Rangers at the campsite had warned us about this part. Still, it should be doable without these special shoes.
But if anything can go wrong, it's here. One wrong step here can mean falling hundreds of meters. Stopping yourself on the slippery ice is not possible and there are large stones and rocks at the bottom of the ice plateau. Not really a pleasant thought.
We were given the tip to dig in our heels with every step. So that your foot is really stuck in a hole. But because it is ice, and it was melting heavily, this was easier said than done. Keeping your balance and putting each foot in the right place was quite an exciting challenge.
What we do here is no longer walking. We clamber through the snow and over rocks and stones with our hands and feet. Often the surface seems to be solid, but suddenly everything starts to move when you put your foot on it.
As I also say in the video with some surprise, 'this is next level shit'.
On the ice shelf
After another exciting crossing on another piece of ice on a sloping slope, we finally reach the plateau where the Illecillewaet glacier lies. We've made it! In the distance we can already see the glacier and the flags around the rock indicate the end point of the hike.
Lunch with a view
In total we took about 8 hours to climb up. We were glad we made it and it was high time for a big lunch. With a fantastic view of course. We sought out the highest point, to enjoy our homemade tuna pasta salad.
In the distance we saw the valley with the campsite and next to us the glacier. I walked to the edge for a while to get a good look at the valley below. From the edge I could also see the immense size of the glacier, really cool!
Meanwhile, the clouds slowly began to gain the upper hand. It was still chilly in the shade, so the coats went back on.
The Illecillewaet glacier up close
Although in principle we had already reached the end point of the hike, we still continued. After all, we came here to get a closer look at the glacier. The unnamed lake with the melting water was a bizarre emerald green color. Of course we had to admire this up close.
Walking on clay gunk
We saw someone standing on the ice in the lake in the distance. At least, from a distance we thought it was ice. However, this turned out not to be the case. It's a super-fine kind of sand, grit actually. It is comparable to clay, but wetter.
Tip:: Curious what we shoot with? Then view the display below.
The Fujifilm X-T5 with 16-80 is the ultimate all-round world travel camera† This camera has been declared several times by both the consumer association and Tweakers.net the best system camera you can buy. Even on automatic mode, you suddenly feel like a professional photographer!
- The best tested camera
- Fantastic photos
- 6.2K video
- 5 year warranty
Believe it or not; you can best compare it with very thick cornstarch. It is a solid and liquid at the same time. You can walk on it, but if you stand on it for too long or stomp on it a few times, you will slowly sink. It was a bizarre experience to walk on this. To give you an idea of how strange this stuff is, I made a video of it, seen below.
Time to go back
By now it was time to go back. We still had a long descent to go and the weather seemed to be changing slowly. The sun only came out occasionally and in the distance we saw a heavy shower approaching. We took some final photos and videos and decided to speed up.
What I found really bizarre is the enormous difference in color of the water when the sun was shining or not.
Conclusion
Fortunately the way back was a lot quicker, but it was still tough. The following days we both suffered from severe muscle pain. It was a tough climb to the top. Like two very elderly people, we got in and out of our camper for two days and barely got out of our chairs.
Still, this pain and suffering during the hike to the top has been more than worth it. We have another item from Malou's bucketlist. skimming (seeing and touching a glacier up close). We were also treated to fantastic views along the way.
The many waterfalls, the extreme slopes, crossing melting ice with a deep abyss below, it was all part of the experience. And of course the glacier itself, with the bizarre emerald-colored lake. That and the strange clay make this hike in Glacier National Park one you will never forget! Thank you, Illecillewaet!
Are you thinking of following our footsteps and renting a camper(van) with friends, your partner or with your whole family? Then ask free of charge and without obligation submit a quote to Travelhome from ANWB. They have both campervans and full-fledged family campers on offer.
- Large selection, low prices
- Independent or Customized
- Expert advice from specialists
- Full quote with no hidden costs
Plan your vacation to Canada here
- Camper trips compare to Travelhome from ANWB.
- Itineraries : TUI, canada plus, sawadee.
- Winter sports in Canada book yourself OAD.nl.
- Flight tickets For Canada you can book via Skyscanner.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars, Alamo en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in Canada you book through GetYourGuide.
- Campsites in National Parks you book on Park Canada.
- Hotels & Resorts in Canada you book with Booking.com.
- Travel insurance for Canada you close at Allianz.
- SIM cards en e-sims for Canada you buy at International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, Central parking of iParking.
- travel items (you can order suitcases, world plug adapters, etc Bol.com.
