CMA TOURS: W. CANADA
Kicking your heels between June and the end of September? Let CMA Tours help…
Canada isn’t all about living in igloos and driving dog sleds.
The best things about touring Western Canada on a motorcycle
are… Years of movies have depicted us Canadians a certain way, but we don’t all live in igloos and drive dogsleds across frozen tundras. Well, at least not during the summer months which are full of beautiful warm sunshine – time to enjoy our extreme mountain passes, glacier fed lakes, waterfalls and streams. From the isolation and adventure of wilderness backroads, to the ribbons of tarmac, there are extremes in the beautiful scenery everywhere our tours take you.
When is the best time to go? Our tours run from the beginning of June to the end of September. This is because our tours climb to high elevations and many of the mountain passes are still snow covered until June, and snow can be flying again by October.
In June you’ll get to see fresh foliage and enjoy more moderate temperatures. July and August are the greenest and also our warmest months, 30ºc is the normal daily high this time of year. September can be cooler and autumn’s colours are starting to coat the mountains. June and September you will see the least trac on tarmac roads – when we are off-road you can go almost an entire day without seeing another vehicle. That’s the beauty of the Canadian experience.
Where do the tours go? Our home ground is the province of British Columbia. Our tours range from a small town called Sorrento on the Shuswap Lake, into the Okanagan Valley, through wine country, into the Kootenay Mountains, the Rockies, and into some of the most isolated mountain passes Canada has to offer. (We offer all-on-road tours if you prefer, or a mix of on and off-road.)
The highway portion of our tours is GPS guided, the roads carefully chosen for their riding and the quirky and interesting sights and cultural experiences they take you to. Highway mileages range from 130 miles to 280 miles per day (this can be customised according to preference). Days end at an authentic Canadian lodge, spa, hot spring, or bed and breakfast. We have sought out the best accommodation and think you will be truly impressed by Canadian hospitality.
Our off-road days are led by a bike guide and followed by a support truck. The trails and roads, as you would expect, are isolated and stunning. Our guides are local, but don’t be surprised to see them standing slack-jawed and in
awe of the natural beauty surrounding them; despite how many times we get out there we can still scarcely believe how amazing it is.
Our off-road days do involve one night’s stay in a more ‘rustic’ town of about 50 people, with no power or cell phone service. How’s that for an authentic Canadian adventure?
How many days are the tours? Our two tour packages (for 2020) are eight day tours with six full days and one part day of riding.
Our on/off-road tour starts out with three full days of on-road riding, getting to know the bike and our Canadian culture (unlike you guys we ride on the right), followed by three full days off-road. For those who prefer paved roads, our on-road tour sticks to brilliantly twisty tarmac. How di cult is the off-road riding?
No off-road experience is required, although it is highly advantageous if you do have it. What we do require is that you are confident in your riding abilities, and after that our guides will help you through the rest. Adventure is the name of our game and you won’t go away disappointed. You’re going to need a camera…
Around pretty much every bend awaits a photo opportunity that will take
‘You can go almost an entire day without seeing another vehicle. That’s the beauty of Canada’
your breath way – just soak it all in and hammer that memory card.
What will we be riding? We have chosen BMW 850 GSAS as our flagship bikes (some with lowered seat heights) and we also have the standard 850 GS and 750 GS. We’ve found these bikes are the perfect combination for the tours we currently provide, with great electronics packages that make the bikes both manageable off-road and grin inducing fun on the highways. For the on-road portion of the tour, you will haul your own luggage on the bikes in the provided Mosko Moto soft pannier luggage (hard trunk also optional). For the off-road sections your bags can be hauled for you in the chase truck, if you wish.
What kit needs to come with? We provide premium riding gear including Shoei helmets, TCX boots, Five gloves and Olympia jacket and trousers. All you need to bring are personal items such as a credit card, your driving licence, a toothbrush… and Speedos for the hot springs. And whatever else you want to wear off the bike.
What do the tours cost? Our eight-day on/off-road Adventure Tour costs $5995 Canadian dollars (that’s approximately £3500 GBP. Depending on the exchange rate at time of booking). Our eight-day on-road tour costs $5795 Canadian dollars (that’s approximately £3400 GBP. Again depending on the exchange rate at time of booking).
All tours include bike rental, riding gear from head-to-toe, accommodation, a shuttle to and from the Kelowna airport, all breakfasts, your riding route, your liability insurance and a wrap-up meal at an indigenous lodge/spa that is sure to be a cultural experience like you have probably never seen. The off-road portion of the tour also comes with a bike guide and support truck, as well as all meals for the three days you are ‘away’ from civilisation.