New Mysteries Unlocked as Hell Hole in California Explored by Cavers

A video of two cavers exploring Califirnia's Hell Hole was uploaded to a subreddit on Thursday and received over 15,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments in less than a day.

The video, titled Claustrophobia Engaged!, was originally published on the social media platform, YouTube, by Brandon Gross in 2019. As seen in the video, Gross' peers guided him into a very narrow entry that looks like it has been built into a massive solid rock wall.

Viral Video of Facing One's Fears

Gross and his guide then start to descend through a tiny tunnel, It was dark and the tunnel was only illuminated by their head torches. The two cavers found and followed a climbing rope that leads down into darkness as they went down through openings that are barely wider than their body.

The video shows how Gross pointed out that one of the tunnels was just the size of his foot.

Gross stated in the video description that he does not do well in tight spaces but he still decided to face his fears.

Eventually, the two cavers reach a larger area of the cave where they were able to stand up. However, Gross begins to feel uneasy, and panic sets in. He later calls it quits after navigating a little further through. This prompted his climb back to the cave entrance.

Caving and Claustrophobia

Gross shared that he went into the ordeal knowing that he was very claustrophobic but he loves to push himself and find his limits in everything he does.

The caver recounts how he has been to the cave four times at least at this point and has only made it to the very bottom, the end of the cave, once.

He admitted that there were times when he couldn't win the mental battle and had to leave. He tried to explain the difficulty of what went through his mind when he needed to get out; he simply became extremely uncomfortable and couldn't help but think about how long and difficult it would be to get back outside.

Gross went on to say that there have been a few occasions when he has been able to sit down and breathe for a few moments to calm down and continue pushing harder.

The overwhelming response to the video on Reddit appeared to be a resounding "nope," Newsweek reports.

A Reddit user who has seen the video had several panic attacks watching, a comment that gained around 2,700 upvotes.

Another wrote that watching the video as a person with claustrophobia is more horrifying compared to any horror film.

The fear of being confined in small spaces, known as claustrophobia, is unlikely to go well with caving. However, cave videos on the internet can garner millions of views, and they have an emotional impact on some viewers, as it touches on the topic of facing one's fears.

Calvin Sanders, a cave YouTuber, told the Guardian newspaper earlier this year that he appreciates the impact his videos have on some viewers. One of them wrote that they were getting better at watching the videos, having been able to watch an entire clip when he previously couldn't.

Exploring caves can be risky. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave a reminder that people should never go caving alone, and that those who plan to should make sure they tell someone who isn't going their estimated date of return. Cavers should also bring the proper equipment, which includes at least three light sources.