The Bell Jet Ranger’s rotary blades were spinning just feet above my head as I jumped out of the helicopter and, holding on to my cap for dear life, ran towards a rock short distance away.

Moments later, the  chopper took off, and soon disappeared from view. I looked around. I was alone on a mountain top,  7,000 ft up in the Rockies with nothing but a Frenchman, his Japanese-Canadian friend and our Canadian tour guide, Jennifer, for company.

“How’s that for a view, guys?” she asked with a smile.

It was truly awe-inspiring. The cold air was perfectly still and there was no sign of man to be seen. To all intents and purposes we could have touched down on a virgin wilderness; indeed, we could have been the first humans to step on the mountain’s snow-packed plateau.

Twenty minutes earlier I’d taken off in a helicopter that had whisked my new friends and I into the heart of a wilderness area of the Rockies that would have taken a good day to reach if we’d set off by foot from the David Thompson Highway far below. That’s the joy of heli-hiking: it takes you straight into the heart of wilderness country, the likes of which are just about impossible to find in much of the Western world today.

As we hiked down the mountain side, the snow began to thin out -- and Jennifer pointed out some of the flora such as snow lichen. A little bit further on we came across some stunted, waist-high little fir trees.

We crossed snow line. “This is a Juniper bush,” said Jennifer, stopping to touch its blue and white berries. Then, 500 ft down, we reached an alpine meadow dotted with pretty flowers and Larchpole pine, and, for the first time, began to feel the sun’s warmth.

Over the next three hours we got to see all sorts of flora, and Jennifer pointed out the wildlife and the various animal droppings. What’s more, on the helicopter ride back to base, we spotted a brown bear below sitting by a creek, relaxing in the summer sunshine.

I’ve travelled to Western Canada -- Alberta and British Columbia -- a dozen times or more over the years. It’s an incredibly special part of the world, one of those few places that really lives up to the hype, as anyone who’s ever been there cannot fail to appreciate. Going heli-hiking was just one of many highlights of my trips across the pond.

Another  was catching The Canadian -- Via Rail’s flagship train -- from Edmonton to Vancouver.

Fifty miles west of Edmonton our train passed Wabamun Lake -- so calm it was named after the Cree for mirror -- before hitting the Rockies’ foothills.   Suddenly, the mountains came into view, and I made my way to the observation car to capture this magical moment.

Over the next few hours, our train snaked its way past jagged snow-capped peaks, gorges, lakes and waterfalls, as it was hauled ever higher by its three giant diesels, each of which was powerful enough to supply a small town’s electricity needs, according to a guard.

But it wasn’t just the scenery that was breathtaking, so was the wildlife – we got to see everything from elk to eagles, and beavers to deer.
Indeed, it’s not unusual to see elk and mule deer stroll down the high street in Jasper, the mountain resort that was our last stop before we were due to pull into Vancouver the next morning.

The 143-mile-long Icefields Parkway, which traverses the Rockies, linking Banff with Jasper, is the nearest to a motoring equivalent of taking the train journey. And the breathtaking views of the mountains which line the road are just one of the perks of the drive. You can also stop off to see famous landmarks like the turquoise-coloured Lake Louise -- or take a trip across the Columbia Ice field.

Of course, British Columbia is every bit as beautiful as its neighbouring province, and is perhaps ( I hesitate to say this for fear of offending my friends in Alberta!) my favourite part of Canada.

For a start, Vancouver, which lies between the Pacific and the Coastal Mountains, surely boasts one of the world’s greatest city locations. And while it may be a big place, nature is never far away. You can glimpse the mountains across the harbour when you walk the downtown streets. And  in the 1,000 acre-Stanley Park it boasts one of the world’s greatest urban green spaces. No-one should be allowed to leave town before walking or cycling at least part of its 5.5 mile seawall path!

Another must-take trip is catching the floatplane from Vancouver’s harbour to Victoria on Vancouver Island, a 30-minute ride away. The experience itself is thrilling -- and you experience the true sense of flying, something which is hard to replicate in a big, fat jumbo jet. The views are just out of this world. (Alternatively, take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay, north of Vancouver, to Nanaimo, another wonderful trip.)

The island (it’s actually as big as some countries) itself is worth a visit of two or three days at the least. It boasts some of the world’s finest whale watching and fishing. Not to mention its own rainforest. And some day I’m going to walk its 50-mile West Coast Trail, one of the world’s great hiking trails. It’s just finding the time.

The truth is I’ve just scratched the surface of what British Columbia has to offer the visitor.  It also boasts some of North America’s finest vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, a wine lover’s paradise. While the vast, little-visited Northern British Columbia is in some respects another country. But it too boasts some marvellous wildlife watching, be it around Prince Rupert (gateway to the Queen Charlotte Islands), or further inland.

In short, Western Canada has something for everyone -- and whether it’s heli-hiking in the Rockies or going sea kayaking off the BC coast that takes your fancy, whale-watching or bear-watching, go west, as they say. As one friend of mine put it: "It really is the nearest thing to heaven."

About the author

York Membery is a freelance travel writer and journalist, contributing to everyone from the Daily Mail and Sunday Telegraph to Canada’s Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. To find out more visit his website: www.yorkmembery.co.uk

For more information on Alberta  and British Columbia, visit www.travelalberta.com and www.hellobc.com. Fy to Western Canada (the easiest cities to reach are Vancouver or Calgary) with Air Canada, Canadian Affair or Zoom. To find out more about heli-hiking with Ice field Helicopter Tours visit www.icefieldheli.com. For further information on taking The Canadian train service visit www.viarail.ca.