With a helmet on his head, sunglasses, a big smile on his face and hands raised in victory: this is how Beatriz Flamini, a 49-year-old Spanish climber, left the cave where he was at 10:07 this Friday alone for 500 days, without contact with the outside world and not seeing the light of the sun.
A runner, who faced this challenge to understand how isolation can affect their physical and mental strengthon a trip that will be turned into a document of the production company that accompanied him (almost) the whole time, he was left among the group – which also included psychiatrists – and from the friends who were waiting for him at the exit. cave, in Granada.
A Spanish mountaineer spent 500 days in a cave without contact with the outside world
After breaking the record for the longest time any man has ever been alone in a cave, he left and said a few words to the press, between justifications and many smiles: “I have been silent for a year and a half, not talking to anyone but myself”, he emphasized, in a statement published by several Spanish media. “I want to be kind and talk to you, but if you’ll let me, I want to take a bath, I have been without water for a year and a half“, He explained, causing laughter in the group that was waiting for him and promised the explanation of the press conference outside.
??? HELPFUL!
??? Runner Beatriz Flamini leaves the cave in Motril where she spent 500 days to break the record.
??? @LaHoraTVEpic.twitter.com/xgwDcLYJAc
– Sportyou (@SportYou) April 14, 2023
Even so, he had time to share, in two words, what he experienced in this year and four months: “Good” and “unbeatable”.
A Spanish mountaineer spent 500 days in a cave without contact with the outside world
This was the first time since he entered the cave, at the age of 48, that Flamini saw and heard sunlight. In the cave he only used artificial light, which enabled him to read 60 books at that time. He was also exercising and had a computer installed to send him health messages – but they didn’t respond. And he was recording all the events, thanks to the documents that have not been made yet, with two Go Pro cameras (without a screen, so that he does not see the time or have a time).
The trip started on November 20, 2021, but it was revealed this week, when Flamini was about to reach his goal of 500 days. He left this Friday with the help of members of the Motril Speleological Activities Group (town in Granada where the cave is located) and seemed satisfied.
Even so, he will be examined by a psychiatrist. The experience has raised the concern of some experts: the newspaper “Marca” quoted this week several psychologists who explained that many days of isolation could cause Beatriz Flamini to have problems with memory, decision-making, attention, concentration, reaction time , thinking skills, depression. , anxiety and hallucinations, in addition to the risk of hormonal problems due to the lack of natural light.
The effects of the events, in isolation and confusion due to the lack of time references, will also be studied by the universities of Granada and Almería.