What to wear on the ice at Abraham Lake
Abraham Lake in winter is cold and open, and the wind has a long valley to build speed in. On a tour you stand and lie on bare ice between long stretches in a heated van. None of the four tours lends clothing, so this is the kit we would pack, from skin to shell.
How cold the lake gets
Daytime at Abraham Lake in winter often sits around −10 to −20 °C (14 to −4 °F). Wind chill makes that feel colder, and a cold snap can push the air far lower for days.
The lake fills a long valley east of the Icefields Parkway, and wind often pours down it with nothing in the way. Out on bare ice there is no shelter at all, so the wind matters more than the figure on the forecast.
You also spend hours in a warm van between stops. The trick is layers you can open and close quickly, not one enormous coat you sweat in. Our guide to when the bubbles are clearest covers the coldest weeks of the winter.
Layers on top, from skin to shell
Build the upper body in four thin steps rather than two thick ones. You can then peel off a layer on the snowshoe up to a viewpoint and add it back on the lake.
- A base layer of merino wool or synthetic fabric, never cotton
- A fleece or light down mid layer
- An insulated jacket with a hood that fits over a hat
- A windproof shell, unless the insulated jacket already blocks wind
Cotton holds sweat, and damp cotton turns cold the moment you stop moving. Wool and synthetics keep some warmth when damp, which helps after a climb in the snow.
Legs and feet
Insulated ski or snow pants over thermal leggings do the job well. Jeans are the classic mistake, since they soak through at the knees and stiffen once you kneel on the ice.
Most visitors end up lying flat on the lake for a photo, so waterproof pants pay off. Snow melts under your knees and elbows, and wet fabric at −15 °C feels miserable within minutes.
Boots should be insulated and waterproof, with room for a thick wool sock without squeezing your toes. Tight boots slow the blood flow, and cold feet follow fast.
A good rubber sole helps on the walk from the parking area, but no ordinary boot grips polished lake ice. That job belongs to cleats or crampons, covered below.
Hands and face
Small gaps let the cold in faster than anything else on a windy lake. Pack these and wear them from the moment you leave the van.
- A warm hat that covers your ears fully
- A neck warmer you can pull up over your nose
- Thin liner gloves for working a camera or phone
- Insulated mittens or gloves to wear over the liners
- Sunglasses, because low sun on ice and snow throws hard glare
Two pairs of gloves sound fussy until you try to change a camera setting in thick mittens. Pull the mittens off, shoot in the liners, and put the mittens back before your fingertips go numb.
Cold first bites exposed skin such as the nose and fingertips. If a patch turns pale or loses feeling, cover it and warm it slowly; the frostbite article lists the early signs.
What each tour hands out
None of the four tours lends coats or boots, so all of the clothing above comes out of your own bag. What three of them do supply is grip for your feet.
- Vancouver Journey from ~$78 gives out free crampons, plus hot coffee or tea
- Radventures from ~$187 supplies ice cleats or crampons, hiking poles and hot drinks
- Top Choice Tours from ~$121 includes ice cleats in winter, with snacks and drinks
- Rockies Journey from ~$93 lists water, snacks and hot drinks in winter, but the listing says nothing about cleats
If you book Rockies Journey, ask the operator about cleats or buy a pair of slip-on ones before the trip. Whichever tour you take, try the cleats on your boots inside the van, because fiddling with straps in the wind eats into your time on the lake.
Want poles and cleats waiting for you?
Radventures keeps the group to ten, supplies cleats or crampons with hiking poles, and serves hot drinks between stops. It costs more than twice what the vans charge, and there is no pickup in Calgary or Canmore.
Phones and batteries in the cold
Phone batteries drain fast in deep cold, and a phone showing 60% can switch itself off after a few minutes on the ice. Keep it in an inside pocket against your body and bring it out only to shoot.
A small power bank in the same pocket helps, and so does a charging cable for the ride home. If a dead phone wakes up once it warms, the battery was cold rather than empty. Our seven photo tips cover cameras in the cold in more detail.
The rest of the day bag
A tour day runs from about 7.5 to 13 hours depending on the operator and pickup town, so pack for the whole stretch, not only the lake. Food and water run out long before the drive home does.
- A packed lunch, since Vancouver Journey makes no restaurant stop and Nordegg, the closest place to eat, lies roughly half an hour from the lake
- A water bottle (Radventures refills it)
- Hand and toe warmers
- Spare socks and liner gloves in a dry bag
- Cash for the guide tip, listed as CA$15 on the two big vans
- Lip balm and sunscreen for the glare
Good clothing cannot promise bubbles. Fresh snow can hide the ice and wind or a warm spell can change it overnight, so read how the bubbles form and our ice safety guide before you go. The price comparison lists which extras each tour leaves to you.