There's something pretty amazing about standing on a glacier. It takes a moment, but you suddenly realize you're standing on a gigantic, ancient block of ice – the kind of ice that made mountains and valleys millions of years ago.

A trip up to the Columbia Icefield is a history lesson, a geology lesson, and an unforgettable experience. With Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure , you climb right into a massive Brewster Ice Explorer, which takes you (safely) out onto the glacier. Here, you can walk around and get an up-close look at the ancient ice.

At the base of the glacier, you can join a guided walk and learn about the path of a glacier and the landscape around it. You can also explore the interpretive centre, and learn how the icefield came to be (and how we can preserve them).

The Columbia Icefield is about 300 kilometres from Calgary (approximately a five-hour drive). Head west on Hwy. 1 to Lake Louise, then travel north on the Icefields Parkway Hwy. 93 N. to the Columbia Icefield.