Banff + Lake Louise Retreat for Cancer Warriors
5 Days/4 nights

Dates: September 14-18, 2022
Destination: Banff, Canada
Focus: Mindfulness, yoga, and nature immersion
Giveback: Malas for Tatas and local Indigenous Peoples
Difficulty: Active, all levels and abilities supported
Gender: Women+ (inclusive of all people identifying as female or non-binary)

Root founder + tour leader, Breanne, joined the ATTA to explore the Best of Banff + Lake Louise in October 2019; take a look!

Banff and Lake Louise are filled with magical moments: crisp early morning walks, hiking through the dew-covered fall colors as the sun spreads over the mountain peaks, sharing a drink with friends at the end of a golden day, soaring over the snow-covered mountain peaks to explore the heights of the Rockies. Embrace the vibrancy and beauty of fall in Banff and Lake Louise.

Also enjoy…
+ Moraine Lake Forest bathing and hike
+ Mala making with Malas for Tatas
+ Fairmont Lake Louise afternoon tea
+ Twice-daily guided yoga and meditation
+ Welcome land acknowledgment

SUMMARY

DAY 1: Calgary Arrival + Transfer, Welcome Smudging + Land ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Ceremony

DAY 2: Banff Hike + Mala Making

DAY 3: Moraine Lake Forest Bathing and Hike + Lake Louise Tea

Day 4: Gondola

DAY 5: Farewell! Depart Banff

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1

Welcome Land Acknowledgement
Yoga + Meditation
**Meals: D**

Arrive in Banff

Upon arrival in Calgary, meet your transfer to Banff. Upon arrival at the hotel, enjoy a moment to settle in and soak in the scenery. We will meet for a welcome land acknowledgement, followed by our first yoga class. Group dinner and overnight.

Day 2

Yoga + Meditation
Hike
Mala Making
Yoga + Pranayama
**Meals: B | D**

Banff Hike + Mala Making

Early risers can enjoy guided yoga and meditation. We will all meet for breakfast at the hotel.

Optional: In the late morning, opt to join on a short hike. Meet our guide and transfer for our first adventure - a short hike in the Canadian Rockies. Sitting on a rock perched high up on the alpine pass, you can’t help but feel proud of yourself. As we gaze at the imposingly rugged peaks all around, we'll feast on our first-class picnic lunch and feel a profound sense of wonder. We return to our hotel in the early afternoon to clean up and relax.

We then gather and build our mala prayer beads in support of Malas for Tatas. We provide all the supplies. You choose your mala kit, set your intention, and get beading! Once the mala is strung, you’ll give your mala a name, then have the option of trying your hand at knotting or send it off with love to be hand-knotted and finished with the guru bead and tassel.

Malas for Tatas is dedicated to helping women with breast cancer afford alternative, holistic health care to supplement cancer treatment.

Having cancer is expensive. Between the cost of treatment, income lost from taking time off work, and the need for additional childcare, many women feel the financial burden of breast cancer nearly as acutely as the physical pain. Although many holistic treatments—such as acupuncture, reiki therapy, and massage therapy—can be immensely healing for women dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment, these therapies are not covered by traditional health insurance plans, and most women can’t justify the cost.

Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury, and it becomes even more important when fighting off disease. With donations from Malas for Tatas, women with breast cancer can prioritize self-care and afford holistic wellness treatments.

Before dinner, we will practice Pranayama and meditation before a mindful group dinner. Option to enjoy a warm drink by the fire.

Day 3

Yoga + Meditation
Forest Bathing
Hike Moraine Lake
Lake Louise Tea
Free Time
Meditation
**Meals: B | L | D**

Moraine Lake Forest Bathing and Hike + Lake Louise Tea

Morning yoga and meditation practice to start our day of adventure. After breakfast, we meet our guide and transfer to the iconic Moraine Lake. We start our morning with Forest bathing lakeside.

Shinrin Yoku (aka Forest Bathing)⁠
In Japan, people practice a therapy called Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing, which translates to ‘taking in the atmosphere of the forest’. Japanese scientists learned that trees give off an organic chemical compound, called phytoncides; when you go into the forest with all your senses attuned you bathe in these compounds which then provide a multitude of benefits.⁠

We then take in the famous Valley of the Ten Peaks as you hike along the pristine waters of Moraine Lake. You are granted stunning views as you hike up a switchback trail towards Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass. Once in the valley, the trees thin and the walking becomes gentler as the trail makes its way past the Minnestimma Lakes and to the base of very imposing Sentinel Pass. Views to the sides and above you are of Pinnacle Mountain and Mt. Temple, 3rd highest peak in Banff National Park. If time and group ability allow, we will continue on a steady but manageable ascent to the top of Sentinel Pass where the views are worth all the effort it took to get there!

We return to our shuttle and make our way to the pristine Lake Louise, where we dive into a delicious traditional tea in the lakefront restaurant at the Fairmont Lake Louise. We will have a couple hours to explore the area on our own - opt to hike the lakeside trails, meditate amongst the peaks, or simply sip tea at the waterfront restaurant.

We’ll return to our hotel for a group dinner, followed by guided meditation.

Day 4

Yoga + Meditation
Free morning
Yoga
Sulphur Mountain Gondola
w/ Gin Tasting
**Meals: B | D**

Gondola + Sulphur Mountain

We’ll gather for a morning yoga and meditation practice before breakfast. You will then have the morning free to explore the trails, spend quality time with your fellow travelers, visit downtown Banff for some shopping, or just spend some time reading. Lunch today is on your own.

We will hold an early afternoon yoga and meditation practice before we meet our driver and guide for our afternoon on the majestic Sulphur Mountain. We take the gondola to the experience of unparalleled views and a unique opportunity to capture photos of the Banff townsite and six mountain ranges. We’ll enjoy a group meditation before snacks during sunset.

Upon returning to the hotel, we enjoy our final dinner as a group before our closing ceremony.

Day 5

Farewell

Early risers can partake in a final yoga and meditation practice before a final breakfast. Transfer to the Calgary airport for your flight home.

PRICE: $2395 PER PERSON
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY

Deposit: $500 due today
Final Balance: due 90 days prior to departure

Optional Hike on Day 2 with Picnic Lunch: $150 per person
Single Supplement: $750 per person
Triple Discount: $200 per person

Payment plan available, please inquire

Deposit is non-refundable, however, travel insurance will cover your trip should you need to cancel due to medical reasons.

CANALTA HOTEL

Visit Banff National Park, and enjoy the Lodge’s unprecedented levels of service amidst the gloriously untouched wilderness. Year-round, we offer the perfect basecamp from which to launch any expedition—to the top of a peak or to the nearby shopping district. So take a look around, and start scoping out your next adventure.

Our amenities, from the practical to the indulgent, ensure you feel right at home—that is, if your home came with daily housekeeping and a complimentary hot breakfast buffet.

Included: