One of the popular summer pastimes of visitors to Banff is hiking. In the Lake Louise area, shorter hikes are the norm. However, one longer hike promises at its end a bit of a prize; some very good tea .

Standing at the foot of Lake Louise, if you scout the area with a good pair of binoculars, you may see a small wooden building with a red roof to the right of the lake, very high above. This is one of the fabled mountain 'Tea Houses'. The only ways to reach them are by foot, horseback, or helicopter .

There are two tea houses on the mountain. The Lake Agnes tea house is the red roofed one, and The Plane Of Six Glaciers tea house, which is the one described in this Entry.

If you decide to make the trek towards the tea house, be aware of what you're up against. The trail is six kilometres long, and has a total change in elevation of 1,200 feet. Though this is often described as a moderate trail for experienced hikers, be forewarned that at the lake you are already at an elevation of 5,500 feet. This