Canada

The Canadian Rockies provide a mountain playground unlike anything else in Canada. The sheer accessibility provides opportunities for hikers and and climbers of all ability levels to explore the grandeur of Banff National Park at their own pace.

I arrived in Banff National Park on September 11th. The crisp mountain air and 1600 meters in elevation gain left me breathless after only a short walk down to Lake Louise. I wish I had savored that first view for just a moment longer. The snow-capped peaks of Mount Victoria, Lefroy, and Fairview providing incredible contrast to the crystal blue waters of Lake Louise. The Rockies are unlike anything I had seen in the Himalayas. Their beauty more subtle. Rather than towering peaks whose scale I still have trouble grasping, Banff emphasized contrast at every corner. The white peaks with the green forest. Vibrant lakes with seemingly never-ending alpine meadows. That contrast would become my photographic focus over the next 6 months.