Facing the fear

That was when McKay learned a skill that he has since relied upon in a wide range of circumstances: to get through the fear, face it down and push it to the back of your mind by focusing totally on the task at hand.

McKay is now a well-established independent financial planner in Surrey, B.C. and when he takes time off work, the Vancouver native engages in an activity that could hardly be more unlike parachuting: McKay’s off-work passion is climbing the walls of deep, underground caves, or as it’s also known, spelunking.

Luckily for McKay and his three daughters, who often join their dad on underground expeditions, some of the best caves for exploration in Canada are on Vancouver Island, which is mere hours away by ferry from the McKay family home in Langley. In fact, there are more than 1,000 known caves on the Island.

The McKay family also has a waterfront cabin near one of the Island’s caving meccas — Horne Lake, which is about 60 kilometres north of Nanaimo.

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park is a unique, 158-hectare area set aside as a protected area by the British Columbia government in 1971. The park features three main caves in which both professionally guided tours and self-guided tours are the attraction.

These deep caves are estimated to be as much as 120,000 years old. They contain many steep slopes, slippery sections and exposed drops, so even experienced cave explorers need to take extreme caution; inexperienced explorers are advised to take guided tours.

McKay and his daughters — 22-year-old Sarah, 20-year-old Jordan and 16-year-old Amy — regularly probe these caves, as well as the many abandoned mine shafts found throughout central Vancouver Island. However, while McKay’s wife, Sandi, is a keen participant in other Horne Lake outdoor activities, McKay says, she’s claustrophobic and won’t even stand at a cave entrance for a picture.

“Once you’re in these caves, it’s the darkest of dark. It’s damp, and very cold since there’s no radiant heat whatsoever,” McKay explains, adding that caves usually maintain a constant temperature of about 5°C year-round. “All you have to guide you is your flashlight, so you have to make sure you go in using a buddy system and have all the proper equipment.”

This gear includes spare flashlights, a protective helmet, first-aid kit, proper footwear for the slippery and jagged rocks, and warm clothing.

McKay adds that a significant part of caving is similar to mountain-climbing and, at Horne Lake, for example, one of the caves includes a section that requires rappelling down a 30-metre cliff.

So, what’s the appeal?

“I suppose encountering the unknown is part of the attraction,” McKay says. “But I think the biggest attraction — at least, for me — is the serenity that you encounter. There’s absolutely no sound; and when you turn off your flashlight, there’s absolute darkness. If there are not too many people with you in a cave, you can get a real sense of your inner self — it’s just you and nothing else.”

Visually, there are unusual stalactite and stalagmite formations growing from cave ceilings and floors, respectively, that take thousands of years to develop, vivid rock colours and magnificent underground waterfalls (some drop for dozens of metres) that inspire awe at every turn.

“A lot of these cave formations are very delicate,” McKay explains, “so you must be very careful about not touching or damaging them. And you’ll also find no purer water in the world — it’s crystal cold and incredibly good.”

McKay was introduced to spelunking while working for a public relations firm in Nashville. That region is well known for its extensive caves.

“The Confederate Army used this mammoth cave system to move men and material underground during the Civil War,” McKay says. “Even today, the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn., still gets its water from nearby caves.”

McKay also says the extensive cave exploring and other outdoors activities at Horne Lake have taught his daughters excellent life skills.

“There’s always a certain level of fear and anxiety for novice cavers, and it’s certainly not an activity for everyone,” McKay explains. “But caving especially teaches you how to be comfortable with your fears. And in business or another career, it’s often all about living with and managing fear.

“If my girls learn how to embrace a little bit of fear in a cave or while hiking or touring on [all-terrain vehicles] way off in the bush,” he adds, “they will realize that fear doesn’t have to be feared. The skills you learn in the outdoors are totally transferable to your career. These are among the best tools you can give your children.”

The McKay family also enjoys boating on the lake. As well, their hikes and ATV tours often take them over many old logging roads scattered throughout the region.

“Sure, you have to take precautions and know what to do if you meet a bear or a cougar in the woods,” McKay notes. “But that’s also part of learning important life skills.

“We even encounter 100-year-old abandoned bridges on our trips,” he adds. “We know they’re that old because the nails in the rotting beams are hand-forged and huge second-growth trees are growing in the structures as well.”

McKay, who is a licensed private pilot and certified scuba diver, agrees that the family’s time spent at Horne Lake is precious, and that taking breaks from work to rejuvenate yourself is very important.

“When you work, work hard,” McKay says. “But you must take time off to recharge yourself — and do something you enjoy. This allows you to be much more focused and efficient once you return to the job.”

Through his firm, Essential Financial Services, McKay specializes in serving public-sector employees such as police and government workers in retirement planning. Currently, McKay says, he’s managing roughly $18 million in assets.

McKay also is heavily involved in the Vancouver chapter of Advocis and will move into the chairman’s seat of that chapter in 2013.

As well, McKay’s daughters are now old enough to use the Horne Lake cabin as a getaway for themselves and their friends.

“But I do worry a bit about this,” McKay adds with a grin. “I know that when a bunch of 20-year-old girls hang out at a cabin, a bunch of 20-year-old boys won’t be far away.”  IE