Canmore Caving Adventure Tour

This is hands down the most unique, mind-blowing caving tour I have ever experienced. My husband and I had the absolute best time! You get to rappel down 18 meters, see stunning caverns, crawl through rocky tunnels, slide down muddy slopes, and squeeze through impossibly narrow slits. The large underground Grotto with its glacier pond was beautiful, but the fun experience of crawling and climbing our way in and out of Rat’s Nest was even better, especially squeezing down the narrow Laundry Chute. If I did not see Tour Guide John slide down, I would have thought that it was impossible to slip down that narrow slit! The Guide & Safety: Our guide, John, was incredible and highly knowledgeable. Canmore Caving Tours owns the rights to Rat’s Nest Cave and they have cleverly designed "testing points" to ensure everyone can safely handle the challenges. John even knows alternative routes if you get overwhelmed. That said, if you suffer from severe claustrophobia or fear steep heights, this tour is definitely NOT for you. Our tour guide prioritized safety, incorporating multiple rest stops to keep the group together. Expect to spend 3.5 to 4.5 hours underground depending on your group's size and fitness level. (Surprisingly, oxygen levels felt completely fine the entire time!) Crucial Tips for Future Cavers: -Footwear: You must wear shoes with excellent tread. Casual shoes like Vans will not cut it. -Clothing: The cave stays around 40°F (4°C) year-round. Wear a thick, old sweatshirt and sweatpants. Canmore Caving Tours provide disposable painter suits, but these rip easily. The thick layers will save your elbows while crawling and pad your buttocks when sliding down muddy rocks. Knee pads are provided but might slip while crawling. Helmets with bright lights are also provided. I had no difficulty seeing underground with their helmet lights. -Fitness Requirements: You don't need to be an athlete, but you do need to be decently fit. First “testing point”: the tour starts with a strenuous 30–40 minute steep uphill hike over loose stones and mud just to reach the entrance. Our tour guide John did offer 2 breaks to talk about nature during that uphill hike. If it’s raining, I would recommend using trekking poles. Second “testing point: you must pull your own body weight up a high rock face using a knotted rope. If neither of these activities seem fun to you, this tour is NOT for you. -Bathroom/Food: You cannot eat, drink, or use a proper restroom for about 4 hours underground. If emergency bathroom breaks are needed, the tour guide provides a plastic bottle with attachments, but privacy is probably minimal. Honestly, this tour is an absolute steal for the price—I would have gladly paid double. Also, apparently the conditions inside Rat's Nest caves are the same during sunny or rainy days. So this activity is a perfect alternative for rainy days! Don't forget to tip your amazing guides!!! P.S. To the owners: Please consider installing cameras at key spots like the top of the Laundry Chute or by the Grotto pond! Tourists would gladly pay extra to buy professional photos/videos of this unforgettable experience!

+3

I would give this 10 stars out of 5 if I could! Our cave guide John curated the perfect experience, mixing safety with facts/stories and humor. The caving itself was unlike anything we’ve done and we’re some pretty adventurous people. Be prepared for some tight squeezes but if you can handle that, it will be an amazing time!

My partner and I did the Adventurer Tour yesterday and honestly it was one of the coolest things we did on our trip. Our guide Nate was awesome, super knowledgeable, really patient and kind, and he had a great sense of when to explain things versus when to let everyone chat, explore the cave a bit, or just catch their breath. Definitely be ready to be active. Once we were in the cave, it felt like I was crawling, sliding, climbing, and squeezing through spaces for probably 90% of the tour. It’s much more of an adventure than a sightseeing tour. For anyone wondering about the difficulty, I’d say I have the fitness level of a pretty average young adult and I was able to do it without any issues, other than being a little sore the next day. You don’t need to be super fit, but having a decent level of cardio will definitely make it more enjoyable. One thing I really want to mention is that the whole experience felt very safe. The guides explained everything clearly and the equipment felt really solid. During the 20 metre descent, I actually slipped a couple of times, and even then I still felt completely safe and supported the whole time. It was exciting, but never in a way that made me feel unsafe. For clothing, I wore athletic leggings and a thin long-sleeve shirt for the hike up, then added a fleece and sweatpants once we got to the cave. That worked really well. The cave isn’t freezing, but I was definitely happy to have the extra layers. Small tip: if it’s allowed, bring a thin bandana or buff to wear under the helmet. I’m a bit weird about certain textures and didn’t love the feeling of the helmet band directly on my forehead. But that just me and my partner had no problems. Overall we had an amazing time and it was definitely a highlight of the trip. 100% worth the price. Also, bring some cash to tip your guide because by the end of the tour you’ll probably be blown away by how much work they put into making the experience fun, informative, and safe. Already recommending this to all of our friends!

Awesome experience and few fun squeezes. The guide was an obvious passionate and shared his knowledge with fun anecdotes. Great for escaping a hot summer day or to warm up during a frigid winter snap since the cave temperature hovers around 6°C year round.

Had a great cave tour. It was challenging but doable. We did the rappelling and laundry chute…Our guide Gabby, was amazing. In addition to keeping us safe and getting us through the cave, she also was very informative.

+1

An unbelievable experience. An experience that is challenging, rewarding and very unique. The guide, Emily, was awesome. well trained, knowledgeable and encouraged us to test our limits. An experience like I have never experienced!

Thank you very much John for the excellent tour. John is a pro and pushed us out of our comfort zone but it was still fairly safe. Altogether an unforgettable experience! We never caved before. My mom is mid 50s and managed to get through although it was quite strenuous. Bring layers and hiking boots as it 5 degrees and wet.

My husband and I do a lot of crazy sh$&- this was one of the most extraordinary experiences we have had! We did the four hour adventure tour with the repelling. Our guide, Nate, was wonderful, knowledgeable, and made us feel safe the entire time. This is for people that are fit and not claustrophobic. We crawled through spaces where we were on our belly with our head to the side, needing to pull our bodies through the cracks. The Laundry shoot was very cool! The geology and history of the cave was mind blowing. This experience is something we will never forget and worth every penny!

John our guide was a sponge full of information on pretty much any topic brought up. He’s supportive ,cheers the cavers achievements, makes sure everyone understands & practices safety for both the group & the caves. At 65 & 68 my hubby had no clue what the excursion was about but learned fast. We hiked, repelled , did swan dives in the narrow parts, learned moves our shoulders/rest of our bodies never knew we could do!!!! I’m beyond how much fun & learning this experience was. If I didn’t live in Texas I would be caving every weekend!!! We had both a 14 & 16 yo with us & even they thought it was COOL😎. I’ve done extensive traveling abroad & im pretty sure this is #1 in the top 5 of my travels !! Sign up & enjoy !!!

Great family experience from teens to seniors. The teens rated it 10 for fun and 4 for scary. The hike up is steep. We took it slowly but you will get out of breath. The caving adventure was more challenging for a fit 74 year old than I expected. But I enjoyed the challenge of crawling over and under rocks. You do need some upper body strength to pull yourself up some of the slippery areas. You do get muddy but you start out with a clean set of overalls. A great day with teenage grandkids. John was a great guide and we always felt safe.