The gorgeous British Columbia Rockies (The B.C. Rockies) are home to four of Canada's National Parks - Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. As well as being a beautiful area for summer vacations, it has outstanding facilities for many sorts of winter activities. The BC Rockies are located in the southeastern corner of the province of British Columbia - west of the Alberta Rockies. The area is one of magnificent mountains, turbulent rivers, lakes and forests. The mountains rise above everything and act as protection for the towns in the valleys beneath. This means that the valleys are generally warm and sunny for much of the year. The valley communities make a great base for mountain activities. Many of these towns are very attractive, with beautifully restored architecture from earlier times, when they prospered for reasons other than tourism. This and their pioneer history help make them places of great character. The rivers and lakes provide additional recreational opportunities for water sports and swimming, and the golfing in this region is world class.

CLIMATE

	The B.C. Rockies near Golden

This side of the Canadian Rockies has more moderate winter weather than the Alberta side. In winter there is snow and it can be very cold in the actual mountains, but in the valleys it is sunny and the average high temperature is well above freezing. Summers can be fairly hot, but one can easily reach a higher elevation to cool down. Fall is visually spectacular with autumn colours; the temperature is still warm and sunny. Spring is also very pleasant; the days are long and the valleys are filled with fresh blooming flowers.

The Rogers Pass

TRANSPORTATION

The Trans-Canada Highway goes through the B.C. Rockies. Other places in the region are linked to this by an excellent highway system. The area is served by a good bus service linking it from all major cities. There is no scheduled rail service serving this region anymore, although the Rocky Mountaineer Railtours train does pass through here on its way to Banff. There are two regional airports at Cranbrook and Castlegar; you can fly here from the international airports at Vancouver and Calgary. (For more transportation information click here)

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

	A B.C. Skier

Skiing in the British Columbia Rockies is phenomenal. The major ski resorts include Kimberley and Fernie - famous for its powder - located in the southeast of the region near to Cranbrook. Northwest of Cranbrook is the spectacular Panorama Mountain Village. In the southwest of the B.C. Rockies near to the towns of Nelson and Castlegar are the ski resorts of Whitewater and Red Mountain. As well as downhill skiing these resorts have excellent snowboarding (with the exception of Red Mountain). For the cross country skier there are numerous trails throughout the region. A spectacular attraction for skiers to the B.C. Rockies is helicopter skiing. This was invented in B.C. back in 1965. A helicopter takes skiers up high into the mountains to ski (or snowboard) on virgin snow. This is for advanced and intermediate skiers only. Panorama is a major centre for this, but you can also heli-ski from many of the towns in the valleys such as Golden and Revelstoke. Another feature in B.C. is snow-cat skiing. This is similar to heli-skiing in that it brings skiers and snowboarders to virgin territory near the top of the mountain, but this time in a snow-cat vehicle. This has the tracks of a military tank and the body of a snowplow with a passenger cab mounted on it, and it can drive through virtually any type of terrain. The main advantage of this is that skiing is guaranteed no matter how hard it is snowing.

After a hard day's skiing in winter, or a busy summer's day sightseeing, there is nothing more relaxing and refreshing than a trip to a hot spring. In B.C.'s Rockies all the hot springs are a naturally occurring phenomenon. Many people believe these waters to have healing properties. The hot mineral water, originating deep in the mountain, flows into large pools. As you soak in the soothing waters, you can admire the magnificent backdrop of the Rockies, and strike up a conversation with other visitors to the pool - people come from all over the world to experience this. If you want you can get a massage or other therapeutic treatment to complement your visit to the springs. There are hot springs at Fairmont and Radium between Golden and Cranbrook, Ainsworth near Nelson, Halcyon Hot Springs near Nakusp south of Revelstoke, and at Nakusp itself.

Emerald Lake lives up to its name in that it is a jewel amongst the attractions of the B.C. Rockies. It wasn't named Emerald Lake because of this though; it is a lake that really is the colour of an emerald. The lake - framed by stunning mountains - has a picture perfect beauty which almost appears too perfect to be real. When there, the lake seems to be the epitome of peaceful isolation, and yet it is easy to reach, as it is located just off the Trans Canada Highway between Lake Louise and Golden. The only development allowed at the lake is Emerald Lake Lodge; the Canadian Pacific Railway originally built this in 1902. It was beautifully restored in 1986 and is now part of a fabulous resort hotel and convention centre. The lodge's buildings blend in perfectly with their surroundings. The hotel provides every conceivable mountain and lake activity - summer and winter.

White Water Rafters on the Kicking Horse River

The town of Golden is located directly on the Trans-Canada Highway, on the Kicking Horse River. This river has some of the finest white water rafting available. The deep canyons provide great scenery and excellent rapids for the rafts to navigate. The terrain varies with rapids that are totally wild and turbulent to those that are relatively calm. So all levels of rafters, from beginners up, can select a raft tour that suits them. This is a very exciting way to sample some of what the B.C. Rockies has to offer. Wet suits, helmets and life jackets are provided, but you should still be prepared to get wet, so bring a towel and a change of clothes.

One of the most magnificent feats of engineering the world has ever seen is the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Rocky Mountains. The railway was constructed by thousands of immigrant labourers who worked in appalling conditions to complete the railway. Hundreds of people died from avalanches, rockslides and explosives accidents. Disease was rampant. One of the major obstacles that challenged the construction of the railway was the extremely steep gradient east of Field. It was so steep here that if there were any braking problems, trains would run away down the track and fly off the rails resulting in tragedy. A brilliant solution was created. Two massive tunnels were cut out of the rock in a spiral form. The Spiral Tunnels serve to increase the length of the track in its ascent and descent of the pass, thus decreasing the gradient by more than half. Today you can see these tunnels from an observation point just off the Trans-Canada Highway. A model and a chart demonstrate how the tunnels work, and if you wait long enough you will actually see a train passing through the tunnels. The trains are often so long, that the front of the train is seen coming out from one end of the tunnel, while the rear of the same train is still entering the other end of the tunnel at a point higher or lower on the mountain. This is a fascinating site for everybody, whether or not you are a train fan, and of course the scenery at this location is breath taking.

	Wildflowers in a B.C. Meadow

In Mount Revelstoke National Park is the glorious Meadows in the Sky Parkway. The parkway winds up a 26 km (16 mi)road with stunning views of the Rockies and the town of Revelstoke. At the top are beautiful sub-alpine wildflower meadows that present a varied array of colours. The area is protected so you park in a designated area, and then you can either hike or take a shuttle to the top. Here you can stroll around, eat a picnic or hike one of the permitted trails. Don't forget your camera, as you will definitely want memories of the magnificent flowers.