Exploratory Caving

Have you ever wanted to stumble upon a corner of our planet where humans have never been? Wandering into unknown darkness can be reckless and dangerous, but in this course, you will acquire the skills you need to safely explore (and discover) caves on your own.

In our Exploratory Caving course, you will be the guide! An experienced CMRCA instructor will lead you to the entrance of a deep cave, and from there, you will be in charge. Rig a rappel to descend into the cave, and then explore the caverns and tunnels in search of another exit… if it exists. This course is designed with the serious caver in mind, in order to give you the skills and experience necessary to go off and explore caves on your own. Along the way, you will learn about and practice single rope technique (SRT), underground navigation, low-impact caving, assessing cave integrity and air quality, and identifying speleothems and crystals. The additional safety considerations of exploring unknown caves will be discussed, and your “danger radar” will be honed by an explicit enumeration of possible hazards and outcomes in each new setting.

Introduction to Caving, or equivalent experience, is a prerequisite to Exploratory Caving.  Some of the caves you will explore are significantly underground, and may be unsuitably wet for much of the rainy season (June-September). Please check with CMRCA staff to determine the availability of this course and to discuss possible 1 – 3 day itineraries.

Includes:

Instruction, transportation from CMRCA to caving site, equipment, lunch, water, and insurance. Multi-day courses do not include lodging or other meals (unless explicitly stated). Please arrive at our shop between 8:00-8:15 in the morning. All courses will return to the shop around 17:00-17:30. Pick-up/drop-off requests can be made during the booking process. Additional charges will apply. We strongly encourage all clients to find their own way to our shop. Give us a call -- we can help!

What to Bring:

Closed-toed sport shoes and athletic clothing. Consider bringing a reusable water bottle, mosquito spray, and sun screen.

Duration of Courses

All courses are run on a daily basis. Itineraries are not set in stone and can be adjusted according to a clients needs. A sample itinerary is as follows:
08.00 - 08.15: Arrive CMRCA and receive equipment
08.30 - 09.30: Transport to Crazy Horse Buttress
09.45 - 12.30: Morning Caving Session
12.30 - 13.30: Lunch
13.30 - 16.00: Afternoon Caving Session
16.00 - 17.00: Return to CMRCA

Climb ON!