Spa Boot Camp

Full disclosure:  I was a daily walker, not a hiker.

Give me a pair of Jimmy Choo’s with 4 ½ inch heels and the directive to cross Manhattan’s Midtown and consider it done.  But put me in a pair of hiking boots and I’m out of my element. So, when the occasion arose to visit Mountain Trek, a top-tier hiking spa smack in the middle of the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia – known for its surrounding beauty and feet-on-the-ground approach to health and weight loss with enviable results – I had conflicting emotions. Yes, I wanted to get in shape (many celebs visit Mountain Trek to prep for prime time roles) and test the high altitude mountain environs with fresh air and multi-level trails.  But would I be able to keep up, or would I be the “one” out of her league?  After all, a spa in my mind has nothing to do with trekking or hiking boots.

The bottom line is I needed a tune-up and was ready to graduate from morning walker to all-day hiker.  However, a statement on the spa’s site sealed the deal: “If you can climb four flights of stairs without stopping and walk on undulating ground for a minimum of two hours, you can do this program.” Sold.

Here, my friends, are the details.
The scenery is pure bliss.  Nestled in a pristine enclave, the cozy chalet style lodge is the centerpiece of a setting featuring uninterrupted views of Kootenay Lake and the jagged Purcell Mountains. The location is Ainsworth Hot Springs, a pinpoint you’ll have difficulty finding on a map.  “Are we there yet?” is a common question asked on the lodge’s shuttle, heading north from the Spokane, Washington airport along tree-lined highways into the mountains past the inviting Canadian town of Nelson.
When we finally arrived several people were already seated around the stone fireplace singing along with a guitar.  It was an intimate group of us (a co-ed gang of 14, the max).

Initially though, there was no singing for me.  My immersion started almost immediately, beginning with an in depth body composition assessment – fat weight, muscle weight, water weight, body mass index, blood pressure and girth measurement (one that I was not currently happy about).  We discussed my goals and once I defined them I was ready to hike toward them.

When I did join the group, our orientation guide Jonny began with this introduction.  “Hello and welcome.  Tomorrow things start in earnest, but I will tell you that everyone who walks through our doors loses weight.”  To borrow a line from a movie, let’s just say “he had me at hello.”

A typical day begins at 6 a.m. with a knock on your door, followed by gentle yoga in the serene, window lined studio.  During breakfast, you learn the details of the day’s upcoming hike – weather, how to dress, terrain etc. and voice concerns and questions.  Then you depart at 8:30 a.m. in four-wheel drive vehicles to hit the trails and return at 3:30 p.m. Evenings after dinner are rounded out with informative lectures and high energy fitness classes – cardio, spin, aero boxing and Zumba.
But let me get back to those trails.  In summer there are hills blanketed with wildflowers and shady paths under the forest canopy.  Autumn brings brisk alpine breezes and infinite vistas of a rainbow of colors.  There are 500 miles of wilderness trails – you’ll tackle one per day.  Here’s a peek at the possibilities:  Pilot Point Peninsula is one trail that’s reached after taking the Kootenay Lake Ferry; Lower Buchanan is a long, uphill trek of switchbacks; Kokanee Glacier provides a challenging hike over streams, around boulders, through meadows, perhaps in light flurries.  Even lunch on the trail has a purpose – I can think of one memorable one which was in total silence—to better appreciate the smell, taste and texture of the food.

Hiking is a key element in this spa’s fitness plan, a plan based on a structured, highly active regimen designed to get you out and moving.  Divided into groups according to fitness levels and general physical condition, the program ensures participants will be paired with hikes that are demanding but not discouraging.  Coupled with the ever present backup of Mountain Trek’s compassionate staff, whose hands-on counseling buffers any burnout potential, it’s a winning weight loss combo.
The staff’s credentials read like a Who’s Who of the wellness and wilderness world.  All guides are Wilderness First Aid certified, several having spent decades as Canadian park rangers.  Check out this roster:  Kirkland is the program director, lead guide and a certified life coach; Cathy is head guide and fitness director whose resume includes Outward Bound instructor, avalanche technician, ski patroller and rappelling forest fire fighter; Anna is a kinesiologist specializing in exercise therapy, a Medical Exercise Specialist (MES) and a Certified CHEK Exercise Coach – and all are veteran hikers.  The best part is the impressive four to one guest to guide ratio.  To fuel your vigorous hikes kitchen manager Laurie Hartland creates guilt free gourmet food, with all meals following the principles of sound nutrition and based on a 900 -1,200 daily caloric intake.
Though it’s been described as a B.C. boot camp, there is no shortage of creature comforts.  Rooms are small but cozy with private bathrooms, down filled duvets and handmade quilts.  There’s a massage wing, enhanced by an infrared sauna and steam room (for detoxing).  Then there’s the heart of the lodge, a community living area fronting a massive fireplace surrounded by overstuffed seating, where each evening a group of us gathered to soak tired feet, drink soothing tea and forge lasting friendships.

This spa is a free zone: no perfumes, no alcohol, no cigarettes, no televisions, no radios, no newspapers (and consequently no stress). And what you can expect from Mountain Trek is no joke:  1-1 ½ pounds of fat loss daily (my personal result: ten pounds, four inches loss), increase in muscle mass, improved fitness and the tools to help integrate a week of real hard work into a real world life (result: daily hiking since my return.)
Tempted?  Leave your Jimmy Choo’s in your closet, pack your hiking gear and head to Mountain Trek. Then make room in your closet for those hiking boots.