“On day 65 I stopped counting and lost perception of time,” says elite mountaineer Beatriz Flamini, who spent two years in a cave with no outside contact.
MADRID, Spain – A 50-year-old Spanish extreme athlete emerged on Friday, April 14, from a 500-day challenge living 70 meters deep in a cave outside Granada with minimal contact outside.
Flamini’s support team said she broke a world record for the longest time spent in a cave in an experiment monitored by scientists studying the human mind and circadian rhythms.Flamini began her challenge on Saturday, November 20, 2021 – before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the end of Spain’s COVID mask requirement, and the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
There were hard moments – such as when the cave was invaded by flies – and some “beautiful ones,” she said. “If this is your dream, and you’re realizing it, why are you going to cry?” “You have to remain conscious of your feelings. If you’re afraid, that’s something natural but never let panic in or you get paralyzed.”
Flamini was monitored by a group of psychologists, researchers, cave specialists and physical trainers looking for insight into how social isolation and disorientation can affect time, brain patterns, and sleep.