When it comes to climbing, efficiency and speed make a big difference in both safety and enjoyment. Applying some tools of the trade can help you achieve both of these. With the advice of top-notch climbers, Abby Cooper rounds up some of the best climbing hacks that’ll make your rock world operate a little smoother.

Ten years ago I was a total mountain newbie. The ‘hut life’ was the ultimate dream, and one I probably trampled through without knowing it. Here’s why: the quintessential hut experience – the kind of backcountry trip we all idealize – depends on a mostly unspoken etiquette in order to retain its sacredness among outdoor enthusiasts. Call these my own hard-learned lessons or (now) pet-peeves, here are ten sure-fire ways to break the code and attract some serious stink eye.

Once bustling centres of industry, these townsites were filled with dreamers and doers, plans and prospects. Today, very little remains of them all.

Many ski towns once started with an entirely different industry in mind: mining. Abby Cooper clips in to explore the relics of the mines in Fernie and Kimberley, B.C., linking turns as much as linking together the stories of a bygone era.

High up on the flanks of Fossil Ridge in Yoho National Park lies the Burgess Shale Formation, a bed of rock so significant it has been catapulted to international acclaim. Why? Perfectly preserved amidst those layers of black shale are rare and ancient specimens that give us clues about the history of life – and help us make sense of life as we know it today.

“We don’t always think of our own local history as necessarily being of any greater importance than just to whoever is living here at the time.” Colleen Skidmore, curator of This Wild Spirit at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, gives us insights into the legacy of the women who were pioneering explorers in the Rockies and why their trials and triumphs still resonate with us today.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of Banff Avenue with the original establishments and shops? Or how modern ski events compare to those from fifty years ago? This winter we teamed up with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to discover just that in our #RockiesThrowback series: the settings, people, and events that made up Canadian Rockies mountain culture of long-gone eras and shaped our culture into what it is today.

The Banff National Park East Gate holds a special significance for many people who come through it. And thanks to Annie Staple, there is an importance not only to the protected lands that lay beyond, but also to the history of the gates and the timber archway that once indicated the park’s eastern boundary. Here is the remarkable story of the park’s first gatekeeper, and why you should take a moment to think of Annie the next time you pass through.

If there’s a buzzword around Banff these days it’s busy. But instead of bracing yourself, embrace everything Banff has to offer – from off-the-beaten-track hikes to the chance to be a real ambassador if you’re lucky to call Banff home. Here are six ways to make the most of it!

Women are going harder, faster and farther in adventure sports today, and they’re blazing wider trails in the Canadian Rockies. With the support of regional businesses, it’s part of a revolution sparked by some gutsy, ponytail-clad pioneers. Writer John Reid digs into why women are looking for gender-specific experiences and recommends seven women-only, Rockies-based programs.

Guidebook, handbook, history, photography: the canon of Canadian Rockies literature is vast – just like the mountain range that has inspired it. And while no list is ever quite complete, we’ve curated a selection of mountain literature that belongs on the bookshelves of every Rockies enthusiast.

We asked our readers what their favourite ways were to enjoy the beauty of Canada’s Mountain Parks. We received over 500 submissions with answers of all kinds, from summit picnic spots to the best frozen waterfalls to climb. Looking for your next adventure? Scan this list for ideas that come from passionate, outdoorsy people who get out there the most.