Track beauty - a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer

My hands are bitterly cold and my eyes ache from staring at acarpet of green alpine forest. I’m two hours in to what I like to call BearWatch.

I’m standing at the back of the Rocky Mountaineer train in arattling open-air viewing vestibule, eagerly waiting and hoping for a bearsighting.

Just hours earlier over a sumptuous smoked salmon breakfast I wasgrilling Canadian guests on the likelihood ofa grizzly sighting. Some laughedat the prospect and shot down my hopes; others smiled politely and in truekind-Canadian fashion said it was a possibility. Of course, I sided with thelocals who kept my dream alive.

Well-fed and happy, I left the dining car and headed to my seat onthe upper floor of the dome carriage – one feature of Rocky Mountaineer’sGoldLeaf Service – for a relaxed morning of scenery watching.

I hit the recliner button to slump me back, followed by the footrest switch, leaving me almost horizontal.

Next, I played with the seat temperature gauge to ensure my bottomwas warm and toasty. “Perfect,” I sighed, and it really was.

There were stunning sights from all angles – looking up through thetransparent roof of the dome I enjoyed endless vistas of mountain tops mergingwith fluffy clouds; to my side were views of quaint Canadian towns and villagesdotted along streams and rivers. Everything was peaceful and still.

But the serenity of doing nothing changed the moment our guideinformed passengers that we were rolling into bear territory. My heart skippeda beat (I’m not being overdramatic – I have a little heart condition whichflares when I’m excited).

I was captivated by our guide’s tales of an infamous grizzly calledBoss, aptly named because he ferociously rules his kingdom, roaming the areaand killing other bears who dare to cross his path. With a team of fellow bearspotters (other eager young journos) by my side, we’d left the comfort of ourseats and headed to the open-air platform. The brisk Canadian May winds broughtan instant chill to my bones and the effects of that warm seat faded far tooquickly.

FALSE ALARMS

“BEAR,” I shout, scrambling for my camera. News of a possible sightingquickly spreads through the dome.

But it’s a false alarm, our guide quickly informs us, as ittranspires my so-called bear was actually a bush (although I still firmlybelieve it was a bear). Other sightings don’t disappoint. As the train cutsthrough picturesque mountain ranges we spot bald eagles, elks and ospreys.

After what feels like a lifetime of waiting to spot a bear, Iretreat to the comfort of the dome car to warm up.

It’s here I realise there was no need to leave my seat in the firstplace, as the glass dome surrounding me is perfectly adequate for bearspotting.

Noticing I’m a little deflated by my unsuccessful bear mission, amember of staff rushes over with a Baileys

on the rocks; she’d remembered I’d ordered one on the train the previousday. “Need to drown your sorrows a little ” she asks with a smile.

Thanking her, I take a sip and stare wistfully out the window.Peace returns to the Rocky Mountaineer for a few moments.

“Bear on the left, bear on the left!” shouts our guide as she runsto grab the mic. Everyone on board jumps to the left side of the train and wegawp in anticipation.

As excited exclamations echo from the front of the train it becomesclear that this time it’s not a false

alarm – after hours of straining my eyes to filter through thefoliage, I’m finally about to see a bear.

This enormous and hugely impressive creature is perched on allfours just metres from the train track. Cheers erupt from passengers young andold; the bear, completely unperturbed, turns his head as if to check what allthe fuss is about.

Emotions come flooding in (can I blame the Baileys for this ) andI’m slightly overcome at what I’ve seen.

ADVENTURE AHEAD

My journey on Rocky Mountaineer started a day earlier in Vancouver.From the moment you pitch up at the station, you know something special is instore. Bagpipes blast as guests chime glasses to toast the adventure that liesahead.

The journey to Banff lasts two days, and unlike many train journeysaround the world, passengers don’t sleep on board. Instead they disembark everyday and head to a local hotel.

The scenery is starkly different on each day. On the first stage ofthe journey, between Vancouver and Kamloops (where we make an overnight stop),it is dryand desert-like, almost barren, but still incredibly pretty.

The second day is the highlight. The dusty red plains of theprevious day make way for lush green forests filled with gigantic spruces allfighting to be the tallest. Snow-peaked, majestic mountains merge into one another,providing the perfect backdrop as we criss-cross through the Rockies. We followstreams through the mountain range, the water so clear that theadrenaline-filled kayakers appear to be floating on air.

I automatically reach for my phone, keen to share photos on socialmedia as the train zips through the country into more remote areas. It’s onlythen I remember there’s no Wi-Fi, no phone signal, no interference from theoutside world. It’s just you, the train and your surroundings. And it’sactually a breath of fresh (mountain) air. Time to sit back and enjoy theexperience – social media can wait.

The beauty continues through to our final stop in beautiful BanffNational Park – a haven for outdoorsy types, who can get close to nature bycanoeing along the beautiful blue waters of the Bow River, or head to the peakof Sulphur Mountain for sweeping views across the park.

Then there’s heavenly Lake Louise. Just a 40-minute drive fromBanff, this place is worth a visit at any time of year. Nestled betweenmountains, the lake, when thawed, is famed for its glistening blue and emeraldwaters and is a playground for kayakers.

But I visited in the spring, when the water was still just frozenenough to walk from one side of the lake to the other.

With the lake edges thawing a little, I felt like a daredevil as Isprinted across and posed for pics jumping in the air, ignoring the thought offalling into the freezing waters below.

Spending two days in Banff I fell in love with my surroundings, butquickly realised that I missed the service and comfort of Rocky Mountaineer.

Train travel – with beautiful scenery, mouth-watering breakfastsand lunches, and the most exquisite service – has tobe the most romantic formof travel. I certainly left a piece of my heart in the Canadian Rockies.

BOOK IT

Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West Classicitineraryleads in at £1,633 per person in GoldLeaf Service. rockymountaineer.com