Canada

Canada is the northernmost country in the world, and also the second largest country in area (after Russia). Canada has an history comparable to the US, however the British and French cultural influences are more intact than in its neighbor, in particular in historic towns such as Victoria and Quebec. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada has a number of great cities such as Montreal, and Vancouver. However, with a population of only 32 million, Canada is quite sparsely populated. As a result, Canada offers some of the most pristine and magnificent mountain and coastal scenery on the continent.

So far, I have made nine different visits to Canada over the last decade, some of them up to a week long, mostly to the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The first were waterfall ice climbing trips during the middle of the harsh winter, although recently I have returned in the summer to enjoy simple pleasures such as hiking.