She had no idea about the Ukraine war and didn’t know that the corona pandemic was over. The Spaniard Beatriz Flamini voluntarily lived underground for 500 days in complete isolation – in a cave about 70 meters deep in the southern Spanish province of Granada. “I haven’t spoken to anyone this whole time, just myself,” said the 50-year-old mountaineer, climber and caver a few minutes after climbing out of the hole on Friday at 9:07 a.m. with a big smile and much media hype. “I’ll tell you how it was down there (…) But if you allow me, I’ll take a shower first because I haven’t touched the water for a year and a half,” she said, laughing out loud in front of the cameras of the state TV station RTVE and other media that reported live for hours from the Costa Tropical in Granada. After she came out again, Flamini hugged for about ten minutes with family and friends and also with researchers who led and accompanied the project. The woman was visibly moved, tears of joy not only flowed from her.
Flamini, described by the media as an “elite athlete”, appeared healthy and emotionally healthy, although she admitted she initially struggled to keep her balance. Contrary to the recommendation, when the sun was shining brightly, she not only took off her protective helmet, but also her dark glasses. In her first brief statement, she described the experience as “excellent, can’t be beat, can’t be beat!”. The “Timecave” project, captured on video, was directed and accompanied by researchers from various disciplines from the Universities of Granada and Almería. According to her, Flamini has had no contact with the outside world at all since the experiment began in November 2021. Among other things, she had no watch and no telephone. She had electricity and a laptop with which she was able to send information to the outside world but not receive it.
According to the Spanish researchers, Flamini broke the “world record” set by Italian Christine Lanzoni, who spent exactly 269 days in a cave in 2007. “It’s an unforgettable day,” caver Paco Morales told RTVE. “Beatriz came out with incredible vitality and strength. Hats off.” The experiment caused a stir in Spain – and also pride. “Great, these are our women,” said pensioner Rosa (82), who watched the RTVE broadcast in a café in Madrid. Flamini became the heroine of the day in Spain. She and her team have even been praised by members of the left-wing government. The Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Hector Gómez, appreciated the courage of the woman. The experiment was by no means just a “test of courage”. The researchers want to investigate the effects of complete isolation and, among other things, determine whether this has led to neuropsychological and cognitive changes. There should also be a documentary.
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But how was life in the dark cave? According to the information, Flamini had a tent there. The team regularly provided them with tons (a total of one and a half) of food, water, coffee and other supplies, which were left in a “safe zone”. This zone was monitored by camera around the clock. For security reasons, Flamini had to stop by there regularly, “so that we could be sure that she was okay,” says Morales. “She sent us videos, read 60 books, (…) she wrote poems and stories.” Of course there were also difficult moments. One of the videos released shows Flamini throwing his hands in front of his face in desperation and saying, “What a terrible day, I just want to cry all the time.” “But she has a lot of experience, survival experience, so she had everything under control,” Morales said.
In a press conference held just two and a half hours after completing her endurance feat, Flamini revealed that she’s not self-centered either. “I also do this because I think it can help to help and improve (other people’s lives)”. She’s learned a lot and thinks she’s “a better person” now. She “enjoyed” the experience, and the time flew by. “For me it was just like 160, 170 days.” Anyone who thinks that Beatriz Flamini has had enough of adventures after 500 days of absolute solitude is very wrong. “She’s already planning her next adventure,” cave explorer Morales revealed.
