The tea house challenge
Hiking the trail between cosy Lake Louise tea houses can be gruelling, but worth every minute
Let’s be honest: if we’re embarking on a somewhat strenuous, somewhat athletic endeavour, we’d like a payoff.
Football running backs, for example, seek the end zone. Surfers, the perfect wave. Professional hockey players (when they’re playing), the winning goal. And hikers, especially those traipsing around in the Lake Louise area, tea houses with some of the best chocolate cake and apple crumble this side of Switzerland.
My first attempt at completing the Lake Louise Tea House Highline Challenge — one of many outdoorsy events that comprise the Banff/Lake Louise Fall Festival — didn’t get off to a great start. In fact, when my wife and I left the cosy confines of our beautiful, lakeview room at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, I felt quite certain I was not going to complete the challenge. After all, the 14-kilometre hike, which forms a loop to both of the Lake Louise tea houses, is a bit of a gruntfest.
You see, my idea of a difficult hike typically takes place over nine holes (I usually ride the back nine). Another confession: I don’t actually own hiking shoes. Poles? Those are for skiing. To top it off, I was fighting a cold and felt like I was running on half a tank. So, yes, my lack of confidence was well founded.
My wife, too, wasn’t exactly oozing with enthusiasm with the undertaking. Her heel had been giving her some problems and, quite frankly, she’ll opt for Swedish massage treatments over Swiss-engineered hiking routes any day of the week.
Nonetheless, on this glorious bluebird September day — the golden larches swaying in the gentle breeze and the stunning Victoria glacier hanging over everything — we set out on our quest. Of course, during the opening strides along the idyllic, turquoise waters of Lake Louise, we both agreed we’d set the bar low. Success, we decided, was making it to one of the two tea houses.
Both of the Lake Louise tea houses — Lake Agnes and The Plain of the Six Glaciers — are long-standing, family-owned operations with plenty of character and history. The two tea houses, which are linked together by the highline trail, are, unquestionably, two of the most popular hikes in the Canadian Rockies.
The Lake Agnes Tea House, which was completely rebuilt in 1981, sits on the tranquil shores of one of the prettiest little mountain lakes you’ll ever see. It’s located at the base of The Big Beehive, a massive hulk of a mountain that rises from the larchstudded forest 400 metres above Lake Louise. While the Lake Agnes Tea House is closer to the public parking lot and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise than The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, the hike is a 3.5 kilometres (one way) uphill slog that really isn’t all that inspiring — that is, until you get to the tea house.
The Plain of the Six Glaciers Tea House, an original 1920s-era structure built by the CPR, is 5.5 kilometres from the hotel and it affords a more varied and spectacular hiking excursion. Linking the two tea houses via the highline trail combines the best of both hikes, especially if you head to the Plain of Six Tea House first, therefore saving the fairly steep, forested trail to Lake Agnes for the descent.
But, really, it doesn’t matter which tea house you go to first, the challenge is still going to be incredibly rewarding and (for us) incredibly challenging!
Naturally, both tea houses boast some delicious treats, including numerous teas from around the world, fresh soups and sandwiches, and tried-and-true dessert recipes that have been satisfying weary hikers for decades.
After strolling around the lake and into the backcountry bliss beyond, we hit our stride. The eye-popping site of the Victoria Glacier — we witnessed at least three thundering ice avalanches from its upper flank — pulled us on. When we finally reached the Plain of the Six Glaciers Tea House (it took us just an hourand-a-half and, yes, I’m very proud of that), we were feeling surprisingly chipper.
After sipping tea and wolfing down the famous chocolate cake, we decided we might, by some minor miracle, be able to take on the entire Tea House Challenge route.
Alas, the highline trail, the connector to the Lake Agnes Tea House, turned out to be a bit of thigh-burner. But, grunting and griping aside, we soldiered upwards and onward, stopping here and there to absorb the incredible views of Lake Louise far below.
Finally, the tinkle of tea cups and laughter of people way more fit than us could be heard. After signing the register (Tea House Challenge participants must sign the register to be eligible for the prizes), we doubledipped on dessert — what can I say, the apple crumble is to die for — and soaked in the sublime surroundings of Lake Agnes.
Lying peacefully along the stonelined shore, the fiery larches burning bright along the baby blue water, we revelled in our accomplishment. We had made it to the two tea houses. We had signed the register at both. History will defend us. Now all we had to do was make it down.