Experts Went To The Bottom Of The World’s Deepest Cave — Now They’re Rushing To Escape

September 16, 2018, started off business as usual for the group of British and Russian cavers exploring the world’s deepest cave. But when rogue floodwaters roared into their campsite, they were forced to make a life-or-death decision. Would they make it out in one piece? Or would they remain trapped in a watery grave?

For decades, brave explorers and scientists have been descending into the bowels of this planet, conducting research that helps us to understand the farthest reaches of our world. But what happens when things go wrong? The story of the flooding at Veryovkina cave serves as a cautionary tale — as well as a riveting account of man versus nature at its most extreme.

When the explorers made their fateful journey, Veryovkina had not been a record-breaking chasm for long. Part of a mountainous outcrop known as the Arabika Massif, the vast cave is located in Abkhazia, a region in the south Caucasus with a complex geopolitical past. Considered by most to belong to the country of Georgia, it effectively functions as an independent state.

Thankfully, political tensions in the region have not prevented numerous scientists and explorers from visiting over the years. And it’s a good job, too. Within the Arabika Massif are no less than four of the deepest caves in the world, including Veryokvina, which stretches more than 7,000 feet underground. 

So what is it about this region that produces such incredible formations? Well, according to the experts it’s all about the landscape of the Arabika Massif — a type of terrain known as karst. Consisting of layers of soluble limestone, it’s riddled with the sort of systems of drainage under the surface that can easily become caves or sinkholes.

And nowhere is that more obvious than at Veryovkina, which was first explored by Soviet cavers, or speleologists, back in 1968. These early pioneers, though, had no idea just how deep this network stretched, reaching a depth of less than 400 feet before turning back. Then, 15 years later, another expedition ventured further into the darkness.

On that occasion, the explorers climbed through an opening and discovered a whole new section of cave, stretching for almost 1,500 feet. But even this was hardly a significant find. After all, the deepest-known network at the time, Austria’s Lamprechtsofen, reached more than 5,500 feet — the equivalent of nearly 40 miles.

In fact, it wasn’t until the beginning of the 21st century that explorers realized just how far underground Veryovkina, and the other chambers in the Arabika Massif, actually went. In 2001, for example, the neighboring Krubera cave took over the title of deepest in the world for a short time after speleologists reached 5,610 feet — just beating Lamprechtsofen.

But Krubera’s moment in the spotlight was not to last. Around the same time, two caving clubs from Moscow, Speleoclub Perovo and Perovo Speleo, began exploring the depths of Veryovkina. And at first, they struggled to get past the depth first reached back in 1983. Then, in June 2016 all that changed.

Climbing through a newly discovered shaft, the team from Perovo Speleo discovered a network of passages stretching to a depth of more than 2,000 feet. And that was just the beginning. Over the next few months, subsequent expeditions found their way farther and farther into the cave. Eventually, in February 2017 the explorers reached 6,010 feet, setting a new world record in the process. 

The journey, though, was fraught with danger. As the cavers traveled deeper and deeper underground, the risk of a fatal accident or cave-in grew. Nevertheless, they continued to explore Veryovkina, ultimately passing 7,000 feet in August 2017. And seven months later, they measured the bottom of a submerged passage at 7,257 feet, a record that remains today.

To reach this point, the team had to travel underground for four days, stopping overnight at a series of makeshift campsites along the way. But it was far from an easy journey. Plunging almost vertically into the earth, Veryovkina presents a challenge to even the bravest and most experienced of cavers. 

Despite the difficulties, though, the cavers decided to return to the lowest point of Veryovkina in September 2018, just six months after their initial trip. This time, the team consisted of leader Pavel Demidov and Russian speleologists Andrey Shuvalov, Andrey Zyznikov, Andrey Sizikov, Petr Lubimov, Konstantin Zverez, Roman Zverez, Evgeniy Rybka, and Natalia Sizikova.

But the Russians weren’t alone. Tagging along for the ride were Robbie Shone, a photographer for National Geographic magazine, and his assistant, Jeff Wade, both British citizens living overseas. Heading down into the depths, they must have known that they were in for an adventure — but they couldn’t have predicted just how deadly their mission would become.

According to National Geographic, the purpose of this trip was manifold. During their return to the deepest known point in Veryovkina, the team planned to take biological samples, studying rare species of scorpion and shrimp. Spotted on their previous visit, the creatures, they believed, might even turn out to be an entirely new species.

At the same time, Shone’s presence would allow the team to visually document the farthest reaches of the cave. In a 2018 interview with National Geographic, the photographer described the sight that awaited them. He said, “A beautiful turquoise lake… surrounded by jet-black limestone. It’s such a beautiful — but at the same time, eerie — location.”  

For four days, the team descended through the cave system, climbing down thousands of feet and crawling through tight passages choked with water and mud. And despite their large packs, they were forced to cram themselves into the tiniest of spaces en route to the lowest of the Veryovkina camps.

Finally, less than 100 feet above the lowest point of the cave, the group reached their destination. And for the next three days, they based themselves there, camping out in bivouacs, conducting research and exploring their surroundings. At one point, Shone even managed to take the first ever photograph of the lake at the terminus of Veryovkina.

But as the team toiled underground, a disaster was brewing. For days, heavy rain had been falling on the Arabika Massif region, saturating the ground and making caving an even more precarious activity. And when Natalia Sizikova and Roman Zverev left the camp earlier than the others, they discovered something alarming at 4,265 feet. 

Having stopped at a higher camp on their way out of the cave, Sizikova and Zverez spotted a flood pulse running through the chambers below. Typically, these bursts of water occur after a period of intense heavy rain — and they’re a relatively common sight underground. Nevertheless, the pair used a wire to alert their friends to the potential danger on the horizon. 

Far below, an unearthly rumble shook the ground as water roared through the network of caves. Speaking to National Geographic, Shone said, “It got louder and louder. I will never forget that sound.” But despite the terrifying noises, the team were not overly worried about the flood pulse at first. 

After all, the camp was located in a side tunnel away from the main shaft, where water was beginning to cascade at an alarming rate. Surely, then, all the cavers had to do was wait out the flood? But when they heard gurgling noises coming from a hole near their tents, they realized that things were about to spiral out of control.

According to National Geographic, Lyubimov peered down the hole and saw water rising fast. Shone recalled, “When Petr turned and looked at me, his face was white. And I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness. We have to leave right now. We cannot wait. If we just hang around, we’re all going to die.”

Scrambling to get their belongings together, the team prepared to make the ascent back up through the main shaft. But with water still pouring down into the belly of the cave, that was easier said than done. Parting ways with Lyubimov, who lingered to wait for his compatriots to catch up, Shone and Wade began the climb alone.

After traversing a 65-foot, water-filled cavern, the National Geographic reports, Shone and Wade faced a terrifying challenge. The only way up, they knew, was to follow the ropes — but these were now submerged in the raging torrent. Out of other options, the pair struggled onwards through the powerful waterfall.

“It felt like my head was being squashed into my shoulders,” Shone recalled. “All I could see was the white rope in front of me. And I just kept moving the ascender up a little bit at a time. I was saying to myself, ‘Just keep going. Just keep doing this.’” 

But the worst was still to come. Above him, Shone saw a narrow passage of rock, barely big enough for one person to squeeze through. Even under normal conditions, it would have been a challenging climb — but now it was filled with fast-flowing water. He said, “I just thought, ‘You’re joking. I physically can’t get through that. Where am I going to go? There’s no air space, there’s nothing.’”

However, Shone knew that getting through that impossible crack was the only chance that he and his assistant had at survival. So he took a deep breath and pushed forwards. Eventually, he made his way through to the other side — with Wade following close behind. Safe at last, they marveled over their miraculous escape.

“Jeff’s face was white and he had massive eyes,” Shone recalled. “And he just said, ‘Bloody hell, we’re alive.’” But the whole team wasn’t out of the woods just yet. Down below, the Russians would still need to make the same perilous journey. And with every moment, the water was rising even higher.

At the higher camp, National Geographic reports, the two men found supplies and settled down to wait for the others to emerge. Meanwhile, down below, the situation was even graver than when Shone and Wade had begun their climb. With some of the ropes now completely underwater, the Russians were forced to swim to begin their ascent.

Somehow, every one of the eight-man team made it out of the lower camp alive. But their ordeal wasn’t over yet. As they recuperated, Shone fretted over a siphon high above them that would now be blocked by the flood, preventing them from exiting from the cave. He said, “If the water had risen high enough to reach us, it would’ve been game over.”

Fortunately, the flood pulse finally abated overnight — leaving the route out of the cave clear. And while the expedition was no doubt a terrifying one, it ultimately served to educate the speleological community about Veryovkina and its limitations. Previously, you see, experts had believed that the system only became waterlogged during the winter months.

After the events of September 2018, however, they realized that this was not the case. And moving forward, those working in and around Veryovkina hope to establish warning systems that will prevent such an incident from happening again. According to the National Geographic, there are also plans to establish a second camp at the bottom of the cave to provide alternate shelter in flooded conditions.

Looking back on the expedition, the team have deemed it a success — despite the fact that they were forced to leave Veryovkina earlier than intended. After all, they were able to collect biological samples for analysis and expand their knowledge of the system, much of which remains a mystery even today. 

“This is the pinnacle of human endeavor in the caving world,” Shone told National Geographic. But what of his snapshots, the first to capture the farthest corners of the world’s deepest cave? Unfortunately, in his hurry to abandon the swiftly flooding camp, the photographer had been forced to leave his expensive equipment behind.

After the water had dropped to more manageable levels, Demidov returned to the camp to see what he could salvage. The cameras, however, were beyond repair. But that didn’t mean that Shone was left entirely empty-handed. As he fled the camp, you see, he had the foresight to remove the memory cards first.

Thanks to Shone’s quick thinking, his photographs of Veryovkina survive, as does a video shot by the Russian party as they made their way out of the cave. Through these, we are able to catch a glimpse into a fascinating subterranean world — and imagine what it must have been like to be trapped so far underground. 

Today, Shone has nothing but admiration for his fellow survivors. He said, “With caving, you need to save energy to be able to get yourself out two kilometers of ropes. This team had the strength, the reserves, mentally and physically, to deal with the worst situation. That’s not only why they’re exploring the deepest cave in the world so successfully, but why we all survived.”

Unfortunately, even the most skilled survivors can struggle in the unforgiving conditions of the subterranean world. On August 23, 2020, Demidov perished while attempting to explore a new network elsewhere in the Arabika Massif. And in the next year, a team from Speleoclub Perovo discovered the body of an unfortunate caver some 3,600 feet underground. Hopefully, these tragedies will serve as a reminder of just how perilous places such as Veryovkina can be.