Climbing up to the Big Beehive in Banff

The past couple of months have been wild. As you may have already known, I quit my job in Toronto and relocated to Copenhagen, for the MBA opportunity at Copenhagen Business School starting next month. Before leaving Canada, it would be such a shame without visiting one of the most coveted national parks in the world, Banff and Jasper in Alberta, Canada.

There have been lots of stunning experiences throughout the whole trip, but the one I would like to highlight and share with you is the real strenuous hike up to the Big Beehive in the Banff National Park (well, challenging enough for me!) and some breathtaking view from the top!

We started the hike from a parking lot before reaching Lake Louise (unfortunately, or as expected, we could not get a space in the Lake Louise parking lot), first reached Lake Louise, then followed the trail and hiked up to Mirror Lake, and arrived at Lake Agnes. Then we continued to the big beehive from the Lake Agnes, through the snake-shaped back-and-forth trail all the way up! The elevation gained per kilometer hiked is almost as 4 times as what I consider as a normal trail (such as the segment from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes). See below my journey and hiking stats.

Even though I started exercising two weeks before the trip, given the expectations that there would be some hiking in a nature exploration tour, I was far from being ready for the big beehive. The snake-shaped road almost “killed” me - the sharp inclination and constant continuation really challenged me. Upon finishing each segment, I could not help but asking, “how many are left here?” Until I reached the realization that such counting is pointless, because it neither made the excursion easier, nor did it provide it me with extra motivation. “Do we turn back?” Lars asked. It would be dishonest to say that I was not considering; after all, feeling happy and comfortable to me is more than conquering some whatever achievement. I looked down, seeing the curved trails I had already done, and up, not sure how many more were there to go.

Suddenly I remembered a story of a near-death experience I had read somewhere, about the determination of my after-life depends on how many different experiences I have had during this life. Every distinct experience is a token, which accumulates happiness. I am not religious or superstitious, but somehow the story got stuck in my head subconsciously. Perhaps because it conforms to one of mine inherit beliefs, the story motivates me to be open, curious, and excited to explore various experiences in the world - let it be small such as reading a book in a different genre, or big as experiencing different countries and making friends with people from all over the world. I believe it adds some colors to this life.

So decisions made. I wanted to complete this challenging yet doable journey. I stopped counting and instead focused on each and every step that I was taking. I silently repeated the words in my head, “one step at a time,” like some spells to push through my legs and lift up my spirit! And, here it came. We arrived.

A stunning view from the top overseeing Lake Louise.