Think you've been into the heart of the Canadian Rockies? Well, you can't truly say this until you have stood literally inside a mountain.

Not far from Canmore is a cave system under Grotto Mountain known as the Rats Nest. The temperature there stays constant year-round at about 5° Celsius or 42° F, making it accessible to intrepid folks who are looking for a fascinating change of pace from above-ground activities.

Bad news: It's not possible just to wander in and have a look around. The caves are off limits to the general public and are kept locked up by the provincial government for safety reasons.

Good news: This makes a trip with Canmore Caverns Ltd. all the better, as the visitor is among a select group who can enjoy the true caving experience with only a few other visitors present. This adventure tour company, based in Canmore, has the key to the lock that will open an underground world of delights.

A brief drive from Canmore, followed by a short walk up lovely Grotto Canyon, is all that it takes to get to the cave. Experienced guides lead the tour (the company's founder has a PhD in geology)
and provide all the equipment necessary. The focus is on learning as well as adventure, as the guides explain the forces behind creation of the cave.

There is a full day trip that features some rappelling, and a half-day trip that does not penetrate
quite so far into the cave. No experience is necessary - just a general level of fitness and a lack of fear of dark, dusty, confined spaces. Not that the whole trip is like that - but there are a few tight squeezes!

Emerging from the cave into the sunshine, having been right inside the mountain, it's impossible to look at the scenery in quite the same way. That is what's at the heart of the caving experience.