Bat Caves and Ziplining at Arbraska Lafleche

As frequent readers of the blog may know, I am someone who greatly enjoys outdoor tourism. From ziplining, to kayaking, I feel like there are few things I have yet to check off my bucket list. Something I hadn't done before this weekend is spelunking, more commonly known as cave exploration. Luckily,I was able to not only ride a zipline for this weekend’s excursion at Arbraska Lafleche, I also visited my first cave- and because it's hibernation season, I wasn’t alone in it.

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff of Arbraska Lafleche. We met our guide, who gave us our helmets, ready to bring us to the cave. He led the way, educating us about how caves form and the geology of the area. After a short walk, we arrived at Gatineau’s puncture in the Canadian Shield: Caverne Lafleche.

We entered through a man-made tunnel, dodging ice stalactites and stalagmites. Our guide then opened the door, at which point we turned on the flashlights and walked in. Almost immediately, I looked up and saw a bat!  It was half the size of my hand, black, covered in frost and hanging upside down directly above my head. As I looked forward, dozens more bats were revealed, scattered in miscellaneous clumps on the cave ceiling, all deep in hibernation. A spooky sight to some, but definitely a rare glimpse into this part of nature.

We continued walking through the cave, seeing some small lakes along the way. Throughout the tour, our guide informed us on bats, the history of the cave, and some more geology. At one point, I was allowed to squeeze into a small tunnel that led to a chamber with more water, and carvings from explorers that had been there decades earlier.

We then made our way up a steep metallic staircase, where we entered another chamber. It was here that our guide got us to turn off our lights and experience what the cave is really like: pitch black and silent, with occasional interruptions from dripping water and chirps from half-sleeping bats.

With that perspective into the subterranean world, we returned to the sun’s domain, at which point I continued my vertical ascent to Arbraska Lafleche’s zip line. The zipline overlooked the lake that is connected to the cavern water, with a beautiful view of Canadian shield mountains covered in evergreens. Once it was my turn to go, I jumped off the platform and flew through the air above the scenic park, just as the bats below me will in the spring. A fitting end to a great visit. 

From the depths of the earth, to the thrills of the sky, I had a wonderful time at Arbraska Lafleche. On top of cave tours and ziplining, the park also offers hiking (snowshoeing in certain conditions) and a full zipline-powered aerial trek in the forest. These are all suitable for ages 5+. There is also a night trek via zipline for ages 16+. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.