People 'can't breathe' while watching video of caver getting stuck in extremely tight cave
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Caveman Hikes
An excruciating video of a man squeezing through a tiny cave has left people vowing never to go caving themselves.
If you suffer from claustrophobia, you might want to give this clip a miss:
Caveman Hikes is a YouTube channel run by uncle and nephew team Jacob and Calvin Sanders.
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Now, there is plenty of pulse-racing footage of people caving knocking about on the web, but the Sanders' videos are among the most extreme.
The daring duo have tons of nightmare-fuel on their YouTube channel, generally tempting fate with impossibly small squeezes and raising viewers' blood pressure.
Jacob told the Guardian in 2022: "When I first went in caves, I was terrified.
"Caves will always surprise me. Is it going to be wet? Is it going to be dry? Is it going to be cold, dirty, muddy, clean?
"Is it going to be, like, pretty or is it going to be super ugly, you know, like a crawly cave that’s all spiky?"
One of the pair's videos is making people nauseous with anxiety, showing Calvin ripping his clothes to shreds trying to squeeze through a narrow cavern.
He says in the video while in a particular dicey spot: "A lot of people ask why we do this and you're never going to get a sufficient answer.
"Why do wake up in the morning? What drives you? What makes you want to get up and study a subject or go to work or go hang out with your friends?
"Really, nothing. That's just life. Really this is our way of living, it is not our way of dying. It is our way of destroying shirts, but our bodies are just fine."
The video - shared in 2022 - explains that the brave pair and their team were trying to map a new cave they'd discovered, meaning they could be faced with all sorts of unexpected obstacles.
Calvin describes a couple of specific techniques he uses to stop himself from getting stuck in the tightest parts.
For example, in the YouTube video he has a piece of cardboard underneath him which he can use to reduce friction.
Likewise, in another section he described pulling his t-shirt up first, and then moving inside his t-shirt to edge his way forward.
All this with thousands of tons of rock and earth surrounding you.
Call me odd, but that just doesn't sound fun.
People piled into the comments to share their thoughts about the hobby, and many were horrified at just how small the caves can get.
One person joked: "The best part about caving is you don't have to do it."
Another said: "I love waking up every day and having the choice not to do caving."
A third person found it difficult to even watch the video, saying: "I couldn’t breathe while watching this video."
Another asked why caving, writing: "Sky diving, deep sea diving, mountain climbing. I can see the appeal and thrill of these activities. WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF CAVING?!"
But not everyone responded like this, with one person commenting it's good to find something we like doing, but to take proper precautions.
They wrote: "I'm glad you found something you enjoy! Just remember to stay safe!"