Detailed Trip Descriptions & Difficulty Ratings

It is important to understand the challenges and difficulty ratings for the tour you are choosing. It’s just as important to consider the other members of your party before you make your booking.

Also be familiar with What To Wear for your cave tour.

NOTE: If you are the person making the booking, you have an obligation to communicate this information to all others in your party.

Fall/Winter 

Although not required, you’ll be more comfortable when the water levels are moderate if you bring:

  • Waterproof or rubber boots with warm socks (rubber boot rentals are available).
  • Rain gear or a nylon outer shell.
  • Thin hat under helmet and gloves (available for purchase at the Visitor Centre).
  • AVOID jeans or other cotton clothes.
  • Complete change of clothes for afterward.
  • A fun attitude!

Riverbend Cave Explorer:

Rated as the easiest, yet still challenging. 

 Challenge Rating ✦✦✧✧✧
 
  • Age Limit: Minimum 5 years (requirement, not recommendation).
  • Duration: Approx. 1 hr. 45 min. duration (1hr in the cave)
  • What to Wear: Strongly recommend sturdy footwear and long clothing. Flip-flops and crocs are not permitted
  • Cave temperature: Maintains a constant 8°C (46°F).
  • Access Route: Involves a moderately strenuous UPHILL hike of 1km to the cave entrance, featuring an average incline of 15° with 7 short, informative breaks or rest periods.
  • Entrance: Entry via steep metal stairs, leading to wild, undeveloped terrain without walkways, railings, or lighting.
  • Terrain: Navigating over loose, potentially slippery rocks is required.
  • Mobility Requirements: Must be agile enough to lean over and use knee-high rocks for support and to be capable of moving in a crouched position.
  • Features: Nature hike, crystal formations, fossils – tours typically include a brief period of total darkness (“lights-out” session).
  • Return: Exit involves a steep downhill trek back to the Visitor Centre.
  • Cave Policy: Backpacks are not permitted inside the cave.
  • Tour Size: Min. 2 Max. 10.
  • Preparation: Please arrive 30 minutes before your tour to gear-up and sign Liability Waivers.

Multi–Cave Experience

Double the exploration, double the excitement!

Challenge Rating ✦✦✦✧✧
 
  • Age Limit: Minimum 8 years (requirement, not recommendation).
  • Duration: Approx. 2 hr. 30 min. duration.
  • What to Wear: Strongly recommend sturdy footwear and long clothing. Flip-flops and crocs are not permitted.
  • Cave temperature: Maintains a constant 8°C (46°F).
  • Mobility Requirements: Must be agile enough to lean over and use knee-high rocks for support and to be capable of moving in a crouched position.
  • Terrain: Navigating over loose, potentially slippery rocks is required. Expect to get slightly wet on days with moderate water flow.
  • Access Route: Includes a moderately strenuous UPHILL trail for 1km. (25 mins.), broken up by 7 informative stops.
  • Entrance: Steep metal stairs at the entrance to Riverbend Cave followed later by a narrow, vertical squeeze 12 inches wide at stomach height, achievable by most with a side-stepping shuffle.
  • Features: Nature hike, crystal formations, fossils, waterfall climb (up to 2.5 metres high), cave slide, ladders and the famous (optional) Cheese Grater – tours typically include a brief period of total darkness (“lights-out” session).
  • Return: Exit from Riverbend requires a steep downhill trek before entering Main Cave followed by a 10 minute walk back to the Visitor Centre.
  • Cave Policy: Backpacks are not permitted inside the cave.
  • Tour Size: Min. 2 Max. 8
  • Preparation: Please arrive 30 minutes in advance to gear-up and sign Liability Waivers.

The Action Pack

 For the thrill-seekers craving more than the ordinary

 Challenge Rating ✦✦✦✧✧
 
  • Age Limit: Minimum 8 years (requirement, not recommendation).
  • Duration: Approx. 1 hr. 30 min. duration.
  • What to Wear: Strongly recommend sturdy footwear and long clothing. Flip-flops and crocs are not permitted.
  • Cave Temperature: Maintains a constant 8°C (46°F).
  • Mobility Requirements: Must be agile enough to lean over and use knee-high rocks for support and to be capable of moving in a crouched position.
  • Terrain: Navigating over loose, potentially slippery rocks is required. Expect to get slightly wet on days with moderate water flow. Lower Cave (aka Riverbend Resurgence) has a shallow stream that flows the length of the cave and can be more than ankle deep in places.
  • Access Route: Includes a 10 minute walk to Main Cave.
  • Entrance: Narrow, vertical squeeze 12 inches wide at stomach height, achievable by most with a side-stepping shuffle. Lower Cave requires some crouching at the entrance.
  • Features: Crystal formations, fossils, waterfall climb (up to 2.5 metres high), cave slide, ladders, optional crawling, and the famous (optional) Cheese Grater – tours typically include a brief period of total darkness (“lights-out” session).
  • Return: Requires a vertical squeeze and a 10 minute walk to the Visitor Centre
  • Cave Policy: Backpacks are not permitted inside the cave.
  • Tour Size: Min. 2 Max. 8
  • Preparation: Please arrive 30 minutes in advance to gear-up and sign Liability Waiver

Achilles Challenge 

 Strenuous, yet rewarding

Challenge Rating ✦✦✦✦✧ (must be fit enough to climb hills and vertical ladders) 
 
  • Age Limit: Minimum 13 years (requirement, not recommendation).
  • Duration: Approx. 4 hours
  • What to Wear: Strongly recommend sturdy footwear and long, warm clothing, nylon or poly-pro pants, shirt, sweater, jacket, gloves. (Optional cave suits for rent)
  • Cave Temperature: Maintains a constant 8°C (46°F).
  • Mobility Requirements: Must be able to navigate over loose and slippery rocks and pass through 3 crawlways. 
  • Access Route: Includes a moderately strenuous UPHILL trail for 1km (25 mins) broken up by several informative stops. 
  • Entrance: Entry via steep metal stairs, leading to wild, undeveloped terrain without walkways, railings, or lighting.
  • Features: Nature hike, crystal formations, fossils, Achilles Pot (magnificent 9 story chamber), crawling, climbing – tours typically include a brief period of total darkness (“lights-out” session).
  • Return: Exit involves a steep downhill trek back to the Visitor Centre.
  • Cave Policy: Backpacks are not permitted inside the cave.
  • Tour Size: Min: 2 Max: 6
  • Preparation: Please arrive 30 minutes in advance to gear-up and sign Liability Waivers
  • Maximum Harness Size: WAIST =114 cms. (45 inches). THIGH = 69 cms. (27 inches).

Max Depth Adventure 

Most challenging – not for the faint of heart!

 
Challenge Rating ✦✦✦✦✦ (must be fit enough to climb hills and vertical ladders)
 
  • Age Limit: Minimum 13 years (requirement, not recommendation – minors under 19 years of age must have a responsible adult accompanying them).
  • Duration: Approx. 6 hours, including a 1 hour outdoor rappelling demo/practice prior to entering Riverbend Cave (Approx. 4 hours 15 minutes in-cave). Some “emergency toilet bags” are available if necessary.
  • What to Wear: Strongly recommend sturdy footwear and long, warm clothing, nylon or poly-pro pants, shirt, sweater, jacket, gloves. (Optional cave suits for rent, rubber boots highly recommended, sturdy footwear mandatory).
  • Cave Temperature: Maintains a constant 8°C (46°F).
  • Mobility Requirements: Must be able to navigate over loose and slippery rocks and pass through 3 crawlways (kneepads available) about the same size as under a picnic table.
  • Crawlways: First crawlway is 1.5 body-lengths, second crawlway (mix of hands and knees/belly crawling) is 4-5 body lengths, third crawlway (mix of hands and knees/belly crawling) is 1.5 body lengths. 
  • The Siphon: The guide will drain a submerged section of the cave (“the siphon”) in order for explorers to crawl into the second half of Riverbend Cave. This may take up to 20minutes for the water to drain, giving enough time for a nice “lights out session”. 
  • Rappel: This trip requires negotiating 5 different rope stations starting with a rappel of 5.5m, (17 ft.), climbing down a 5m. (15 ft.) cable ladder followed by an 8m (25 ft.) traverse line and a 21m (68 ft.) rappel, always secured by rope. Returning to the surface requires re-tracing your steps back up all the vertical drops, back through “the siphon” and through crawlways. 
  • Access Route: Includes a moderately strenuous UPHILL trail for 1km (25 mins) broken up by several informative stops. 
  • Entrance: Entry via steep metal stairs, leading to wild, undeveloped terrain without walkways, railings, or lighting.
  • Features: Nature hike, crystal formations, fossils, The Rain Barrel (7 story chamber), Achilles Pot (magnificent 9 story chamber), rappelling, crawling, climbing – tours typically include a brief period of total darkness (“lights-out” session).
  • Return: Exit involves a steep downhill trek back to the Visitor Centre.
  • Cave Policy: Backpacks are not permitted inside the cave.
  • Tour Size: Min: 2 Max: 6
  • Preparation: Please arrive 30 minutes in advance to gear-up and sign Liability Waivers. Recommend bringing an energy bar or a small snack that fits in your pocket, gloves, and a warm hat or toque in case you get cold.
  • Maximum Harness Size: WAIST =114 cms. (45 inches). THIGH = 69 cms. (27 inches).