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Rated one of the best health retreats in the world, Mountain Trek is a week-long immersive health reset program proven to dramatically transform your body, mind, and spirit. Whether you feel overworked, overweight, or just in need of time to unplug, slow down, and recharge, Mountain Trek is for you. Located in the majestic and healing forests of British Columbia, Canada, our award-winning health reset program features daily guided hikes, nourishing chef-prepared meals, functional fitness classes, gentle yoga, guided relaxation sessions, therapeutic massages, and a state-of-the-art spa. Every aspect of your week is meticulously designed and personalized by our team of 40+ professionals, who expertly guide you (and a maximum of 15 other guests) through a life-changing health journey. You will work hard, relax deeply, and thoroughly reset your physical, emotional, and mental health. Melt stress away, restore energy levels, burn fat, purge toxins, and return home revitalized, recharged, and years younger than when you arrived.
3800 North St., Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia V0G 1A0 Canada
Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
5 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
I just got back from an incredible week at mountain trek. Hikes were challenging, but out of this world beautiful. The staff were amazing and made sure all needs were met. I was surprised by how relaxed I was at the end of it all. I would highly recommend for a health reset!
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Date of stay: August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mountain Trek, General Manager at Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
Responded Aug 29, 2024
Hi Madison, thank you for sharing your experience with the TripAdvisor community! We were honored to spend the week with you, and glad you received a much-deserved break and reset. We hope to see you again in the future!
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This resort might as well be straight from heaven. Wake up early for some sunrise yoga and then soak up the minerals in that natural mountain water. And of course, how could it not be on our list, without a spa?
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mountain T, Guest Relations Manager at Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
Responded Dec 3, 2019
Wow - thank you very much for your comments! The Kootenay Mountains are certainly heavenly, aren't they? We hope to have you back for sunrise yoga, and to earn that awesome hot tub soak at the end of the day. Be well.
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Do a price comparison before you come here-I wish i had! This costs at least 50% more than other programs with better accommodations. All of the hiking trails are difficult even for the very fit and those unable to participate in these 3 hour plus treks remain at the lodge with nothing to do which defeats the purpose of the trip. Perversely, they market this experience to two groups (google "Biggest Loser resort" to see Mountain Trek ad top of page): the out-of-shape/overweight and the superfit in training for extreme sports.The manager said the guides take you along at your own pace but many of the trails are so steep that even the young and lean find them challenging (one girl told me her heart rate was up to 190!). It is a very small operation and for some the lack of privacy and level of intrusiveness may not be welcome. On the first day each person was told to deliver a life story synopsis and then asked a number of personal questions. I thought this was at odds with their stated goal of giving the guest a break from their concerns at home: it was nosy and stressful. Especially since some guides would talk about past guests in a snarky way.They say that they don't "allow" you to drink coffee and discourage the use of laptops to provide a certain calm atmosphere but I didn't find any respite here.
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Date of stay: July 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from juliagillmor, Guest Relations Manager at Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
Responded Nov 14, 2012
Thank you so much for your feedback. We are happy to say that since your stay with us we have refined our program even further to make Mountain Trek the best hiking spa resort in Canada. Please allow us to address your specific concerns: We’ve always aimed to keep our prices in sync with other spa fitness retreats of this caliber. We offer the highest guide-to-guest ratio of any retreat centre anywhere and this allows us to cater to the needs of small groups, ensuring we choose the best pace and trail-type for each person. We adapt every week to the fitness levels of our guests and our trail options each day respond to these levels; each guest is welcome to work with another group if they wish. Our facility is luxurious but small, and that allows us to attend to guests on a personal level. However, our standards of privacy are very high, especially as each private room has an ensuite bath. We don’t ask for a personal synopsis in our first meeting beyond what each client is willing to offer; we have taken your feedback to heart ‒ thank you. Our guests are encouraged to work at their own pace which means we are very comfortable when anyone chooses to opt out of any of the daily activities. Staying at the lodge can include a day of relaxing in the hot tub or with a good book, walking beside beautiful Kootenay Lake, stretching in our yoga studio or working out in our state-of-the-art gym. We trust that guests know what they need and we always accommodate. Overall, our intention is to offer the best hiking fitness program and leave guests feeling refreshed and alive. We wish you health and wellness. Mountain Trek
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I did MT for the second time in February at Rancho La Puerta and thought a comparison of the two programs might be useful. First, I lost the same amount of fat both times, so even though there were some differences the outcomes were the same for me.
The program in BC is more tightly focused and intimate - there are only the 16 people in the program and you all stay in one big lodge, while at RLP, there are a lot of other guests not doing the MT program and you stay in your own casita. At RLP you are still eating together with the other 15 Mountain Trekkers and hiking only with this group, but otherwise you're much more on your own. The accommodations at RLP are definitely more luxurious and spacious and I might choose this option if I were going with my husband. RLP also offers more other activities as the there are all sorts of classes you can take. I liked some of the offerings but I did find the choosing to be a little stressful. I actually enjoy the structured environment of the BC experience - for me having to make decisions is not fun, I want to think as little as possible and just do. The food is the same at both as MT staff come down and actually cook for you - the only difference is that RLP doesn't offer meat, only seafood, which wasn't a big deal for a week. The hiking is the same in that the senior guides come to RLP and the pace and length and instructions are all the same. I will say, I personally enjoyed the scenery more in BC - more wooded and alpine vs. desert starkness. The heat and dryness at RLP also bothered me somewhat, but everyone is different. The other difference at RLP is that you hike on the property only whereas in BC you're almost always driving to another location. It gives you a lot more free time in the afternoon (maybe 1-2 hrs) at RLP to relax or take classes but on the other hand the scenery and hiking is more varied in BC. I enjoyed both programs and am actually thinking about going back to BC again soon.
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Date of stay: February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WOW! I'm just back from the best vacation I've ever had ... it was in fact one of the best life experiences I've ever had. Lost 20 lbs in 20 days ... unheard of for women ... and had a fantastic time doing it. Completely fell in love with yoga practice ... you start each day in the yoga studio. Then hiking all day long through a glorious landscape ... raging rivers and mountains dripping in moss, gorges cut into the rock and deep green forests that made me feel as though I were traipsing through a scene in Lord of the Rings. And every night you come back to the lodge (super comfortable) for a hot tub and a massage. It's the staff that make it though ... everyone knows you by name and they're all incredibly warm and accommodating. Even the food was amazing ... not the "spa" cuisine I've had at other places ... it was all delicious ... bison steaks and giant prawns and great sauces and marinades ... everything was fresh and I discovered lots of things I had never tried before. The whole program is brilliant ... definitely something you can take home with you. And what I've come home with is a sense of vitality that I've never found on vacation before. It happened for everyone. You could actually see people changing right in front of you. You don't have to be an outdoors freak or fitness maniac ... the guests run the gamut from super fit to super sludgy and everything in between. This isn't some airy fairy, new age type spa ... just a rock solid good time with energetic, talented, down-to-earth people.
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Date of stay: April 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I found Mountain Trek when I was checking out another hiking program at Rancho La Puerta, where I've gone off and on for 30 years. Mountain Trek has started offering their program -- sort of within the Ranch's program -- several weeks in the fall and late winter, when it's too cold to hike at their own lodge in British Columbia. I'm not sure what I expected, but since it was at the Ranch -- I figured I could trust it, and I'm so glad I did. I stayed for both weeks, and lost more than 10 pounds, including 8 pounds of fat. Note that this occurred even though I came down with a bad sinus/allergy thing that led me to sit out 3 of the 6 hikes in Week 2. The only times I felt hungry on the approx. 1200-cal.-a-day was, ironically, on the change-over day between sessions when we had a "day off" from hiking and on those days I sat out due to congested sinus. It's true --extensive exercise really does suppress your appetite. Of course every single bite we ate was planned by Jeff, the dietician/guide, to offer the maximum nutrients per calorie, and it was delicious. Although the program is described as structured like a "boot camp," it was never shaming or intimidating; on the contrary, it was like having 2 incredibly nice, incredibly knowledgeable brothers (Jeff and Kirk) cheering you on. I attended right after I decided to split with my husband, and right before a big, stressful move to my new home. I've continued to lose weight even though I haven't kept up the aerobic exercise to date because of the move. (That resumes this week.) The attitudes and perspectives about food and exercise gained during my 2 weeks with Mountain Trek feel permanent -- although I plan to go back at least once more in the next year, and perhaps annually if I can swing it. I was 45 pounds overweight when I started, and had not been doing much aerobically even though I am strong due to working out with weights. They are true to their word that they'll put you with a leader and a group that will challenge you but not overwhelm you. Many of my fellow hikers were returning guests and were much more fit than I was; they all seemed to receive the challenge that they needed/sought. I can't recommend this enough to people who want to maintain/increase their fitness and stamina as they get older, rather than accept what too many people accept as the "natural deterioration" of age. I just wish there was some way that they could offer a similar program to adolescents; it could be life-changing for kids already on their way to obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
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Date of stay: November 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My two-week stay at Mountain Trek was exactly what I needed. I lost 9 pounds (of fat) by following their FitPath plan. The food was really good in addition to being healthy. I ate less there than I had been eating at home, but it was "enough." I never felt hungry, even though I was exercising at least six hours a day. It was hard work, but very worth it. And it was fun.
The hiking was great. The scenery was beautiful, even on rainy days. I wasn't fast up the mountains, but I was steady. And whenever I felt unsure because of the physical or mental challenge of the terrain, the guides stayed with me and helped me through it. During my second week, I was doing much steeper/harder hikes--and the views from the top were our rewards. They challenged me to do things I would never have done on my own.
The best part of Mountain Trek was the staff--everyone was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. While they wanted us to have a good time and be successful there, they made a big effort to teach us what we needed to know to continue to be successful at home. I attended every organized talk on nutrition and stress management and asked lots of questions throughout my stay. The kitchen staff taught a cooking class and were happy to share recipes and tips. I know I learned a lot and have been able to make changes in my "real" life to continue my new, healthier lifestyle.
And housekeeping really did do our laundry everyday. That was fabulous.
At first, I was surprised they had no TVs, radios or newspapers. I did bring my laptop, but was encouraged to not turn it on too often. And initially, the rooms seemed a little small. But I caught on pretty quickly--this was time for me to focus on myself with minimal distractions and to live with just what I needed. I ended up having time to read an entire book and I slept much more and better than I did at home.
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Date of stay: August 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mountain Trek is a good option for certain types of people: people who do well in highly structured in environments, and people who are willing to absorb an entire doctrine of what it means to be healthy without asking too many questions or second-guessing what you're being told. But if you're someone who prefers to be in control of choices, or if you're someone who prefers your health regimes to be scientifically-grounded, Mountain Trek probably isn't a very good choice for you.
THE GOOD: - Nice facility with comfy beds and beautiful views. My room's bathroom was very small, and I could hear through to the room next to me, but otherwise it was fine. It's not super luxurious, but it's comfortable enough. - The food is tasty and I like that they source local fresh produce when possible. The kitchen crew do their best to make accommodations and customize options for people's food allergies and dislikes. I found it difficult to eat a hot soup in the middle of a hot hike, so they switched out my soup for a salad on the last day which I really appreciated. - Mountain Trek does a good job providing hiking group options for a variety of fitness levels and abilities. - Having daily laundry service provided is AMAZING, and the housekeeping crew do a great job of making sure not to damage/shrink/etc anything. - For the most part, the staff seem like genuinely nice, caring people.
THE BAD: - What's marketed as daily morning "yoga" classes aren't really yoga so much as they are gentle stretching. It's perfect for someone with no background in yoga who just wants to stretch out the kinks in the morning, but it's disappointing if you go in actually expecting a full yoga class each morning. - The limited calories (1200/day for women) are highly restrictive, and not enough for everyone. When I discussed with the staff that I needed more calories, they gave me some additional nuts to carry with me on the daily hikes, but I was so sick of nuts that it was the last thing I wanted more of. Due to the limited calories, I did end up losing weight, but some of that lost weight was due to muscle loss and water loss. - The food is generally lots of fresh local produce (which is great!) and healthy oils, but very light on fish and meat. If you're used to getting a significant portion of your calories from protein each day, this is going to be a pretty drastic reduction in protein. I would estimate that at Mountain Trek you're probably are getting ~10-15% of your calories from protein. - One of the core pillars of Mountain Trek is their belief in "detoxification" through sweating such as sauna use. However, if you actually do any research, you'll discover that this is total nonsense -- saunas will help you to sweat, but you don't actually lose any toxins that way. Similarly, Mountain Trek eliminates all caffeine use for guests, despite the fact that there is no scientific proof that coffee is unhealthy moderation. - Technology use and connectivity is very limited. This may be a plus for some guests, but I was relying on their wifi to keep in touch with a family member who was in the hospital. The policy is that wifi is only on between the hours of 6am and 10pm, but in my experience the morning staff can forget to turn it on until someone requested it. And although you're only allowed to use cell phones and laptops in your room not in public areas, the wifi signal is very weak in certain rooms, making it nearly impossible to be connected. - There is one group fitness class offered each night, but the skill of the instructor for these classes varies. It's the staff who do other things during the day and then do double-duty as fitness instructors for the evening class, and although for the most part they are very nice people, it's clear that this is not a core skill set for all of them. Given the amount paid for this retreat, I would expect Mountain Trek to provide specialized group fitness instructors who really know what they are doing. - The program is structured so that all guests go to the same hiking location each day. Given the wide variety of guest abilities and the need for the location to work for everyone, this means that the options for trails are somewhat limited. I'm assuming this is why the trails were sometimes quite average and unremarkable, despite the region really having some stunning hiking options. - There is a LOT of togetherness. You eat together with the full group of guests each morning and each night at a large communal table. During the hikes, you are required to stay with your group and Mountain Trek will not allow you to space out and have some distance due to safety concerns. There's not a lot of downtime/alone time to rest and relax. Even if your entire group is lovely, this amount of togetherness can be exhausting for people who are strongly introverted. - Some of the rules enforced were ridiculous and extreme. For example: no photos while hiking, and no wrist straps on trekking poles due to risk of twisting your shoulder/arm/wrist the wrong way if you fall.
Some of the guests during my stay were returners who had been to Mountain Trek before, so I think Mountain Trek as a program works really well for certain types of people. It just wasn't a very good fit for me.
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Date of stay: July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MountainTrekRetreat, Manager at Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
Responded Aug 25, 2016
Thank you so much for your review. We’re glad you enjoyed the lodge, food, staff and individual catering. We tried getting in touch before you arrived to discuss expectations about the program but unfortunately were unsuccessful. We wish you all the best in your future adventures in health!
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was disappointed in the "trails" - some were gravel paths, as opposed to hiking trails and then some were repeated "treks" :( I had heard from a friend that they took different trails every day, but that was not my experience. It's a lot of money to have the same hikes repeated. That being said, the guides were phenomenal and the lodge staff was amazing. Everyone was nurturing and positive. The kitchen and its staff were incredible! Is comparable to other spas I have stayed in -- just wish they had ventured more often away from the lodge.
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Date of stay: June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from MountainTrekRetreat, Guest Relations Manager at Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat
Responded Jul 25, 2013
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, our guests who stay for two-week "Renewal" program do experience some repetition of trails and this is because clients who come for our one-week "Reboot" program want to do all the favourite trails as well, including the famous Fry Creek and Idaho Peak. However, we are looking into ways of altering the program so that our two-week guests experience new trails every day.
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After 3 weeks at MT I felt like a different person. My endurance is better, I no longer crave junk food and am 23 lbs. lighter. Be advised this program is not for wimps and will test your physical and mental limits. If you follow the program you will undoubtedly see great results. The MT staff are top notch and they make every effort to make the stay enjoyable. The food is healthy and very well prepared. The accomodations are simple but very comfortable. Ultimately, you will reap what you sow. I think If you are spending the $$ plan on taking advantage of all aspects of the program. Downsides: After 3 weeks the hiking locations became redundant, a greater variety fof hiking locations for guests staying longer would be nice. The evening fitness classes were not all that interesting to me (perhaps that is a gender bias).
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Date of stay: July 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great question, Jalapin. I think that anyone, regardless of how obese he or she is, would benefit from the exercise, healthy diet, and lifestyle guidance that Mountain Trek provides. They make sure that each guest's hikes are appropriate for his/her own level and ability, even if that means guiding a guest 1:1. It's a wonderfully supportive atmosphere.
Even more importantly, the education that they provide is straightforward and is designed to be incorporated into your life after you leave, so the benefits of going to Mountain Trek are not just week-long. But I suggest that you call them directly, and ask them your question(s) - they can also tell you what their experience has been with "seriously obese" seniors.
Raleigh, North Carolina8 contributions10 helpful votes
There is no smoking allowed anywhere, as well as no alcohol nor caffeine. The classes/staff/daily activities are a great support for better heatlth and personal choices. It was literally life altering for me.
Yes! it's impressive how much time they spend making sure you are hiking in the best group for you---and all the guides have walkie-talkies to allow people to switch groups at some point during the day if you are feeling particularly strong or tired and need to change groups. There are many steep and challenging hikes, especially if you want them!
There are more places to choose from in the Ainsworth Hot Springs area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
mountain trek hotel ainsworth hot springs
LOCATION
CanadaBritish ColumbiaKootenay RockiesAinsworth Hot Springs
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
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