The young person's guide to being a Rockies star; If you love the great outdoors and snowy wilderness, the Canadian mountains are for you, writes PAM WILSON.

Pam's verdict

PLANES, trains and snowmobiles - not to mention helicopters, skis and dog sleds.

If you're going to visit the Canadian Rockies, take a deep breath, hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Nothing quite prepares you for the beauty of this unique part of the world.

I arrived at Emerald Lakes Lodge in Yoho National Park in the dark.

The flight from Heathrow to Calgary had been long and recovery demanded a good night's sleep.

It was therefore a profound shock to discover the following morning that my lodge - complete with fire and balcony - was on the banks of a frozen lake, with an incredible backdrop of snow- clad peaks.

The hush of deep snow filled the air and I realised then why the Cree Indians had chosen the name Yoho - that's `wow' to you and me.

Skiing at Lake Louise was the order of my first day. Lake Louise is only a short trip from Emerald Lake and, as ski fields go, about as near all- round perfection as you can get.

As my skiing is average, to say the least, I was a bit concerned that the rest of the group - Canadians who had been skiing since they were knee- high to a ski-boot - would whizz off in a puff of powder and leave me stranded.

I needn't have worried. The very sociable natives have devised an organisation called `ski friends' - ordinary people who voluntarily take days off to guide new skiers around the mountains.

Our `friends', Alan and Vicky, made our day's skiing a challenge and a pleasure. By the end of the day, I had even tackled the official mens' downhill run - staying upright more through adrenalin than skill I might add.

Back at Emerald Lake, after a welcome dip in the outdoor hot tub (great fun), dinner was served.

We were treated to a first-class festive menu, enhanced not only by fine Canadian wine, but also by excellent Swiss/Canadian company.

Bruno Engler, veteran local mountain guide and personality, enthralled our table with amazing stories of his guiding days.

Renowned in Hollywood as the best in the business, he has fascinating tales of Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson.

I could have listened to him all night, but with thoughts of heli-skiing the following day starting to knot my stomach I decided sleep was the sensible option.

And so Tuesday dawned. Not quite as brightly as we'd hoped, but Rudi Gertch of Purcell Heli-Skiing didn't seem unduly worried.

Rudi operates out of Golden in British Columbia and it was from here that our party of six took off for the Purcell mountain range and a day we would never forget.

Our first drop of the day was on the Top of The World ridge - yes, it really is called this - and believe me when that helicopter bellies down in the snow, drops you off in temperatures of minus 16 degrees and then takes off literally in your face, you do feel you've reached it.

Once you've got your "fat boy" skis on, however, and leave the ridge, the fun really begins. I have never skied real powder before and it is completely mad, mad, mad, mad. The fat boys keep you on top of the valley.

It's the Milk Tray advert and James Bond films rolled into one. It's idyllic. Inspiring. And then you fall, find yourself four feet down in powder and struggling like a beached whale to right yourself. Tip - don't start laughing or you'll be stuck there forever.

We did three drops in all, stopping for lunch midway through the day, and I can honestly say it's the best fun I've had in years.

A very different mode of transport greeted me in Banff the following morning in the shape of the celebrated Rocky Mountaineer.

A joy to travel on, this train offers reclining seats, domed glass carriages and the great Rockies slipping quietly past. Heavy snow hangs on trees and banks up on high bridges and you're lost in a magical world.

Not even an obstruction on the track in the form of Santa seems unusual out here - although he did look suspiciously like a member of staff who had served lunch.

And just as you feel you have over-dosed on snow for the day, British Columbia kicks up yet another surprise in the form of Salmon Arm Lake, calm and serene with not a drop of snow. There, we watched the sun go down in quiet reverence.

Just out of town, cacti grow. It's the only place in the world you can photograph a salmon and a cactus together.

My two last remaining nights and one full day in this amazing country were spent in Sun Peaks Resort on Tod Mountain. About an hour's drive from Kamloops - a semi-desert town which boasts an authentic cowboy hotel with rattlesnake on the menu - I found myself once again cocooned by snow.

Sun Peaks is a relatively new ski resort with superb facilities. They have a host of other activities too. My favourites included ski-mobiling at 50mph through mountain trails and dog sled rides where you stood precariously on a sled behind your three-dog team.

Homeward bound, I took a flight from Kamloops to Calgary and was rewarded with views of the Rockies against blue skies and rivers glinting in the sun. The perfect end to a perfect trip.

HOW TO DO IT

Destination: Rocky Mountains

Information: Flight Heathrow to Calgary - Canadian Airlines. Reservations 0345 616767

Emerald Lake Lodge - Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts. Telephone [phone]. Rocky Mountaineer Railtours 001 800 665 7245 Purcell Heli-Skiing: 001 [phone] Sun Peaks Resort Association: 001 [phone] Speak to your travel agent about arranging a tailor-made Rockies trip.

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