We woke up in a haze the next morning, and noticed that the weather was feeling the same too. It felt like Christmas had come a few months late, with a flurry of snow flying past the window. It created a white blur in front of us, masking the icy blue of the skating rinks that were such a prominent part of our view yesterday. As a result, we were well and truly ready to get out and go ice skating on Lake Louise.
Waking up in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
I don’t know about you, but getting out of bed in the morning always seems more appealing because of a few things:
- Not having to go to work – check
- Having an awesome view not far from your bed – check
- Knowing you have a breakfast buffet just a few steps from your room – check
- The thought of finally ticking off that bucket list item of ice skating on Lake Louise – check
If you read my post on arriving at the Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise, you’ll know we were spoilt. We upgraded for the night as members of the Gold Lounge, so left the room in search of what was waiting for us. From fresh fruit to an omelette station to roast potatoes and crispy bacon, we were well and truly treated.
The Fairmont Gold Lounge
Feeling fuelled for the day ahead after several visits to the lounge kitchen, it was time to do something I’d always wanted. Since dreaming for as long as I can remember, I would finally ice skate on a frozen lake!
Ice skating on Lake Louise
Having rented skates from the hotel, I had a little assistance from Jordan. He then showcased his expert Canadian skills and managed to hold me up whilst I took a wobbly descent as we went ice skating on Lake Louise.
With some help and proof that I definitely don’t have the Canadian skating skills of most people around me, I soon got into the swing of things. It was so much fun, whilst we tried to ignore the nearby warning signs of ‘thin ice’. We glided around on Lake Louise’s rink much to the amusement of some passing tourists.
Some of us were better ice skaters than others.
Successfully dodging pucks from the neighbouring hockey rink, we left our skates and went inside to defrost with coffees.
Going for a walk on Lake Louise
Feeling a little warmer, we checked out of the hotel. We then headed out for a final hike before our long drive back to Vancouver. Aiming for a lookout point across the lake, I loved being outside in the snowy wonderland. This was despite wearing inappropriate shoes – yep, my British roots never seem to learn how to contend with snow.
Hopping onto a short trail, we started a fairly steep decline. We then hiked up towards the mountains in search a view, secretly praying not to come across an avalanche.
We did about forty minutes of mostly uphill walking, albeit with a few slips and some snow showers. Finally, we reached the beautiful viewpoint across yards of snow and where we were ice skating on Lake Louise.
Views of Lake Louise, Banff
It honestly felt like we were in Narnia! We found it hard to imagine the lake with the turquoise waters it’s so famous for. It was also bizarre to think we were stood a metre higher on snow than we would in the same place during the summer.
We walked back and said a sad farewell to this beautiful hotel and lake. It was probably the most disappointed I’ve ever felt to leave a hotel after 24 hours of pure pampering. The hotel staff wished us a safe journey, gave us a coffee for the journey, and handed us our car keys. We also got comfy in the car for a long drive back through the Rocky Mountains to Vancouver. All in all, it was such a perfect break away!
Our only hiccups on the way back were the sight of mountain goats running across the road, and an extended break. We also allowed a controlled avalanche to take place near Revelstoke – only in Canada, eh? Banff, we’ll be back!
Have you been ice skating on Lake Louise? What else did you get up to at this beautiful resort?
