Exploring below the Rockies: 74-year-old still passionate for caving
Chas Yonge recently received medal for exploration of deep caves around the world
A lot of people travel to the Rocky mountains to climb peaks, but this 74-year-old geologist finds adventuring down into unknown caves more thrilling.
Charles Yonge, who goes by Chas, has recently been recognized for his caving adventures and received the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal, which recognizes outstanding Canadian explorers.
The Bow Valley adventurer says he's honoured by the award after exploring the world's darkest and deepest caves for more than 50 years.
Not only that, but caving has entered almost every aspect of his life.
For years, Yonge operated Canmore Cave Tours, leading people on natural history excursions.
The British native says it all began when he was 19 and started "pot-holing" — another name for exploring caves in northern England.
"When I went to university, there was this notice on the sports boards saying the pothole society is starting, and so I joined it and I was intrigued. I didn't know what these potholes were, so I joined it in ignorance," he said.
This led to him earning a PhD in karst paleoclimatology and taking part in cave research in the Rockies, the United Kingdom, Belize and Papua New Guinea.
Yonge explains that in a lot of cases, the caves he explores have never been seen before. He says we know the Everest of mountains, but we don't know the Everest of caves.
"I mean, sure, the technology of caving has gone on, but it's still basically humans going into caves and crawling around and finding new stuff," he said.
He adds that caving has grown in popularity over the years, and that the event he thinks really precipitated it was the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018.
"Things have moved on and and now I think caving is being recognized. Although it's rather something off in left field, it is becoming much more central," said the explorer.
Exploring the Rockies
When asked about his favourite cave, Yonge says he finds all caves interesting.
"There's a huge, huge variety. I mean, in the Rockies here, we have areas that still await exploration, and we've got beautiful caves with beautiful ice formations."
However, he says an exploration that was very memorable to him was the caves in Rogers Pass — the high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia.
"That is probably one of the most beautifully decorated caves in the country," he said.
"We actually took photographs in that cave where you were looking down a passage that's never been trodden by humans before."