Unique Canmore Caving Experience in Canada

Caving Adventure Inside Rat’s Nest Cave – Canmore, Canada

Canmore Caving Adventure was a unique excursion that we did during our summer trip to the Canadian Rockies. It was fun crawling, climbing, sliding, and squeezing into tight passages inside the dark Rat’s Nest Cave. The experience pushed us a little bit out of our comfort zone, but it was incredible from start to finish and was absolutely worth doing.

Checking In

We parked our car at the parking lot of Canmore Cave Tour, then checked in and signed a waiver. Next, it was time to get our equipment, including a caving suit, a helmet and headlight, a hiking pole, and more. Back in the office, we only picked out our suit size but did not wear them right away. Instead, we placed all of our gears inside a HUGE backpack that was provided, which we would carry during our hike to the cave entrance. The kids did not have to carry a backpack and their equipment went into the adults’ backpack instead. Everybody was encouraged to use the restroom before leaving the office because there would not be another restroom after that point.

Important Tips

Listen to your guide when he asks you to use the restroom back in the office. There would not be another restroom after this point.

Hiking Trail To The Cave Entrance

From the office, we got back in our car and followed the guide for a 10-minute drive to the cave parking lot. We hiked up the mountain trail for about 30-minutes, until we reached the entrance of Rat’s Nest Cave. There were a couple of short water breaks during the hike. The breaks were so useful since the backpack was quite heavy, especially when we also carried the kids’ equipment with ours.

Rat’s Nest Cave Entrance

When we arrived at the entrance, everybody suited up and got ready for the adventure. Our guide Yoon Ho gave a safety information and we had a chance to eat some energy bars while listening. We also had a last chance to use the “restroom” before entering the cave. The “restroom” actually meant the woods, but they already warned us back at the office. The entrance to the cave was gated and there was a small opening that could be unlocked with a key. Once our small group got inside the cave, the gate was closed and locked back up. We were asked to turn our headlamps on and that’s when the excitement got real!

Shout Out To Our Tour Guide

Let’s talk a little bit about our amazing guide, Yoon Ho. He was extremely helpful, attentive, energetic, professional, and extra patient, especially with the young kids. He made sure that everybody followed safety protocols the entire time. Some areas inside the cave could be a little challenging and slippery. However, with his constant assurance, we felt safe from start to finish, and had the best caving experience.

One-of-a-kind Experience

Inside the cave, we learned a lot about fossils, cave formation, and more. We climbed around while being attached to the double safety buckles connecting us to the robes along the walls of the cave. Whenever we moved to a new robe path, we undo one buckle and attached it to the next path before unbuckling the one attached to the previous robe. That way, we felt safe knowing that we were always attached to a robe.

Underground Playground and the Grotto

There were some areas that required us to slide down on a rock like we were in a playground, and a tight passage that we had to crawl over, one person at a time. Our favorite part was when we arrived to the Grotto, a small pool at the bottom of the cave with its walls covered in stalactites and stalagmites. Yoon Ho asked all of us to turn off our headlamps, and spend a few minutes in complete darkness, while listening to nothing but the sound of dripping water. That was a pretty special moment.

Exiting The Cave

As we were exiting the cave, seeing broad daylight was a great feeling. What an extraordinary experience! We just felt so grateful that everyone came out of the cave safely with the biggest smiles on their faces.

Hiking Back Down

After placing the suits and equipment back in our backpacks, we hiked back down to the parking lot and drove back to the office to return the gears.

We were all exhausted after spending almost 6 hours, including getting to the office, collecting the equipment, driving to the mountain, hiking up and down the mountain, and spending about 2 hours inside the cave. I am so proud of my kids and the way they behaved and handled their nerves throughout the experience. This was definitely an experience that we would remember and talk about forever.

If you are looking for a unique family activity in the Canadian Rockies, we highly recommend checking out Canmore Cave Tour. We booked the Explorer Tour, which was supposed to be more suitable for families with young kids. However, if you are up for a challenge, they also offer the Adventure Tour, which was a little bit longer and more advanced.

Tips

Use The Restroom Before Leaving The Office

Listen to your guide when he asks you to use the restroom inside the office. There would not be another restroom after this point.

Wear Comfortable Hiking Shoes

Comfortable, non-slip hiking shoes would be useful for this excursion.

Follow Safety Protocols

Listen to your guide during orientation and follow safety protocols at all times. It was such a fun experience for us because nobody got hurt.

Bring Some Energy Bars

The energy bars that we ate before entering the cave definitely helped. If you forget yours, there are energy bars for sale at the office.

Allow Plenty Of Time

We were inside the cave for only about 2 hours. However, allow plenty of time (at least 6 hours) when planning this activity to take into account the time it takes to gear up, drive to and from the mountain, and hike up to the cave entrance.