Last weekend I did something I've never thought of doing, until Essa told me about it and I was like yes why not :)
Horne lake caves are natural caves situated on Vancouver Island.
We came prepared with long pants and long sleeves like the website said, we also had a total other outfit for after. The tour we did is called the wet and wild, the days before it rained a lot so we rented some boots and bought some cloves on the spot. Lucky we did cause the water was high in the caves.We were a small good group and the guide gave us a lot of information. First we started with a hike uphill to get to the first cave.
The first cave we did was said to be the easy one :) I was thinking really? There were big rocks to go down on, we were told to always have 3 body parts touching the ground. So your arms, legs or bum should always touch the ground. The further down we went the more we heard the water that was flowing under us. We also went up like 2 steps to see a buda in the rocks in the middle of a little pool of water. At some point we all went to sit down and turned out our flashlights, a minute sitting in pitch black listening to the water, magical moment it was. Then we went back up and to the second cave.
To get into the second cave we had to go through a narrow passage, where I got stuck, because I was to short...But with some help it worked out :) We couldn't touch the whole right side of the caves cause that was crystallized rock and protected. So here I found out why the first cave was the easy one...It was so small in the second one and sometimes you got to almost crawl to move on. At some point we all stopped at a waterfall in the cave. That was when the guide said, we're going up, climbing the waterfall. He said we didn't have to, but we could all do it. So I was like ok lets to this :)The waterfall was in 3 levels, at the second level there was a really small passage. Again I was to short to get over it, but the guide lent me his leg to stand up on, poor guy :( I won't lie, it was hard for me to get to the top, but I was so happy that I did it. And not once I was thinking of being afraid or that I was doing something crazy. Oooh yeah the only protection we had was a helmet with a flashlight on top, no ropes or whatever. After the waterfall we went further on and got down on a slide and went back out the cave.
The third cave we did was narrow as well. At some point we went down to the water and we could only do that on our bum because the rocks were to wet and slippery. Then once with our feet in the water the guide showed us a whole in the rocks and said you're going through that now...So we did :) We came out in a little cave and he said to turn of our lights, then he lighted up a piece of the rock and turned his light out. And the rock gave light, so cool to see :)Then we had to go back out through the same little whole in the rocks and the guide said to go head first, which seemed weird, but else we would be in the water with our whole body :) So for some reason I went first, it went ok just got some water in one of my boots :)
Then we were standing like what it seemed closed in, so I asked where are we getting out? And he pointed to a horizontal crack in a rock, I was thinking no way I can fit there. He showed us how exactly to follow his lead, so thats what I did...and I passed, but ripped my pants while doing it hahaha :)
After that we went back down and it was the end of our adventure.
We did need to change, cause we were wet and dirty :) and I had ripped my pants hahaha.
I had a great time and never thought I was going to say one day that I climbed a waterfall in a cave :)
The only downside was the days after, when my legs were in so much pain of all the efforts I did. Till this day my 'bad' knee is still hurting. But it was well worth it :)
I had a great adventure with Essa, once again :)
And if you guys are ever on Vancouver Island, this is something worth doing!!!
Love,
Sarah
