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If these artifacts are real, what would it mean?

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We would change the whole history of the world.

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This is a bottomless pit.

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Look at the size of this room.

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Snake, back up, back up, back up.

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This just got real.

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Come on, Tess!

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My job is to investigate legends.

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But there's one story that, if I'm being honest, I've avoided.

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Because, frankly, it makes me nervous.

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I know it won't be easy.

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But then again, great adventures seldom are.

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In the mid-1960s, a prospector named Juan Moritz

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treks into the dangerous jungles of Ecuador

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and discovers a foreboding and seemingly endless cave.

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Inside, he claims to find man-made architecture,

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perfectly carved walls and ceilings,

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and in the deepest recesses,

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a collection of shimmering metallic tablets,

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inscribed with mysterious symbols.

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He believes they represent a priceless library of knowledge

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left by an advanced ancient civilization.

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Others decry it as an elaborate lie.

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A best-selling book brings international attention to the story,

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which inspires a major expedition

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launched by engineers Stanley Hall

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and none other than astronaut Neil Armstrong.

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The team reaches the remote cave

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and maps part of its interior,

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but the location of the metal library remains an enigma.

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Now, Eileen Hall is picking up where her father left off,

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and a team of geologists is planning on pushing deeper

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into the cave than ever before.

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The golden tablets of the metal library could be worth millions.

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They could rewrite history,

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or they could be nothing more than an elaborate hoax.

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And so, it's time to solve this mystery once and for all.

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My name is Josh Gates.

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With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration,

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I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.

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It's just straight down! Unbelievable!

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My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth

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as I investigate the greatest legends in history.

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We're good to try, let's go.

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This is Expedition Unknown.

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My mission to check out the metal library begins in Cuenca, Ecuador.

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When it comes to beautiful colonial cities,

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Ecuador's capital of Quito gets all the attention,

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and maybe that's a good thing,

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because it means that here in the colonial city of Cuenca,

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the streets are quieter, cleaner, and a lot more laid back,

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making this place a truly undiscovered gem.

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With dozens of people in the city,

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the city is a place of great success.

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It's a gem.

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With dozens of stunning churches and a quaint central square,

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Cuenca may look like a slice of Europe,

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but we're in the heart of South America.

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Perhaps the most famous thing about Cuenca

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is its most fashionable export.

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The always stylish Panama hat.

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Don't be fooled by the name.

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These hats were actually born right here in Ecuador.

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And at the Homero Ortega factory,

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they still weave, die, and sell these iconic beauties.

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This one, look at me. Look at this.

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El jefe.

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And the real deal doesn't come cheap.

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How much is this guy?

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$2,000.

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$2,000?

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There you go. I'm gonna hand that right back to you.

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It's a beautiful hat.

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I'm just gonna look at that one from afar, I think.

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Originally called a toquilla,

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in 1906, trendsetter Teddy Roosevelt

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was photographed wearing one while visiting the Panama Canal,

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and the name just stuck.

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Too much?

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I try on hat after hat.

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Now?

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Until I finally meet my match.

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Ooh, wait a minute.

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It's speaking to me.

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This is your hat.

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This is my hat?

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Yes.

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This is my genuine Panama hat from Ecuador.

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All right, let's do it.

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To solve the mystery of the Meta Library,

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my wild adventure begins in an unlikely place.

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A lawyer's office.

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Gerardo.

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I'm here to meet the attorney who represented

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the original explorer who discovered

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the so-called Meta Library.

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Oh, thanks.

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So, look, I know you were a big part of the beginning of this story.

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You knew the main man here, Juan Mariz.

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Well, I didn't know Juan Mariz until the first day

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he showed up in my office.

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He told me the most incredible story

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about the Subterranean world.

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And when you say Subterranean world, you mean like a cave?

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It's not exactly a cave.

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It's just a whole world.

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In 1965, prospector Juan Mariz travels deep into the Amazon

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and discovers a gaping vertical crack in the Earth.

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The natives call Cueva de los Taos, or the Taos Cave.

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Inside, he finds a labyrinth of what appear to be man-made tunnels,

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and in the deepest recesses, a collection of artifacts

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unlike anything seen before.

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And what did he say was down there?

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A library.

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A metallic library in some particular cavity.

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There are metallic plates all over them.

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Mariz returned and drew up legal documents to stake his claim.

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May I see?

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Yes.

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Wow.

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So this is an official deed saying that Juan Mariz discovered this place.

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To prove that the cave and metal library exist,

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Mariz mounts a larger expedition,

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taking along the lawyer and a team of explorers

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who trek into the wilds of the Amazon.

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This is from when he took you out there?

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Exactly.

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It's a photograph of Mr. Mariz.

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Wow.

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Mariz is good to his word and leads them to the mouth

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of a terrifyingly deep cave.

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After using ropes to reach the bottom,

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he shows off formations that appear to be anything but natural.

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It looks man-made.

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And this arch, too.

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It looks like masonry.

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He was telling the truth.

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But what about the metal library?

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These incredible artifacts from this advanced civilization,

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none of that is anywhere to be found.

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He said, this is just the beginning.

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So it's much deeper?

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Much deeper.

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Peña tells me that they exhausted their supplies within the cave

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and were forced to turn back before reaching the library.

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Do you believe that he actually saw this library deeper in the caves?

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Yes, he saw it.

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How do you prove it's real, then?

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You have to rediscover it.

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You have to find it.

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That is the only possible proof.

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And so Juan Mariz wrote the first chapter in the legend of the metal library

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by discovering the remote cave,

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and the story could have ended there.

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But like all great plots, this one has a twist.

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The introduction of a surprise character.

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Father Crespi, the priest that supposedly had actual metallic artifacts

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from the mysterious cave,

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artifacts that may still be here in the city of Cuenca.

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So who was this priest?

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And did he really have materials from the metal library?

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To find out, I'm headed to the Pumapungo Museum

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to meet archaeologist Dr. Florencio Delgado

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in the usually restricted archives.

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Ho-ho! My God!

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How many pieces are down here?

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Around 10,000.

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10,000 that are not even on display?

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No, they are in reserve.

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That's extraordinary.

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And out of the 10,000, how many come from the collection of this priest,

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this Father Crespi?

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Around 5,000.

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In the 1920s, Italian missionary Father Carlos Crespi Croci

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is stationed in Ecuador to minister

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to the indigenous Schwar Indian community.

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He also collects thousands of artifacts from the natives,

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including mysterious metal plates

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that are purportedly from the Tio's cave.

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The tablets attract the attention of author Eric Vondanikan.

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In 1972, he publishes The Gold of the Gods,

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a worldwide best-selling book

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that concludes that the metal plates are not only real,

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but were made by an ancient civilization

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that had contact with extraterrestrials.

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And so, what do we know about the metal pieces?

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We don't know much. It hasn't been studied.

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Is it possible to see any of those pieces?

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Yeah, they are not in public display,

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but we can arrange to show you.

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Really? Yes.

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I would love to go to look at them.

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Let's go.

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The most controversial objects in the Crespi collection

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are held in the museum's secure lab,

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and many have never been shown to the public before.

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This is the Archaeology Conservation Lab.

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Okay.

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This is the museum.

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I'm Josh.

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I have an introduction.

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There you go.

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Marcos, nice to meet you.

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Okay, so, where are the materials?

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Here they are.

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This is it?

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This is it.

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Let's see it.

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Guys.

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Oh, my God.

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We also get a look at metal tablets

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that were supposedly taken from the cave

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and brought back to civilization.

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Oh, my God.

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Are you kidding me?

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No, they are.

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Look at this stuff.

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The artifacts are beyond strange.

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While some look like existing native art

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and can be easily dismissed,

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other pieces look completely bizarre.

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What's going on here?

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These don't look like anything I've ever seen before.

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You know, look at this.

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Looks like an elephant.

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Looks like an elephant.

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Right.

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An old-world iconography.

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Something that nobody in the ancient Americas would have seen.

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And what about this strange one with the hole in it?

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I hate to use the A word, but it looks kind of alien.

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Well, this is exactly why some people have claimed

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that this might be alien.

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If these artifacts are real, what would it mean?

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It would change the whole history of the world.

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This would give us evidence of a civilization

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that we know nothing about.

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Exactly.

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So how do you determine if it's real?

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We need to look at the components of the material

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and try to compare with chemical composition

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of archaeological metals.

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We may be able to help with that part.

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Really?

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We wheel in an X-ray fluorescent spectrometer, or XRF,

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a highly specialized tool that I've brought along

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for just such an occasion.

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It's like a Star Trek tricorder.

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Just point it at an object, squeeze the trigger,

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and it detects the exact atomic elements inside that object.

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So it is copper, but it's filled with zinc.

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It's a big percentage.

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Modern alloys indicate certain artifacts aren't ancient.

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89.52% lead.

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Lead.

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And if that's lead...

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It's definitely modern.

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Yeah, no lead production in ancient times.

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No lead production in ancient times.

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Now let's try our literal metal plates.

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All right.

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But then the results turn from disappointing

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to much more interesting.

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Wait a minute.

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Oh, copper 99.

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Pure copper.

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Yes, that's pure copper.

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That means it may not be modern.

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The plate's composition and general state of corrosion

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indicate that it might indeed be ancient.

271
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,000
Or what if it's just a modern piece

272
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,000
made with ancient techniques?

273
00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,000
There's only one way to find out.

274
00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000
So how do we solve the mystery?

275
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,000
We have to go to the source.

276
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:02,000
We have to go to the cave.

277
00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,000
To the cave?

278
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000
Florencio is eager to join,

279
00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000
and we hit the streets to gather supplies

280
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,000
before leaving beautiful Cuenca in our rear view

281
00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,000
and setting off on a journey into the true unknown.

282
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:20,000
What do you think of my new hat?

283
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,000
Did you know the Panama hat is from Ecuador?

284
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,000
Of course.

285
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,000
Florencio and I put together a team of scientists

286
00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,000
and climbing experts that will meet us at the cave.

287
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000
But Florencio tells me we're collecting

288
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,000
our most important team member

289
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000
just a few miles outside of town.

290
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,000
Do you know that there is one person

291
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,000
we have to pick up along the way?

292
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,000
Okay, who?

293
00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,000
It's Eileen Hall.

294
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,000
The donor of the explorer?

295
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:53,000
Yes.

296
00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,000
Wow, okay.

297
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,000
After the publication of Von Donnecken's book

298
00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,000
Gold of the Gods,

299
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,000
Scottish engineer Stanley Hall

300
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,000
becomes obsessed with the legend.

301
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000
In 1976, he launches the largest ever expedition

302
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,000
to Tios Cave,

303
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,000
deploying more than 100 scientists

304
00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,000
and military personnel to reach the site.

305
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,000
Oh, and if that isn't badass enough,

306
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000
the honorary expedition president

307
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,000
is none other than astronaut Neil Armstrong.

308
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000
Hall, Armstrong, and the team reach the cave,

309
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,000
descend, and map a sizable portion of the tunnels.

310
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,000
Like explorer Juan Mareeks before them,

311
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,000
they also describe strange architectural features

312
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,000
that seem man-made.

313
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,000
But the metal tablets elude them.

314
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,000
It's tough here.

315
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,000
There she is.

316
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,000
Hello.

317
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,000
Hi, how are you?

318
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,000
Hi, Josh.

319
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:47,000
Now, more than 40 years later,

320
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,000
Eileen Hall is determined to finish the work

321
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,000
her father started.

322
00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,000
So you're the daughter of the famous expedition leader.

323
00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:55,000
I am indeed, yes.

324
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,000
It's great to meet you.

325
00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,000
I'm very excited to be here, Josh.

326
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,000
Eileen, did you know that Panama hats are from Ecuador?

327
00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,000
Yes, of course, everybody knows that.

328
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,000
And so I'm learning.

329
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,000
Did you talk with your father a lot about his expedition?

330
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000
I did a little bit.

331
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,000
And what did he tell you about it?

332
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000
That it was one of the hardest things he's ever done,

333
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,000
and it was one of the most challenging

334
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,000
but most incredible things he's ever done.

335
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,000
Here's to that.

336
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000
So to follow Eileen's father,

337
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,000
we'll be driving 150 miles

338
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,000
towards Ecuador's remote eastern frontier,

339
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,000
where the Amazon rainforest meets the Andes Mountains.

340
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,000
Then we'll take a boat to the island

341
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000
followed by a punishing hike to Tios Cave.

342
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,000
Turn here.

343
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,000
This is us?

344
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:41,000
Yes.

345
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,000
Not the best road in Ecuador?

346
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:48,000
No, not at all.

347
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,000
Okay, here we go.

348
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000
All right.

349
00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,000
At the banks of the Rio Santiago,

350
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,000
we meet our river guides,

351
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:03,000
who will transport us into Xoar territory.

352
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,000
From here on out, there are no roads.

353
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,000
Okay.

354
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,000
Metal library, here we come.

355
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,000
The Rio Santiago runs south through El Salvador,

356
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,000
and the San Diego River is the largest river in the world.

357
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000
And it's the largest river in the world.

358
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,000
And it's the largest river in the world.

359
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000
And it's the largest river in the world.

360
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,000
The Rio Santiago runs south through Ecuador,

361
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,000
eventually feeding into the mighty Amazon.

362
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,000
And as we head downstream,

363
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000
civilization is replaced by natural wonders.

364
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,000
This is like another planet.

365
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,000
It really is.

366
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,000
Lost World.

367
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000
The ride isn't all smooth sailing, though,

368
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000
as the muddy river is famous for its wild currents.

369
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,000
Running a boat like this on a river with this much current,

370
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000
not very safe.

371
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000
Move these cameras up.

372
00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,000
Hang on, boys.

373
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,000
But eventually, we make it to our next relay point

374
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,000
with most of our gear intact.

375
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:14,000
Hola.

376
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,000
Hola, ¿cómo están?

377
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,000
At Abandon the River, we're met by local Xoar natives

378
00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,000
to help get us and our cargo safely to the cave.

379
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,000
We're going to load the mules and start a hike.

380
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,000
OK.

381
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,000
But it's all uphill.

382
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,000
OK, great.

383
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000
That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

384
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,000
Here we go.

385
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
Welcome to the jungle.

386
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,000
It's not exactly a walk in the park.

387
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000
The trail is nearly nonexistent,

388
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,000
and it is unforgivingly hot and steep.

389
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,000
And then there's the mud.

390
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000
Come to Ecuador.

391
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,000
Find the metal library.

392
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,000
Have some laughs.

393
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,000
Just about everything here bites or stings.

394
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,000
Big wasp nest here on the left.

395
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,000
Tread carefully.

396
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,000
Up, up.

397
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:18,000
Never ends.

398
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,000
And it doesn't get much better in the dark.

399
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,000
What you can't see can and will hurt you.

400
00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,000
Luckily, those thorns broke my fall.

401
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000
Six hours into the grueling hike,

402
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000
we find a spot to stop for the night.

403
00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,000
We are back on the trail.

404
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,000
We are hiking to the actual cave.

405
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,000
There, we should be meeting up with the rest

406
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,000
of our local expedition team.

407
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,000
They've been working on logistics

408
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,000
and should be waiting for us.

409
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,000
And suddenly, the trail next to us disappears into a dark.

410
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,000
And then we're going to the cave.

411
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,000
And then we're going to the cave.

412
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,000
And then we're going to the cave.

413
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,000
And then we're going to the cave.

414
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000
And then we're going to the cave.

415
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,000
And then it appears into a dark,

416
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,000
seemingly bottomless chasm.

417
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,000
Oh my God.

418
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,000
Look at that.

419
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,000
Guys, be really careful here on the left.

420
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000
It's a sheer drop.

421
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,000
Oh my word.

422
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,000
We carefully skirt around the edge of the pit,

423
00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,000
where we're greeted by a former colleague of Stanley Halls,

424
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,000
geologist Dr. Theophilos Tukoridis

425
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,000
and his team of experts who will descend with us

426
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,000
to explore and map Taos.

427
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,000
Nice to meet you.

428
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,000
Nice to meet you, family.

429
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,000
Look at this.

430
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,000
This is the most unique cave in the whole continent.

431
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,000
And this is the reason why everybody knows your father.

432
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,000
Whoever is doing research in caves knows the name Stanley Hall.

433
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,000
Wow.

434
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,000
That's amazing, isn't it?

435
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,000
He inspired many people, not only me.

436
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,000
What percentage of this cave system do you think has been mapped?

437
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000
Not even a third.

438
00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,000
Not even a third?

439
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,000
Not even a third.

440
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,000
And this is like three and a half miles, which is explored and mapped.

441
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,000
Three and a half miles down there?

442
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,000
Yeah.

443
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,000
It's huge.

444
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,000
Okay.

445
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,000
Are you ready for this?

446
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,000
Yes.

447
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,000
Are you guys ready for this, crew?

448
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,000
No.

449
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000
Everybody's ready to go.

450
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000
Let's do it.

451
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:13,000
Come on.

452
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,000
Okay.

453
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000
You stay right there.

454
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,000
The only way in and out of Taos is via a perilous and terrifying

455
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000
200-foot vertical shaft.

456
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:39,000
The team drills anchors into the rock face and sets up a state-of-the-art

457
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,000
winch system to haul us all back out, at least in theory.

458
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000
I then edge out toward the opening, clip into the main line,

459
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,000
and say goodbye to Terra Ferma.

460
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:53,000
Okay.

461
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,000
Here we go.

462
00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,000
Here we go.

463
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,000
This is a bottomless pit.

464
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,000
Unbelievable.

465
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,000
My expedition team and I are deep in the jungles of Ecuador,

466
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,000
at the precipice of a death-defying drop into the Taos Cave.

467
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,000
Legend says the caverns here have man-made chambers

468
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000
that lead us home to the archives of a lost civilization.

469
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,000
Here we go.

470
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000
So we're going in.

471
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,000
This is a bottomless pit.

472
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,000
Unbelievable.

473
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,000
It's just straight down.

474
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,000
I lower myself down and reality sets in.

475
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,000
Without this thin rope to haul my team 200 feet back up,

476
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000
there is no other way out of this cave.

477
00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000
This is insane.

478
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,000
Houston, the Eagle has landed.

479
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,000
Excellent.

480
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000
Okay, let's get the rest of the team down here.

481
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:16,000
One by one, our 20-person expedition team repels down into the cave.

482
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:21,000
Scientists, producers, camera crew, guides.

483
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000
Nice work, man.

484
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,000
Eileen, you ready to rock here?

485
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:28,000
I'm ready to go.

486
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,000
All at the mercy of a few pins in the rock face high above.

487
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,000
Careful.

488
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000
Watch the walls.

489
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,000
Nice work.

490
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:40,000
Yes.

491
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,000
That's everybody, right?

492
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:43,000
Yeah.

493
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,000
That's everybody.

494
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000
Look at the size of this room.

495
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000
We finally finished getting all the scientific equipment lowered down,

496
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,000
including a 3D laser scanner that will allow the researchers to create

497
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000
a digital map of the cave's interior.

498
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,000
Okay, so this is the first time we've seen a 3D laser scanner

499
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,000
that's been used to create a 3D laser scanner.

500
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,000
Okay, so Theo, walk me through this.

501
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,000
What do we got?

502
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000
The map that we have right now is from 76.

503
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000
This is the map from your father's expedition.

504
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,000
That's right.

505
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,000
That's the map.

506
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,000
Wow.

507
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,000
Yeah.

508
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:28,000
Stanley Hall, Neil Armstrong in the 1976 expedition created the only real

509
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,000
map of the Tios cave.

510
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,000
Using this as a guide, our mission is to go where they couldn't

511
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,000
and to see if there's any truth to the legend of the metal library.

512
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,000
The end of the map?

513
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,000
Huh.

514
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,000
Not of the cave.

515
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,000
Meaning nobody's been past this point?

516
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,000
No, nobody.

517
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,000
Do you believe there's more cave past this?

518
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,000
Much more, for sure.

519
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000
So why has nobody been there?

520
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,000
It's flooded.

521
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:50,000
Hard to reach and hard to go through.

522
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000
But there could be more past there?

523
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,000
For sure it is.

524
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,000
Let's do it.

525
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,000
Come on.

526
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,000
We gather our gear and leave behind the last rays of light.

527
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:07,000
From here on out, we are entering a world of complete and total darkness.

528
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:10,000
Into the darkness.

529
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,000
You ready?

530
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,000
Yeah.

531
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:13,000
Let's go.

532
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,000
Let's go.

533
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,000
Stephen Slipper here, guys.

534
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,000
We got that.

535
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000
The cave quickly envelops us.

536
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,000
We convoy ahead, looking for a flat area to set up camp for the night.

537
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,000
Before long, we spot one of the most recognizable and strangest

538
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,000
features of the Tios cave.

539
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,000
This is awesome.

540
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,000
Look at this.

541
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:39,000
Is this one more?

542
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,000
It's arch.

543
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:41,000
Yes.

544
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:46,000
This arch is such a huge part of the metal library story.

545
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,000
I can't even believe I'm seeing this thing in person.

546
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,000
This seemingly sculpted arch led Juan Marets and the explorers who followed him

547
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000
to suspect the cave was modified by man.

548
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000
Look at how large it is, how flat it is,

549
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000
and how can you get a piece of stone this big, this flat?

550
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:07,000
Really, this one spot, this one feature has done more to build the mystery

551
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,000
of the metal library, I think, than anywhere else.

552
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,000
But when you get up close to it, you start to see a different story.

553
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,000
You know, this is sedimentary rock, for sure.

554
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,000
And these different slabs that look like different bricks,

555
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,000
these are just different layers of sediment.

556
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:26,000
It creates these really flat, sheer surfaces that just come off in pieces.

557
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,000
You see that all over the cave, all just right angles.

558
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:35,000
It's easy to see why the previous expeditions were mesmerized by this place,

559
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:40,000
but it's going to take more than these blocks to confirm the legend of the metal library.

560
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,000
Well, let's get through the arch and see what's beyond it.

561
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,000
All right, let's go.

562
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:53,000
After rigging ropes at the surface, we've descended down the entrance shaft

563
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000
and hiked through the famed Marets arch.

564
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,000
Now, we push on toward the belly of the beast.

565
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,000
Just past the arch, our flashlights seem to lose their effect.

566
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,000
That's because the cavern widens into a massive chamber so deep

567
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,000
you could lay a 20-story building on its side in here.

568
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,000
Wow, it is spectacular in here.

569
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:22,000
The expansive space makes this an ideal place to set up a proper camp for our team.

570
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,000
Perfecto, let's do it, come on.

571
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:33,000
We work in the darkness to pitch our tents and take stock of our new home.

572
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:37,000
The good news is that the ground here at the campsite is extremely soft.

573
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:42,000
The bad news is that it's extremely soft because it's three solid feet of back guano.

574
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,000
The Lord giveth and he taketh away.

575
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:52,000
Our bedroom for the night is teeming with life, primarily of the creepy crawly variety.

576
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:57,000
Whip scorpions, giant tarantulas,

577
00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,000
and one of the researchers even managed to snag a bat.

578
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,000
Look at that thing. That's incredible.

579
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,000
Look at how delicate looking the wings are.

580
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,000
The elastic tissue and you see those white splotches?

581
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,000
Yeah.

582
00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:12,000
Those are...

583
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:13,000
Ebola?

584
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,000
No, no.

585
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,000
Sometimes they get into a fight with another bad.

586
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,000
And so how many of these guys do you think are in this cave system?

587
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,000
Several thousands.

588
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,000
Wow.

589
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,000
While Dracula here gets ready to start his day,

590
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,000
ours is drawing to an end.

591
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,000
Good night.

592
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,000
Good morning.

593
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,000
And the only reason I know it's morning is because my watch says it is.

594
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,000
Time kind of loses its sense of meaning down here,

595
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,000
looking up through the top of the tent.

596
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,000
It's just endless, perpetual darkness.

597
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,000
But I can hear voices, people stirring around the camp,

598
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,000
which means it's time to get up and start exploring again.

599
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,000
Okay.

600
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:13,000
We've got tuna, potatoes, mixed veggies, and a big bowl of coffee.

601
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,000
What else do you need in life?

602
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,000
Clumbliness goes out the window pretty quickly when you're living in a cave.

603
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,000
We're sleeping in the dirt, there's baths above us, food's all uncovered.

604
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,000
But you know, it'll be fine.

605
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,000
After breakfast, we gather our gear and set out from camp.

606
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,000
As we walk deeper into the unknown,

607
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,000
I can't shake the feeling that the cave is somehow endless.

608
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:47,000
Chamber after chamber after chamber.

609
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,000
Soon, Eileen and I find ourselves at the front of the group,

610
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:54,000
which as it turns out, is a dangerous place to be.

611
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,000
Oh, Snake! Back up, back up, back up!

612
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,000
Oh, God.

613
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,000
At the start of our trek into the bowels of the Taos Cave,

614
00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,000
Eileen, Hall and I discover that what's down here

615
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,000
might be just as dangerous as what's in the jungles above.

616
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,000
Oh, Snake! Back up, back up, back up!

617
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,000
Oh, boy.

618
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,000
Look at that guy.

619
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,000
That is a rainbow boa.

620
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,000
And a pissed off one at that.

621
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,000
You can see the actual rainbow pattern.

622
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,000
Okay, ready? Everybody back up?

623
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,000
We're gonna let him go?

624
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,000
There you go.

625
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,000
We give the Snake room to slither on.

626
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,000
And we keep hiking into the Inky Void.

627
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,000
After another hour, we arrive at a geologically stunning area

628
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,000
known as the Hall of Stellactites.

629
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000
It's the second otherworldly landscape

630
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,000
made famous by the first man on the moon.

631
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,000
I mean, this is a stalemite

632
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,000
where Neil Armstrong was standing on to take a picture.

633
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:08,000
Wow.

634
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,000
Careful, careful.

635
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,000
Like this.

636
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,000
Armstrong was right here.

637
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,000
One small step for man, one giant leap for Eileen Hall.

638
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,000
Nice job.

639
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000
Let's make sure we get a photo of you here.

640
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,000
Okay.

641
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,000
Reading your father's book, his journals, his writing,

642
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,000
is being down here what you imagined?

643
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,000
Yeah, it's magical. Yes.

644
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,000
It is magical? Yeah.

645
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,000
All right, well, we've got a lot of ground to cover.

646
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,000
From our base camp, we've now hiked more than a mile into the cave,

647
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,000
passing the Hall of Stellactites.

648
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,000
And soon, we'll be able to see the whole of the city

649
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:08,000
and soon, we arrive at an entrance to a truly shocking space.

650
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,000
Welcome to the Amphitheatre.

651
00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,000
Look at this.

652
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,000
Incredible.

653
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:22,000
You can see why when the first explorers came down here,

654
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,000
they thought that this must have been more than just natural.

655
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000
There is a kind of architecture to it almost.

656
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,000
Exactly.

657
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:31,000
It's wild.

658
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,000
Okay, onward.

659
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,000
Let's go.

660
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,000
We leave the amphitheatre and follow the map made by Eileen's father,

661
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,000
but we soon face a major obstacle.

662
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,000
Well, this looks challenging.

663
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,000
He's going to put the rope down.

664
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,000
Okay.

665
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:59,000
This is where our journey begins to get really dicey.

666
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,000
Okay, ready?

667
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,000
Go.

668
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000
Yeah, coming up.

669
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:27,000
Theo, Eileen and the others also make it up and over.

670
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,000
On the other side of the falls, everything looks different.

671
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,000
No more expansive caverns where we can spread out and explore.

672
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,000
We go down now, Theo?

673
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,000
Yes.

674
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,000
It's going to get really slippery here, so be careful guys.

675
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,000
This just got real.

676
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000
180 degrees.

677
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000
Uh-huh.

678
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:55,000
I feel the foothold.

679
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,000
Okay?

680
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:57,000
Exactly.

681
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:58,000
What's that?

682
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,000
If you're claustrophobic, now would be a good time to change the channel.

683
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,000
Unbelievable.

684
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,000
I'm trying to see why not more people come down here.

685
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:27,000
We have now entered the water park of my nightmares.

686
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:33,000
Thousands of gallons of water rushing through passages that get progressively tighter and tighter.

687
00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,000
Come on, Tash!

688
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,000
Get me out of here!

689
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:58,000
I'm in the heart of Tyos Cave, hundreds of feet below the Ecuadorian Amazon,

690
00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:03,000
seeking unexplored chambers that may hold the fabled metal library.

691
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:10,000
I've been in lots of underground caves, but this is a special kind of hell.

692
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,000
This is crazy.

693
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000
Keep one with the chains. Keep one with the chains. Keep one with the chains.

694
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,000
Get me out of here!

695
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:53,000
Tash!

696
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:03,000
Tash!

697
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,000
We have to go back!

698
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:05,000
Why?

699
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,000
This isn't the right way!

700
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,000
Tash!

701
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,000
Stay in!

702
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:10,000
Okay.

703
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,000
Go back! Go back!

704
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:17,000
Tash is going out!

705
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,000
We have to go back.

706
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,000
Since it is, just into the huge waterfall and it crowds out,

707
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,000
we've got to go back to the last junction and turn around.

708
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,000
As we retrace our steps to get back on track,

709
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:36,000
I keep my eyes peeled for any side chambers or glimmers of metal tablets in the rushing water.

710
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:42,000
After a few more wrong turns in the tight maze of flooded passages

711
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:47,000
and nearly three miles underground, we finally arrive at our destination.

712
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,000
The end of the map.

713
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,000
We've come all the way through here and we're literally here.

714
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,000
This is as far as anybody's been.

715
00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,000
Nobody else has been further than this part. This is usually flooded.

716
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,000
Why is it so much lower?

717
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:04,000
We have a dry summer.

718
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,000
So have you ever seen any of this before?

719
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,000
No, nobody has seen this before.

720
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:09,000
Let's check it out. Come on.

721
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,000
Okay, let's go.

722
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:17,000
The low water levels in this chamber reveal something that the 1976 expedition couldn't see.

723
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,000
A tight tunnel that goes even deeper.

724
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:26,000
Could this be where the cave's original explorer, Juan Maritz, found his metal library?

725
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:32,000
Like everything else in this cave, the passage looks uncomfortably narrow.

726
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,000
I think those are wish-trys.

727
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,000
Alright, I'm right behind you. Let's do it.

728
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,000
This is a leap of faith.

729
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,000
There may be a chamber beyond this tunnel,

730
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:50,000
but to reach it, we'll have to swim underwater in hopes of finding another air pocket.

731
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:54,000
If we become trapped, there is a very real danger of drowning here.

732
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000
Come through! Come through!

733
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,000
Alright, Josh, we're coming through.

734
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,000
I'm coming through.

735
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000
Look at this!

736
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,000
There's a whole, another world back here!

737
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,000
With a soaring ceiling and smooth, flat walls,

738
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,000
it feels like we're in the corridor of a grand temple.

739
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,000
Josh, look at these walls.

740
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,000
Everything here has been flooded.

741
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:42,000
All this kind of sticky material is clay.

742
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,000
Nobody has filmed or documented this before.

743
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,000
Undiscovered.

744
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:47,000
Undiscovered.

745
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:51,000
And what is that?

746
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,000
There.

747
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,000
It looks like stairs.

748
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:55,000
There's a staircase here.

749
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:57,000
Look at that!

750
00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:58,000
Unbelievable.

751
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:00,000
But where does it go?

752
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:01,000
I don't know. Let's go through.

753
00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,000
It's solid.

754
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,000
It's solid.

755
00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:11,000
Each step is perfectly proportioned, as though carved by hand.

756
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,000
We could be standing in the antechamber to the fabled metal library.

757
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:23,000
Oh my God, look at this!

758
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,000
Come here. Get a camera here.

759
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,000
It brings shoulders overdue to itself.

760
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,000
There.

761
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:31,000
encrypt

762
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,000
and

763
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,000
soar

764
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,000
Choose

765
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:39,000
Hm.

766
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:44,300
Not a real dot, child,

767
00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:45,980
but a blood,

768
00:38:45,980 --> 00:38:47,000
blood hole.

769
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,000
Probably part of the trail.

770
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:51,000
It's quite broad.

771
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:54,000
It's like a short石 we can take.

772
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,000
Oh, wow!

773
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000
Look at this thing!

774
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:02,000
It's as though we've entered the beating heart of Taos,

775
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,000
a chamber hundreds of feet high,

776
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:08,000
filled with the most spectacular formations I've ever seen.

777
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:12,000
It's just being made by the dripping of the water coming down.

778
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:13,000
Yeah, can you imagine?

779
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,000
But this is thousands and thousands of years.

780
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,000
This formation, this is all calcium?

781
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000
Calcium carbonate, yes.

782
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,000
Forming calcium carbonate.

783
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,000
I can't believe this.

784
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,000
I see it and I can't believe this.

785
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:26,000
It's insane!

786
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,000
That's so huge!

787
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,000
We don't have this kind of structure at any part of the whole cave.

788
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,000
It's a chimney.

789
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:37,000
It looks like at least 150 feet.

790
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:40,000
The first people ever to lay eyes on this.

791
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,000
This is us.

792
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:43,000
Wow.

793
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,000
And look at this.

794
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,000
Look at the walls.

795
00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:49,000
It's like an old house.

796
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,000
This looks like a writing.

797
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,000
It does look a bit like a library.

798
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,000
Yeah, it does.

799
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,000
But I assume there's a lot more cave to be found.

800
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,000
So we can't say for sure that it doesn't exist,

801
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,000
but treasures nonetheless.

802
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,000
The map ended there at the sinkhole, and we extended it.

803
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,000
So we've just taken the map from your father's expedition.

804
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,000
We've added a little onto it.

805
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:12,000
We've added something on.

806
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,000
Yeah, this is incredible.

807
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:14,000
It's amazing.

808
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,000
What more can you wish for?

809
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:16,000
I know.

810
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,000
Our team is going to be able to make it to the top.

811
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:22,000
Our team has extended Eileen's father's expedition map

812
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,000
and revealed a whole new region of the Taos cave,

813
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,000
a discovery that adds another chapter

814
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000
to this truly legendary place.

815
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:31,000
Thank you so much.

816
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:32,000
My pleasure.

817
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,000
Eileen, a real honor.

818
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:35,000
This is incredible.

819
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,000
Okay.

820
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,000
Now how do we get out of this thing?

821
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,000
The journey out of Taos is just as hard as the way in.

822
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,000
We swim back to the rest of our team

823
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:54,000
and begin the long, dark trek back to our base camp.

824
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,000
And remember when I said,

825
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,000
Food's all uncovered.

826
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,000
It'll be fine.

827
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,000
Well, it wasn't fine.

828
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,000
A severe case of rotavirus swept through the crew,

829
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,000
landing three of us in the hospital

830
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,000
where I had time to reflect on our adventure.

831
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,000
Juan Mareeks claimed he had discovered an archive

832
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,000
that would change the world.

833
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,000
Eileen's father Stanley Hall and Neil Armstrong

834
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,000
delved deep underground, seeking our connection

835
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:23,000
to the ancients.

836
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:28,000
And author Eric Vondanekin claimed proof of alien contact.

837
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:32,000
The truth is, I think the cave does hold answers.

838
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,000
There is no literal library,

839
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:38,000
but rather a geological chronicle etched over eons.

840
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:42,000
Nature has carved arches, corridors, and temples

841
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:46,000
that are as spectacular as anything made by man.

842
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:49,000
And with more yet to be explored,

843
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:53,000
there are undoubtedly new chapters yet to be written.

844
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,000
Okay.

845
00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:00,000
Time to go home.