This was a really interesting experience that still stands out in my mind. Tours run in the caves year-round, because the cave maintains a constant temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius. We met our tour guide in Canmore and followed him to a small parking lot near the caves. We had to hike for about 20 minutes up to the cave entrance, where we geared up with coveralls, helmets and headlamps.
Jeff gearing up to go in the cave.
Cave entrance.
Once we were in the cave, we immediately clipped into a cable system of ropes that added some extra security when we were descending down some of the slippery rocks.
There were some pretty tight squeezes inside the cave. For some reason, I thought this particular formation (featured below) was called the "Birth Canal" (or something equally awful). But when I looked it up on the website for confirmation, it seems to be called the more innocuous "Laundry Chute."
Steve at the bottom of the Laundry Chute.
Steve hamming it up for the camera.
There was a section of the cave where we had to repel 18m, and there was plenty of crawling and and winding through mud. One of the final rooms we entered was called the Grotto, and was full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as a crystal clear pool.
There was one optional tight squeeze that end that I opted out of. But Steve and Jeff made their way in, sliding on their backs as they went.
Steve (or Jeff?) wiggling out of a tight squeeze.
When we finally emerged from the cave, we were all filthy. There was mud all over our coveralls, and it some cases, our coveralls had ripped and the mud had gotten inside.
Really filthy.
I can't say I have any desire to become a full-time cave enthusiast, but it was a fun for a one-time experience!
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