Walk on a frozen creek through Grotto Canyon, past unusual rock formations, ancient Native rock art, and icefalls. The history of the rock art and the geology of the mountains are at your fingertips as the guides explain their mystery.
You might see ice climbers scaling the frozen waterfalls, but for many people the highlight of this icewalk is the ancient native pictographs that are easily missed by the general public. Your guide will point out the stunted pine forest and hidden ancient native pictographs, which were likely created by Hopi visitors from the Arizona region. The symbols have many possible meanings and origins and you will learn more about First Nation history in the Bow Valley.
Itinerary and Highlights:
– A stunted forest: Why are the trees so small and oddly shaped?
– Grotto creek: You will walk on the frozen creek bed winding through the narrow gorge.
– Rockies geology: Witness ancient ocean floors around you, the result of mountain building processes.
– Pictographs: 1500-year-old clues linking native culture in Canada to distant areas in the South West of the United States.
– Icefalls: Get close to icefalls seeping from the cliff face, and if lucky watch ice climbers performing their craft.