Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 36

A DVENTU R E

Scale an
Ice Canyon

Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARC TREMBLAY, CANYONING QUEBEC

Freeze it and they will climb.
The jumping, climbing and rappelling required
of canyoning are tough enough in the summer. But
imagine the challenges of negotiating a 41-metre drop
on a chunk of solid ice. Each winter, the frozen
cascades of the Jean-Larose Falls near the base of
Mont-Sainte-Anne, serve up the only ice canyoning
adventure anywhere in North America.
Ice canyoning is the brainchild of Marc Tremblay,
a seasoned caver, travel journalist and film producer.
He’s been a regular explorer of the caves around
Jean-Larose Falls since the 1980s, in between caving
trips to Mexico and Greenland. Marc and his team
of seasoned pros will show you the ropes... not to
mention the crampons, helmets and other gear you’ll
need. Not to worry, before you take on the frozen
falls, you’ll get to practise on some smaller descents.
(www.canyoning-quebec.com)

Spelunk the
Rat’s Nest
Canmore, Alberta

When the mountains get too crowded on
the outside, it’s time to head underground.
Up near the slopes of Grotto Mountain
lies the opening to the Rat’s Nest, a 4-km
stretch of meandering caverns 1.5 million
years in the making.
Regardless of the elements outside,
the Rat’s Nest maintains a rock-steady
temperature of 5° Celsius inside, making
this provincial historical site a yearround adventure. The hike from base
camp to the cave’s opening takes about 30
minutes. The time is well spent, though,
as your guide will regale you with tales of
geological miracles and you may even spot a
few bighorn sheep, bears or cougars along
the way.
Once inside the mouth of the Rat’s Nest,
you’ll rappel six stories, about 18 metres,
stopping every now and then to marvel
at the stalactites, stalagmites and crystal
clear pools that mother nature whipped
together eons ago.
(www.canmorecavetours.com)
36 six star magazine

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANMORE CAVE TOURS