Altitude Facts for Banff Canada

A Rocky Mountain Tour Operator Shares Information About Elevation

Feb 16, 2007

Travelling to Banff in the Canadian Rockies means gaining elevation. A tour operator says this is usually not a problem, but check first if you have poor health.

Less Oxygen At Higher Elevations

Here's an example of how much the altitude can change when you make a day trip in a mountainous area.

Not too long ago, we had a visitor from coastal Australia. We live in Calgary, Canada, which is about 3,557 feet above sea level (1,084 metres). We spent a day together in Banff, a famous mountain resort town about an hour and a half's drive to the west. Banff sits on the valley floor at about 5,194 feet (1,583 metres).

Our Aussie friend is a fit triathlete who frequently competes in races at home and is in top condition. It was surprising that she was as out of breath as an unfit person, and she said she felt the effect of the thinner air at that elevation, when we climbed some small hills. It was not a problem when we walked around the flat townsite, though.

This made me wonder how other visitors to Banff and the Rockies do with the reduced oxygen concentration in the air, since many people will be coming from lower elevations. I asked Robert Coté, the Sales Manager for Brewster Attractions. Brewster has been operating tourists a wide variety of tours and attractions in and around the Rockies for many years.

A Banff Tour Operator Comments on the Altitude Effect

Here's how Brewster describe themselves: "Brewster is an integrated tourism company consisting of Inbound Tours (Independent & Group), Charter & Sightseeing Motorcoach, Western Canada's two largest Attractions (Banff Gondola & Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience), Hotels (Mount Royal Hotel & Icefield Chalet) and Brewster Travel agencies."

Robert Coté commented on the altitude at two places. The Columbia Icefields location is a very popular stopping point on the highway between Banff and Jasper, Alberta. This is a place where the massive glacier comes down close to the highway, and you can see first-hand what the great ice sheets are like. The views are stunning all along that highway, called the Icefields Parkway. Brewster operates the Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience, which takes visitors onto the glacier in a special vehicle for a close-up look.

The Banff Gondola, five minutes from the Banff townsite, takes visitors up Sulphur Mountain in a 4-passenger aerial gondola (like a ski lift), and again, the mountain views are spectacular during the ride and at the top of Sulphur Mountain.

Mr. Coté said, "The elevation of both the Columbia Icefield Turnaround Point and the Upper Terminal of the Banff Gondola are very close at around 7,000 & 7,486 feet or 2,210 & 2,281 metres respectively above sea level. For most people this is not an excessive elevation; however, the air is thinner and does have an impact on individuals who are not acclimatized. Another factor is that we live in a very arid climate and people need to be conscious about staying sufficiently hydrated.

Health Recommendations for Travellers

'What we recommend to anyone who suffers from poor general health, respiratory or heart problems is to speak to their doctor who is qualified and knowledgeable to advise them on whether or not they should consider venturing to these altitudes."

Mr. Coté also included some geographical statistics about the Athabasca Glacier where Brewster operates the Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience and for the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff.

Elevation Above Sea Level for Athabasca Glacier and Banff Sulphur Mountain Gondola

The Total Elevation Gain shown by Robert Coté's numbers is from the bottom to the top of the gondola. For visitors who come from Calgary on the day of the trip, the elevation gain on the day is more, about 1,100 metres, or about 3,930 feet. If you are discussing the trip with your doctor, include the Calgary details if you plan to make the visit to Banff while based in Calgary.

The copyright of the article Altitude Facts for Banff Canada in Disabled Travelers Safety/Health is owned by Jill Browne. Permission to republish Altitude Facts for Banff Canada in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Aug 16, 2008 12:14 PM

Guest :

We live in Sunnyvale, CA. and the second day my husband who has emphysema was short of breath and his oxygen level was very low. We went to the emergency room at the hospital in Banff and he spent the night on oxygen so that he could return to our home at sea level the following day. He had not previously had trouble in higher altitudes.