Located just outside of (and partially beneath) Budapest, in Hungary there is a 20+ km long cave system. Currently the longest in Hungary, the Pál-völgyi-Mátyás-hegyi cave system located in the Duna-Ipoly National Park offers the opportunity to do explore Hungary's depths. This footage is from a guided caving trip which took us into the labyrinth on a ~3 hour adventure. While some of the spaces in the video may look tight, I was only able to pause and film in more open spaces, so as you might imagine...this footage is only a taste of the adventure. In super tight quarters - sometimes so narrow that the only way to pass was with arms outstretched forward or pressed against one's body, helmet turned sideways to fit, and legs pushing furiously to wriggle and worm through the cave's tiny openings. It's the first time I've ever felt the sensation of true claustrophobia. After nearly getting stuck several times I found my heart racing, breathing growing faster and faster, and hands shaking from adrenaline. To be honest, about 2/3 of the way through I strongly considered asking the guides for an easier way out (and hoping one existed). Luckily, I decided to push on, fingers crossed that my 6'4" 200 pound frame wouldn't get me permanently stuck. It was a fantastic adventure. Just don't try it if you've got shoulder or knee injuries and definitely skip it if you're even the slightest bit claustrophobic.

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