Climbing Equipment & Clothing

Alberta and the Canadian Rockies have numerous places where you can purchase and rent climbing equipment.  Here are some of the local favorites:

Gear Up Sports – Canmore – Climbing and outdoor rentals, including ice climbing & mountaineering boots, rock shoes and much more. Located in downtown Canmore.

Vertical Addictions – Canmore – This locally owned shop is the best place to buy climbing and backcountry skiing gear in the Bow Valley.

Mountain Equipment Company (MEC) – Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver – Canada’s biggest gear store with everything you need for the outdoors.

Switching Gear – Canmore – An excellent used/consignment gear store with lots of climbing equipment and clothing. Located at 718 – 10th Street, Canmore, Alberta.

Gravity Gear – Jasper – A great climbing shop just off main street in Jasper. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. They have a large selection of climbing gear for sale as well as rental gear. This is the place to go if coming into the Rockies from Edmonton or further north.

Places to Stay

All of the mountain towns in the Rockies have numerous options for places to stay including campgrounds, low-priced hostels, moderately priced hotels and lots of luxury suites, hotels, cabins, condo rentals, etc.

HI Hostels – There are numerous hostels located throughout the Rockies. The Alpine Club’s HI Hostel is the closest to Canmore, there is also one in Banff, Lake Louise, Nordegg and a bunch along the Icefields Parkway and around Jasper. The hostels on the Icefields Parkway are an excellent place to base out of for ice climbing trips to areas like the Weeping Wall and Polar Circus. Cost is about $40 per person per night. Reservations may be needed, especially if you want to be there on a weekend.

Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge (Canmore) – a popular motel with climbers & skiers. Nice rooms & good rates. Rooms with kitchenettes are available.

Hotels – The Canmore/Banff area has an endless supply of hotels for all price-ranges, an internet search will reveal tons of options.

Campgrounds – There are dozens, if not hundreds, of campgrounds in the Canadian Rockies. In mid-summer the Canmore/Banff area ones can fill up on weekends but the rest of the time it is usually easy to find a site.

Groceries & Services

Canmore: Two large supermarkets, Safeway & Save-on Foods, are located side by side along Railway Avenue. As well, there are numerous smaller stores, bakeries and coffee shops scattered around the small downtown area. If you prefer to go out, the selection of pubs, restaurants, bars and fine dining is enormous for such a small town.

Banff: Banff has a Safeway and other smaller grocery stores offering everything you could need. As with Canmore, Banff has an endless selection of places to eat out.

Jasper: Although smaller than Banff or Canmore, Jasper still has all services including two grocery stores, specialty shops and lots of places to eat out or have a drink.

Lake Louise: Although quite small, it does have gas, a small selection of over-priced groceries, accommodations and a few nice pubs and restaurants.

Other Services

Elevation Place – Canmore’s awesome recreation facility with a climbing gym, swimming pools, fitness rooms, classes and a library.