Berg Lake Trail is a world-famous hiking trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia. It starts near the visitor center and follows the Robson River to Berg Lake, which was originally called Iceberg Lake because it is fed by three glaciers: Robson, Berg and Mist. Mount Robson rises directly above the lake. At 3954 meters, it is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Berg Lake Trail is 23 kilometers long and ends at Robson Pass (1652 m), which also forms the border with Jasper National Park.

Berg Lake Trail

Berg Lake Trail has been on my bucket list for a long time. I've also been thinking about trying to hike solo for a while. Since the trail is well developed and extremely popular, it seems to be just right for a first backpacking trip where I am on my own, but not alone.

I manage to book three nights at Berg Lake campground which gives me two days to explore the area. If the weather is good, the day hike to Snowbird Pass should be an absolute highlight.

I leave home early in the morning. The weather is fine and Mount Robson shows itself in all its glory. Towards the end of the drive, its massive form is rising in front of me and looks so overwhelming that I feel a little anxious about whether everything will go well. I turn off to the visitor center, because I have to pick up my permit and watch the obligatory introductory video before I can set out for the campground at Kinney Lake, seven kilometers away.

Mount Robson 3954 m

The visitor center is very busy, but I quickly get my permit, which I have to attach to my tent at every campsite. The introductory video is running nonstop, and since I've already seen it on the Internet at home, I'm quickly on my way to the trailhead, two kilometers away. The parking lot is overcrowded as well, but I find a spot on the side of the road and squeeze my car in between two others. Once that's done, I finally get going.

The trail begins with a bridge and then heads upstream on the left side of the Robson River. It is wide and very well maintained as it is used by many day hikers and also open for biking to Kinney Lake. It leads through the forest and is only slightly uphill at first, but after about half an hour a steeper climb begins, where I start panting because of my heavy backpack. There is a constant roar coming from the Robson River, and now and then its water shimmers through the trees to my right.

After about four kilometers I cross a bridge over the outflow of Kinney Lake. From here the trail narrows and follows the northeastern shore of the lake. A picnic table overlooking the beautiful blue lake invites you to linger.

Kinney Lake and Whitehorn Mountain 3395 m

But I don't stay long and soon reach Kinney Lake campground at kilometer seven.

Kinney Lake campground

The campground has 14 sites, many of them next to the shore. I find a particularly nice one, right on the water and shielded from the trail by some trees and bushes. In spite of the short distance, I have worked up a sweat. Since the weather is so nice, I wash my T-shirts on the first day and hang them up to dry in the sun.

There is a large picnic shelter where I prepare my food and chat with a few other hikers. A woman about my age, who is traveling with her whole family, immediately includes me when she hears that I'm hiking alone.

In the evening I enjoy the soft light of the lowering sun over the lake and take pictures of one of my favorite subjects: cotton grass in bloom.

In the morning I am the first one on the trail. It runs northwest along the north end of Kinney Lake to the open gravel flats where the Robson River flows into the lake. You can walk directly along the water or take the upper trail. Since the water level is quite high and the lower trail is for horseback riders, I chose the steep trail through the forest.

Gravel flats of the Robson River delta

Robson River - looking upstream

A narrow log bridge spans the Robson River, which continues through an alluvial plain. The trail then climbs steeply up Whitehorn Hill, offering one last view of Kinney Lake and a glimpse of the Valley of a Thousand Falls ahead. Then it's back down to the river.

Looking back to Kinney Lake

Distinct peak rising over the Valley of the Thousand Falls

Shortly before reaching Whitehorn campground, I cross the Robson River on an adventurous-looking suspension bridge to get back to the east bank of the river.

Whitehorn campground has 22 sites, most of which are right on the river. Like Kinney Lake campground, this campground has a covered open-air shelter. It is very busy here as most campers are having breakfast. The campground is just as beautiful as the one at Kinney Lake and I could have easily reached it on the first day. I make a note of it for a future tour.

I continue north through the Valley of the Thousand Falls. The valley lives up to its name with numerous waterfalls cascading down its steep walls.

Valley of the Thousand Falls

Another suspension bridge brings me back to the west bank of the Robson River. The next three and a half kilometers through the Robson River gorge are the steepest on the whole trip to Berg Lake, with 450 m of elevation gain.

Grouse

In addition to the many hikers, there is also a grouse on the trail.

I take a break at the White Falls and the Falls of the Pool and enjoy the view of the waterfalls.

This is the first view of Mount Robson. The mountain rises so high above its surroundings that it makes its own weather.

Band of clouds at the summit of Mount Robson

At 60 meters, the Emperor Falls are the most spectacular waterfall on the trail. A small trail leads down to the viewpoint. It is steep and washed out and also very wet and slippery due to the constant spray from the falls. I leave my heavy backpack in the bushes before climbing down the most difficult part of the track.

Emperor Falls

The falls are enormous. Giant masses of water thunder past me and I get showered whether I like it or not. To avoid getting too much spray on my camera lens, I take the pictures from a respectful distance. Another hiker reaches the falls, so that we can take photos of each other in front of the roaring wall of water.

Emperor Falls campground

Shortly after, I pass Emperor Falls campground. It has only 9 sites and no shelter. I have reached an elevation of 1630 meters and the main ascent is done. From here it's only a gentle climb, first to the north, then to the east. I reach the rocky terrain of the upper Robson River valley. The mighty massif of Mount Robson dominates the view.

First glimpse of Berg Glacier

For the first time, the gleaming white ice of Berg Glacier, which flows down from Mount Robson into Berg Lake, appears between the mountain slopes ahead. A little later I reach Marmot campground at an altitude of 1645 meters. Here begins or ends the round trip to Hargreaves Glacier and Mumm Basin. I have planned it as a day trip. Today I stay on the main trail, which brings me to Berg Lake and continues along its northwest shore.

On the other side of the lake, the glacier now shows itself in all its beauty. It is said to occasionally calve icebergs the size of motorhomes.

Berg Glacier

3954-meter-high Mount Robson towers an incredible 2316 meters above the lake.

Mount Robson and Mist Glacier

Berg Lake and glacier

I reach Berg Lake campground at kilometer 21 from the trailhead. It has 26 campsites and a rustic cabin from the 1920s with picnic tables and a wood stove, the Hargreaves Shelter. The campground is always full and the sites are pretty close together. The best site with a view of Berg Lake and Mount Robson is already taken. I find a nice spot on the other side of Toboggan Creek, where there are only a few campsites and it is a bit quieter. A small bridge now separates me from the cabin and the lake access, but I have a view of Mount Robson from here if I take just two steps to the right of my tent.

My campsite is "furnished", which means it has a table and chairs made from logs. I can cook right in front of my tent and avoid the crowded cabin.

In the evening a thunderstorm is coming down. I have to interrupt cooking and eating a few times to seek shelter in my tent. The thunder echoes loudly and eerily from the mountain. I stay dry, that's the main thing.

The next morning I am greeted by a blue sky with just a few clouds. Before breakfast I walk over to Berg Lake and admire Mount Robson and the lake in the most beautiful morning light.

Today I will visit Mumm Basin and Hargreaves Glacier. I follow the main trail in a northeasterly direction. After one kilometer I pass Rearguard campground. With only 5 campsites, it is the smallest and quietest of the campgrounds, but it has no shelter. The campsites are located in the trees above the gravel fields down by the inflow of the lake.

Passing the turnoff to Snowbird Pass - my planned tour for tomorrow - and a rangers' cabin, I continue for another two kilometers to the last campground on Berg Lake Trail, Robson Pass campground. It has 15 campsites and a lean-to made of logs and a tarp, where a few hikers are having breakfast. This campground is often visited by groups and hikers flown in by helicopter. Mountaineers also camp here, a little further off in a gravel field.

The steep trail to Mumm Basin begins at Robson Pass campground. The Mumm alpine basin extends below Mumm Peak and faces Mount Robson on the other side of the valley. First I walk through the forest, where some beautiful harebells are still wet with morning dew. Soon I reach the tree line and have a clear view of Rearguard Mountain. Nearby Mount Robson hides its summit in dense clouds.

Rearguard Mountain 2744 m

The tongue of Robson Glacier juts out from behind Rearguard Mountain.

Robson Glacier

Robson Glacier und glacier lake

My route swings briefly into Jasper National Park before returning to Mount Robson Provincial Park. The main trail at Robson Pass campground would take you past Alphonsus Lake and deeper into Jasper National Park. That trail is a section of the Great Continental Divide Trail, a long-distance wilderness trail that crosses the highest passes in the Canadian Rockies.

A deer suddenly steps out of the bushes and startles me. It looks at me calmly. A little distance away, a pretty butterfly sits on a sunny rock.

The terrain is now very rocky and I am surrounded by rugged mountain slopes.

I am approaching the highest point so far on this trip. The view of Mount Robson and Berg Lake is getting better and better.

Mumm Basin Summit is at an altitude of 2150 meters.

I take a long break and admire the view.

I continue towards Toboggan Creek and Hargreaves Glacier. The name of the creek is misspelled on the wooden sign, but it is nicely done and more rustic than the usual tin version.

I reach a junction. To the right the trail climbs steeply up to a cave, to the left down to Tobbogan Falls and straight on to my destination, Heargreaves Glacier. Before crossing Tobbogan Creek, I walk down part of the Tobbogan Trail to get an impression of the falls. It's a cascading waterfall that comes out at Berg Lake campground.

The trail is now losing elevation, but the view of Mount Robson and Berg Lake is still with me.

A steep side trail leads me to Hargreaves Glacier and its lake. Although the sky is blue, the glacial landscape with its many shades of grey and beige looks a little bleak to me.

Hargreave Glacier

Glacier lake

Eventually, the trail takes a steep descent back to the main trail, which I join near Marmot campground. Even though it wasn't too long a hike, I'm glad when I get back to my tent at Berg Lake campground. I make myself comfortable in my rustic kitchen and sit down to enjoy dinner.

Three fellow campers pitch their tent right next to mine. Here, too, the campsites are very close together and the quiet is over for now. But it's nothing compared to the hustle and bustle at Berg Lake and the cabin.

Later I enjoy some spectacular evening light at the lakeshore.

I continue to be lucky with the weather and wake up to a clear blue sky and absolutely no wind - perfect conditions for my long hike to Snowbird Pass. But first I head over to Berg Lake to capture the unique panorama in this magnificent light.

I leave at about 8 o'clock and follow the main trail to the Snowbird Pass turnoff. From there the Snowbird route winds around Rearguard Mountain and towards Robson Glacier. I look back to the Robson River valley and Whitehorn Mountain.

Whitehorn Mountain

The tongue of Robson Glacier appears in front of me.

Robson Glacier

About a hundred years ago, the glacier reached up to where I stand today. Like most glaciers, it has melted considerably since then.

As always, I am fascinated by the cotton grass that grows lush here and appears to shimmer in the sunlight.

Cotton grass

I am approaching the Robson glacial lake with an iceberg floating in the middle of it. This is where the Robson River originates.

Robson glacial lake

Mountain Fireweed makes a particularly nice foreground for the now fully visible glacier.

At this point the trail leaves the glacier and the Mount Robson mountaineering route. It climbs to the left through a pile of boulders and into an area where the mountain caribou calve. For this reason the trail is closed in May and June. After passing through the rocks, the trail winds along the steep edge above the glacier. Good thing it's secured with a rope.

From the top of the terminal moraine, the view of the glacier is even more fascinating.

No one else is out this early, so I have to take a selfie here.

The trail now climbs steadily through flowering alpine meadows.

Looking back over the meadows

Soon I leave most vegetation behind and am surrounded only by boulders. Some enthusiasts have built two chairs out of the rocks. I will rest here on the way back.

Climbing up is starting to make me pant. It still looks like a long way to the pass.

Snowbird Pass ahead

Finally I reach the top. I am overwhelmed by the fantastic view of the Reef Icefield and the surrounding mountains.

I take a long break because there is no wind and it is warm.

Eventually I have to tear myself away from the magnificent scenery and make my way back down to the valley. On the way down I keep facing Mount Robson and the glacier. I can't resist and take countless more pictures. I meet other hikers on their way to Snowbird Pass.

I take many more breaks on the way because I can't get enough of the views. Besides, I'm in no hurry to get back to the overly busy campground.

During the night there is another thunderstorm with heavy rain and rumbling thunder. In the morning it looks like more rain. What luck I've had! I won't mind a few showers on the way back to Kinney Lake today.

I pack up my tent and get ready to leave. As I pass the Hargreaves Shelter it starts to rain - a good occasion to take a look inside. It's crowded, noisy and quite dark. On the porch I take out my rain poncho. With the help of another hiker I pull it over me and my backpack. Now I look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I stay dry under the cape and don't sweat like I would in a rain jacket.

Soon the rain stops and I can fully enjoy the way back past the Emperor Falls and through the Valley of a Thousand Falls.

Emperor Falls

On the way I think about skipping the last night at Kinney Lake and going home today. But the weather is getting so nice again that I rather finish the tour with a relaxing afternoon and evening at the lake. No need to hurry.

On the last day of the trip the sun is shining again. I cover the few kilometers to the trailhead quickly, and since I'm early, I don't meet any hikers until the very end.

At the visitor center I take a last look at Mount Robson, which is again cloudless today and under a blue sky. I call home from a phone booth as there is no cell phone reception here in the shadow of the high mountains.

My first solo tour was a complete success and I hope that it will be the starting point for many more backpacking trips to come.