Ultimate BC: Preparing for your trip

Required Forms

All of our Riders are required to complete the following forms:

Please download, print and complete the forms and bring them with you to your tour starting point. (note: the waiver is legal size - if you print it on 8 1/2 x 11, it will take two pages)

Arrival and Departure Airport

You should fly into and out of Calgary International Airport (YYC). Please see the schedule page for the exact pickup times for your particular trip. Please note: we do not book flights for our Riders - contact your local travel agent or use an online flight booking site to book your flights to Calgary.

Pickup & Drop-off Information

We offer an airport pickup and dropoff service to Calgary airport. Cost is $80 Cdn for both pickup and dropoff. This can be added to your trip when you make your booking.

Our shuttle departs Calgary airport at 4 pm sharp. We will wait for delayed passengers until 5 pm at the absolute latest, but after 5 we have to leave (it is a 3-hour drive to Fernie and we typically have tired people who have been flying for most of the day). If you are experiencing delays with your flights, please call our BC office at +1.250.278-0364 as soon as possible, or call our toll-free line at 1-888-423-7849 (within North America). Please write down these numbers and keep them with you when you are travelling.

If you are unable to make it to the shuttle, you will have to arrange alternate transportation to Fernie. Please see 'extending your trip' below for information about private shuttles and the Greyhound bus.

On the last day of the trip, we ride until about 2:00 pm, then drive to Calgary (we will not be returning to Canmore), stopping first at our partner hotel (Sandman Airport Inn Calgary, with free airport shuttle -see below) to drop off those staying until the next day or longer. We then head to the airport to drop off those people who are flying out that night. n.b. if you are planning on flying home on the last night of the trip, we recommend you not book anything departing before 7:00 pm, to take into account any unexpected delays.

After dropping people off at the airport, the van will return to Fernie, arriving at approximately 8 pm. If you have made your own way to Fernie for the start of the trip and need to return to get to your vehicle, you are welcome to join our guides on the return to Fernie, free of charge.

Extending Your Trip

If you want to extend your trip by arriving early or staying on after your trip, there are a few things you should know:

We can arrange special pickups if you are arriving before the scheduled pickup date, however the price for a private shuttle is expensive ($400 CAN). An alternative is taking the Greyhound bus to Fernie from Calgary. There are 2 buses/day: departing 6:30 am, arriving 12:05 pm
departing 10:10 pm, arriving 3:05 am If you are taking the bus, please let us know and we'll arrange to have a taxi meet you at the bus depot for the five-minute drive to our lodge.
You can book accommodation at the Sandman Airport Inn in Calgary before or after your trip. Please contact the Sandman Airport Inn directly and mention Sacred Rides for a discounted rate.
You can book extra nights at our lodge in Fernie, depending on availablity. Price is $45/person/night - please contact our office via email.
If you want information on places to visit and things to see in British Columbia or the Banff area after/before your trip, here are a couple of useful websites:
Tourism British Columbia
Banff National Park website

Many of our clients choose to visit the Canmore/Banff/Lake Louise area after their trip. The easiest way to do this is to arrange a shuttle to Banff or Canmore when you get to the Calgary airport. These can be booked onsite or in advance by visiting the Banff Airport Taxi website

Trip Cancellations

You may cancel your reservation with no penalty within 7 days of booking. After the first week, our cancellation policy is as follows:

-60 days notice or more: $250 cancellation fee per person, or $100 transfer fee if you transfer to another trip
-30-60 days notice: $500 cancellation fee per person, or $250 transfer fee if you transfer to another trip
-less than 30 days notice: the full trip price is forfeited.

Please note that our cancellation policy is strict, and we ask that you do not request an exception to our policy. For this reason we strongly urge you to purchase affordable trip cancellation insurance.

Bike Rentals

If you don't feel like hauling your bike to BC, an alternative is renting a bike. We offer beautiful DeVinci Remix SL3 bikes for rent. These are quality cross-country bikes, purchased new each year, and built to handle the demanding terrain of British Columbia. Price is $249 Cdn for the duration of the trip. This can be booked online when making your initial booking, or added later. We recommend booking your bike rental at least 2 months in advance to ensure we have your size available. Here are the specs:

FORK Marzocchi 44 TST2 140mm w/remote
REAR SHOCK Fox Float RP2
REAR DERAILLEUR SRAM X.9
FRONT DERAILLEUR SRAM X.7
PEDALS Crank Brothers Smarty
FRONT WHEEL Mach 1 MX Disc/DareDevil 15mm/DT Champion
REAR WHEEL Mach 1 MX Disc/Shimano M475/DT Champion
TIRE Maxxis Ignitor 26x2.1"
BRAKES Avid Juicy 3 160mm rotor hydraulic disc

please note: our rental bikes come with flat pedals. If you are used to riding with SPDs, we recommend bringing your pedals and shoes with you - we'll swap the pedals when you arrive.

Travelling with your bike

If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, we recommend one of two options:

1) if you think you may be travelling more than once with your bike, then we recommend purchasing a purpose-made bike bag. This will protect your bike from damages, and makes shlepping your bike around a little bit easier than with a rigid box or cardboard box. We sell beautiful handmade bags by PikaPackworks in the United States. For more information, visit our online store.

2) If you think this is the only trip you'll take with your bike for a while, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Alternately, you can courier your bike to Ski Base in Fernie. For $40 they will take delivery of your bike and assemble it (there is no charge if you don't want them to assemble the bike). We will pick up your bike and have it waiting for you at our lodge. Please visit their website for contact information and notify them in advance that you are shipping your bike, and also notify our office.

What type of bike should you bring?

We recommend you bring a beefy cross-country or light all-mountain bike with you on this trip, with at least 4-5" of travel, and no heavier than 30 pounds since there are several long climbs. A bike with at least 2 chainrings up front is mandatory, as is front suspension.

Spare Parts for your Bike and other gear to bring

Although there are some parts available locally, we recommend you bring the following parts and gear with you to avoid problems in case of breakdown or broken parts:

rear derailleur hanger (at least 1, preferably 2)
extra set of front and rear brake pads
extra chain if your chain is more than 6 months old
4 tubes
4 extra spokes
shock pump
chain lube
multipurpose tool for trailside repair (including chain break)

Assembling your bike when you arrive

We have bike stands and a full toolset available for assembling your bike once you arrive. You can build your bike the night you arrive, or the next morning. We will have a prearranged time for building bikes and our staff are on hand for assistance.

Accommodation

Accommodation during this trip is in beautiful locally-owned lodges and hotels, on a shared basis. You will be paired with a roommate of the same sex for the duration of the trip. If you would like a single room to yourself, you can pay the single supplement fee during the booking process.

Trip Additions

We have a few add-ons that will make your trip even more memorable. These can be added when you make your booking or added later:

post-ride therapeutic massage with a RMT(1 hour): $100 Cdn
extra nights at our lodge in Fernie: $45 Cdn/night/per person/double

Packing List

comfortable clothes for riding, such as biking jerseys and padded shorts. 2+ sets are ideal, 1 is a must.
helmet
bike gloves (2 sets is ideal)
lightweight, weather-resistant outerwear for riding in inclement weather.
warm clothing such as sweaters and fleece jackets and pants for nighttime.
swimwear
sunglasses/eye protection for sunny and/or muddy days.
hydration system that can carry at least 2 litres (bottles and/or Camelbak)
toiletries i.e. toothbrush, shampoo, soap
towel
camera
sunscreen and insect repellent

Weather and Clothing

The weather in the Rocky mountains can be quite cool in the evenings, and at higher altitudes during the day, with lows between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius, so we recommend you bring long pants and a jacket for the evenings. Daytime highs are usually quite warm, with highs between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. We recommend you bring some type of shell to keep you warm and dry at higher altitudes in case of inclement weather.

Connecting With Your Fellow Tour Participants

We have an online forum at our Community Site where you can post a bit about yourself and get to know your fellow tour participants. Studies show that people who get to know their tour mates before hand have 38% more fun, so don't be shy!

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our tours. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our tour (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our tour must be cancelled.

You can purchase discounted comprehensive insurance from World Nomads directly via our site at our insurance page.

Passports & Visas

All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, please contact your local Canadian embassy, or passport office.

Emergency Contacts

If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955
If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our BC office can be contacted at +1.250.278-0364

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Health Requirements

Vaccinations are not required for Canada, and Canada has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Should you experience illness or injury while in Canada, rest assured that you will receive the best care possible.

Fitness Requirements

You should have a high level of fitness and be able to bike for up to six hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip. This is one of our most challenging trips, and you need to be prepared.

We recommend you train in advance of this trip, in order to get the most out of this trip. We have partnered with Fit for Trips to develop customized training programs for you in advance of your trip. We recommend beginning your training at least 2 months prior to your trip. For more information, please visit the Sacred Rides page at Fit for Trips.

Safety & Security

To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

Meals

On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners can be taken in local restaurants or you can use the kitchens at our lodges (from past experience, most groups decide together whether they will eat out or stay in on a particular night). You should budget $10 Cdn per meal prepared in-kitchen, or $15-$20 per dinner in local restaurants (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses

Aside from meals, there are no required additional expenses for this trip, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and Internet cafes.

Laundry

All of the lodges and hotels on this trip have laundry service.

Internet

All of the towns where we are staying have internet cafés, and most of our accommodations also have wireless internet access on-site.

Tipping

Gratuities of 10-20% at restaurants are common in Canada. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity is $20-$100 per guide.

Useful Links

For additional information about traveling in British Columbia, visit:
Tourism BC website
Canadian Tourism Commission website

Currency exchange

The Canadian currency is the Canadian dollar (CAN). For the latest currency exchange information use the Yahoo! Currency Exchange Calculator

Our Guarantee

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a satisfaction guarantee. View more information about our guarantee.