Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – Mountain hike and more

On our 2nd day at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and got an early start as we were going to hike up through the mountains to the Tea House.

The dining room where breakfast is served offers some beautiful views of the lakes and mountains. Unfortunately, as you are not able to make breakfast reservations, we were not able to get a seat at the window, Luckily, they are large enough to offer most guests in the dining room a view nonetheless.

The menu was a la carte and provided some really generous portions.

After a great breakfast we were ready for our hike up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

Before setting off, we made sure that we had some essentials, including good hiking shoes, sunscreen, plenty of water (filled at the free glacier water fountains in the hotel), light snacks, hats, and sun glasses to name a few. As it is bear country, we also brought bear spray with us that was supplied by the hotel. We were assured that we would have no need for it, but it was good piece of mind to have it with us anyway.

To get to mountain trails, we need to repeat the short hike around the lake that we did on our first day. That blog can be found here.

This is the start of the new trail that we did not experience yesterday.

On a few occasions, we would pass rock climbers.

Our first wildlife encounter… a chipmunk.

As mentioned in a previous blog, but worth repeating, there is a heavy fine for feeding wild animals in Banff National Park, even groundhogs, chipmunks, and squirrels. The fines can be as high as $25,000 CAD.

As the lake is glacier fed, there is a large river flowing down from the mountains. Here we encountered some smaller streams the cut off from the main river. Platforms have been constructed to provide east access across without disrupting the natural flow of the water.

We took a short break to take in the sounds of the river.

As we made our way closer to the base of the mountain, we were happy to have our sturdy hiking shoes as the terrain became more rocky and uneven. You could do the hike in running shoes, but you would run the risk of twisting an ankle or potentially worse.

Below, you can see Lake Louise in the distance. Overall, it was a gradual climb to this point

The hotel can also set you up with horseback riding should you wish. We often needed to give way to the riders as they passed us along the trail. To be honest, depending upon the timing of meeting them, moving to the side can be rather easy or a little tricky depending on what part of the trail you encounter them. They cannot easily move aside, so it is up to the hikers to provide the right of way.

We had beautiful weather for this hike. As you see below, the terrain does get a little rocky and you do need to watch your step carefully at various times. There was however, no real point where we felt any real danger in falling.

After almost 2 hours of hiking, we could finally see the Tea House in our sites.

The Tea House serves drinks and simple meals such as soup and sandwiches. You are responsible for carrying your garbage back down the mountain.

There are also outhouses located up here should you need a washroom break.

After a quick bite to eat, we explored the area around the Tea House.

The scenery was beautiful. Below is a map of the hike that we did. There are different hikes that you can do and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise would be happy to provide you with the details for your various options.

Our return to the hotel was only slight shorter than the hike up as we carefully navigated our way down the mountains.

Not sure if I mentioned this previously, but during Covid you need to provide proof that you were a hotel guest in order to enter the property through the back gate by the lake.

For our last evening at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, we decided to have dinner at their German restaurant, Wallise Stube.

As we were a party of 4, we were not able to get a window seat, but again, the windows are so large that views can be enjoyed from every table. We were there for the meal and the company, so we did not mind.

The Wiener Schnitzel was very delicious.

The next morning, we got up a little earlier as it was our last day and there were a few things that we wanted to experience before leaving.

The morning views of the lake and mountains are simply breathtaking and we wanted to make sure we did not miss it.

The sunrise hitting the peaks of the mountains and being reflected on the pristine lake cannot be described in words,

Since we were up so early this morning, we decided to wait to get a seat at the window for our last breakfast.

We had a few more items on our list to accomplish after breakfast, so we headed upstairs to pack all of our things so that we would be ready to go once we returned tot he hotel.

As we got back down to the lake, the scenery was a lot different now that the sun had completely risen.

One of the amenities that guests at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise get by booking through me is a Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame. They take several photos and let you choose which one to take home.

Guests of the hotel also receive 1 free hour of canoeing on the lake and we could not wait to experience this. Reservations are not possible, but there is a separate line for the guests of the hotel and the general public. As the hotel guests line was much shorter, we did not have to wait very long.

We rowed the entire length of the lake to the point where we had hiked on our first day.

One of the rules for the canoe is that you are not allowed to row ashore and get out unless there is an emergency. We did see one couple get out of their canoe and the staff came out by boat to make sure that they were not in distress, and luckily they were not. Once they were assured that there was no medical emergency,  the staff instructed them to get back into the canoe.

Sitting in the canoe and silently taking in the sounds and sights was extremely relaxing. Almost too relaxing as we lost track of time and nearly missed the 1 hour deadline to return the canoe. We needed to go back.

We truly enjoyed our experience at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. From the food, the hike, the canoeing, and the spectacular scenery, we would not hesitate to recommend this property and experience to anyone. The staff were all extremely courteous and professional and I am sure that your experience here would be amazing.

By booking the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom in restaurant
  • Welcome amenity
  • Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame
  • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

For more information on this beautiful property or to learn about the special amenities that my clients can receive my booking this hotel through me, please visit my luxury Virtuoso page here