down into the valley below. This campsite was a far more basic affair and didn’t have power hook-ups for the vans, but as most things ran from gas and the van was equipped with three batteries this just meant that the only things which we couldn’t use were the microwave and the air conditioning - what a tragedy!! Soon after arriving we were treated to the only snowfall whilst in the Rockies, albeit a very brief and light affair!! We headed off up a nearby valley for a good couple of hours walk to get the old blood pumping, and then headed back to the vans for another top scran and another late night up drinking with Mr Chapman. Hmmm, a pattern was starting to develop here - but then what did we expect after not seeing each other for so long!!

The next morning saw me Ruth, me and a couple of very excited children splashing around in the river and generally having a good time before heading off

to see the ****Athabasca**** Glacier. After driving through yet more amazing scenery, including a look at the Crowfoot glacier, so called because it once had three toes - glacial retreat has seen the disappearance of one of them. We had lunch in the car park of the Icefields visitor centre, definitely a contender for the “car park with the best view in the world” competition!! There was a trail up to the ****Athabasca**** glacier, and in contrast to the New Zealand ones, the glacier ended without a towering face, so it was possible to step onto the ice itself. The fact that numerous signs warned of the many dangers of this didn’t stop some people who shall remain nameless!! On the way back Ellie had a major tantrum because she had to carry her own coat - oh how life is hard when you’re 3½!!

Next stop was Jasper, the other major National Park center in the Canadian Rockies. Arriving