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Taking The Rocky Mountains’ Trail Of Spas And Hot SpringsBy Habeeb Salloum
The Oasis is located in the heart of Calgary, a booming metropolis nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and is one of the city’s premier spa establishments. Over forty practitioners and technicians work together to ensure total physical and mental relaxation after a deep invigorating massage. As well, they are experts at producing the sensual delight of a facial treatment, or the refreshing hydration of a hydrotherapy session.
Westward, we drove on the trans Canada highway through the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, then through the breathtaking scenery of Banff National Park. In about an hour and a half we reached the town of Banff, the birthplace of the spa movement. Here around what is now the Cave and Basin National Historic Site the therapeutic-sulphuric waters gave birth to the town of Banff, the mother of Banff National Park that was established to protect these springs.
From its windows overlooking the thickly pine forested Bow River Valley, into which there has been carved an exhilarating 27-hole golf course, visitors can stand engrossed with the view as if in a dream. Before them is one of the most scenic scenes on earth - an enchanting vista of sky-reaching mountains sculpted by time and ice overlooking an emerald landscape in a picturesque rolling green valley, edged by golf course greens.
From Banff we drove for less than an hour northward to Lake Louise, the crown jewel of Banff National Park, and one of Canada's top mountain resorts. Nestled deep within Banff National Park, the Lake is surrounded by some of the most splendid scenery in the world. The sheer beauty of its 150 m (500 ft) thick glistening glacier, overshadowing its crystal-clear lake, edged by forests of fir and spruce, creates a breathtaking and mystique aura.
Our goal was the spa at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise overlooking the splendid lake. A gigantic 550-room luxury mountain hideaway, it is a luxury abode which some have called a ‘haven of inviting splendour’. In its fairytale setting, the Escape Spa is a place where guests come to relax and be pampered. Many skiers after skiing on the nearby slopes check into one of its 16 treatment rooms for an after-ski massage to rejuvenate and revitalize. A favourite among these conquerors of the ski slopes is the ''Pamper and Powder'' winter package that combines a eucalyptus steam, 45-minute massage and a 45-minute re-hydrating Aveda facial.
As I sat soaking in the Springs’ soothing waters I reflected on my trek through the spa trail in the Canadian Rockies. Asia’s parting words, when I bid her goodbye, “Remember ! Having a massage and soaking in mineral water will keep you young” came to mind. I do not know if the treatments in the Spas keep one young, but from experience in indulging in the Alberta spas, from lavish to ordinary and from pricey to inexpensive, I found that they greatly relieve the stress and of this modern world. If You GoOasis Wellness Centre & Spa, 880 16th Ave SW,
Calgary, AB T2R 1J9. Tel. : 403-216-2747. Ripley Ridge Retreat, 430 85 St SW, Calgary, AB. T3H 4E4. Tel: toll Free (Canada/US) - 877344-3400 or (403) 288-3415. Fax (403) 286-7760. E-mail: at relax@ripleyridge Website: http://www.ripleyridge.com Willow Stream Spa, The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, P.O. Box 960, Banff, Alberta, Canada, T1L 1J4. Email: banffsprings@fairmont.com Tel: 1-800-257-7544 within North America or (506) 863-6310 internationally. Escape Spa, Spa & Health Club, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louis, 111 Lake Louise Dr. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada T0L lE0. Tel: toll free - 1-877 522-3510. E-mail: Escape Spa@theFairmontChateauLakeLouise Health Club, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, P.O. Box 40, Jasper, Alberta, Canada T0E 1E0. Tel: (780) 852-3301. Fax: (780) 852-5107. Email: jasperparklodge@fairmont.com Miette Hot Springs, P.O. BOX 2579, Jasper, Alberta TOE 1E0. Tel: toll free - 1-800-767-1611 or (403) 866-3939. Fax: (403)866-2112. E-mail: hot_springs@pch.gc.ca Website: www.hotsprings.ca |
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I felt totally revived after Asia, my masseuse had finished
giving me an uplifting massage at Calgary’s Oasis Wellness and Spa.
Thanking Asia for her handiwork, I left with a feeling of relaxation and
contentment. The fine massage was to be my introduction to a spa journey that I
was to take through the province of Alberta’s Banff and Jasper National Parks.
If one is not looking for luxury therapy, some Bed and
Breakfast establishments in Calgary offer the basics in spa treatments. We
stopped at such a place: The Ripley Ridge Retreat, located on the western
outskirts of Calgary, next to the Olympic Park. Here, besides country-style food
and rustic rooms, a massage and other spa treatments are offered in a forest
setting to weary travellers. 
For years before they were closed to bathers, the curing
aspects of the Cave and Basin springs became renowned. Today, people still bathe
in these sulphuric waters but higher up at Sulphur Mountain. Currently these
Upper Hot Springs with their modern amenities set in a backdrop of
spectacular alpine scenery, are luring millions of annual bathers. 
We
settled down inside the walls of the Fairmont Springs Hotel, one of the top
tourist abodes in the world. Its spires and turrets, nestled in a storybook
setting, give it the appearance of a majestic fairytale castle and its storybook
setting makes it a true mountain paradise, especially for the affluent.
Here we intended to luxuriate and be pampered in its
Willow Stream Spa, one of the prime spas in Canada - reminiscent of the hot
springs that have beckoned travellers for millennia. Renovated in 2003, the Spa
is at the forefront of the spa industry, offering a world-class European-style
spa experience. A tranquil and opulent world surrounded by fantastic mountain
beauty, the Spa reflects an image of elegance and luxury. Its atmosphere and
serene aura seems to connect with the surrounding landscape, offering sheer
enjoyment and an increase in energy flow.
It has been ranked the number one spa in Canada by Spa
Finders an internationally recognized publication for those looking for premiere
spa vacations where travellers can rejuvenate tired muscles and soothe troubled
spirits. It consists of a tranquil world of 29 treatment areas, 11 calming pools
and whirlpools, complete with waterfalls, saunas, steam rooms and a whole range
of treatments from body scrubs and massages to hydrotherapy sessions and rose
hip wrap - the most in demand. As we relaxed in its large mineral pool before my
massage, my colleague described it well when he remarked, “It’s the mother of
all spas!”
A two-hour drive through some of the most fantastic natural
scenery in the world, we reached Jasper, stopping at its Fairmont Jasper Park
Lodge, noted for its charming cabins and rustic elegance. A true embodiment of
peace, tranquility and natural beauty it has extensive health club facilities.
However since those staying in the Lodge can only use its amenities we opted to
drive to the Mite Hot Springs some 61 km (38 mi) from Jasper. I was enchanted
with the last part of the journey, up the Fiddle Valley, which offered
spectacular mountain views and animals of the wild.
The hottest mineral springs in the Canadian Rockies with a
temperature reaching 54EQ \O(o) C, they have been used by bathers since the 19th
century. Today, their waters have been channelled into two hot pools where the
waters have been cooled to 39EQ \O(o)C. Surrounded by forest and an imposing
mountain backdrop they are popular with both residents and tourists alike.