Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals
Llama Trek The Rockies
Still to do
Walk through alpine meadows under snow-capped peaks while a calm, curious llama carries your lunch and your tent.
The adventure
A llama trek moves at walking pace, and that is the point. Your llama is clipped to a lead rope, padding along beside you on soft, two-toed feet, carrying the heavy kit so you only need a daypack. They hum to each other, stop to sniff at wildflowers and stare at you with enormous eyelashes when you pause for photos.
The trails climb through pine and spruce forest into open meadows where, in high summer, the slopes are bright with flowers. Glacier-fed lakes turn an unreal shade of turquoise, marmots whistle from the boulders, and with luck you might spot elk, bighorn sheep or a distant bear. On overnight trips, the guides set up camp, cook over a stove and leave you to watch the light fade off the peaks with a herd of llamas grazing nearby.
Why it’s epic
- Llamas carry the heavy gear, so you can enjoy multi-day mountain hiking with just a daypack.
- Their padded feet are gentle on trails, which is why some parks and outfitters favour them over horses.
- Wildlife can include elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and hoary marmots.
- Glacier-fed lakes and wildflower meadows at their best in July and August.
What it is
Llama trekking means hiking with llamas carrying your gear through mountain scenery.
How to do it
Several outfitters in British Columbia and Alberta run treks.
Top tip
Book early; trips are small and fill up quickly.
Need to know
- The season is short, roughly June to September, and small group sizes mean popular dates sell out early.
- You need reasonable fitness for full days of hiking at altitude, though the pace is relaxed.
- This is bear country, so follow your guide's rules on food storage and noise.
- Mountain weather changes quickly even in summer, so pack warm and waterproof layers.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 3 days
- Best time to go
- June to September
- Fly into
- YYC airport
Flights to Calgary or Vancouver and mountain-town accommodation cost more than the trek itself.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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