A secret garden nestles 300 metres beneath the surface of the Earth at the bottom of Mexico's 'hobbit holes.'
The dauntingly deep caves showcases the deepest open air pits in the world.
Photographer Amy Hinkle shot the spectacular images in January while on a week-long expedition to Mexico's atmospheric caves.
The
cave's Spanish name Sótano de las Golondrinas means Basement of the
Swallows owing to the many birds which live in holes on the cave walls.
The cave floor which is the size of three football pitches, is covered in millipedes, insects, snakes, and scorpions.
It is deep enough to fit the Statue of Liberty standing on her own shoulders, the Eiffel tower, or the Chrysler building, according to Atlasobscura.
Ms Hinkle says these huge pits in the Aquismon region in Mexico should only be tackled by the most experienced of cavers.
Ms Hinkle, 26, said: 'With proper knowledge and training it is very safe.
'As cavers we use Single Rope Technique (SRT) to rappel and climb the rope unlike in normal rock climbing where you climb the wall.
'At times, especially with pits such as these which bell out from tiny openings, you are easily 30-50 meters from the wall!
'The rope is your way in and your way out, hence cavers often refer to the rope as the 'Nylon Highway'.'
Amy says she works as part of the VBATS. team which is simply a group of cavers who like to hang out on rope together.
VBATS. founder Mike 'TinY' Manke started the group to provide a way for people with a similar interest in SRT to get together.
Ms Hinkle from Alabama, said: ' Together we train, learn and explore.
'We all pitch in to make these trips possible simply because we love it that much. It truly is a wonderful group of people.'
After travelling down some people build tents at the bottom and stay the night in the sinkhole to watch the sun come up in the morning.
It has become popular with BASE jumpers - while it would take about ten seconds to hit the bottom, the ascent back up is slower taking between 40 minutes and 2 hours.
The dauntingly deep caves showcases the deepest open air pits in the world.
Photographer Amy Hinkle shot the spectacular images in January while on a week-long expedition to Mexico's atmospheric caves.
Scroll down for video
Film scene: These are the incredible images of
dauntingly deep caves looking like something out of a scene in The
Hobbit - a climber can be seen scaling down a line here
Adrenaline: Rappeling into the Huasteca cave. Ms
Hinkle says these huge pits should only be tackled by the most
experienced of cavers
Deep down: Photographer Amy Hinkle shot the
spectacular images in January while on a week-long expedition to the
caves of the Aquismon region in Mexico
It is deep enough to fit the Statue of Liberty standing on her own shoulders, the Eiffel tower, or the Chrysler building, according to Atlasobscura.
Ms Hinkle says these huge pits in the Aquismon region in Mexico should only be tackled by the most experienced of cavers.
Climbers at the bottom of the Golondrinas cave.
The cave floor which is the size of three football pitches, is covered
in millipedes, insects, snakes, and scorpions
Stunning scene: The view from the bottom of Huasteca cave, 225ft below the surface
Exploring: People inside the Cepillos cave
.After travelling down some people build tents at the bottom and stay
the night in the sinkhole
Depths: The cave is 300 metres deep - there is a narrow continuation which leads through several steps up to 512 metre depth
'As cavers we use Single Rope Technique (SRT) to rappel and climb the rope unlike in normal rock climbing where you climb the wall.
'At times, especially with pits such as these which bell out from tiny openings, you are easily 30-50 meters from the wall!
'The rope is your way in and your way out, hence cavers often refer to the rope as the 'Nylon Highway'.'
Amy says she works as part of the VBATS. team which is simply a group of cavers who like to hang out on rope together.
VBATS. founder Mike 'TinY' Manke started the group to provide a way for people with a similar interest in SRT to get together.
Ms Hinkle from Alabama, said: ' Together we train, learn and explore.
'We all pitch in to make these trips possible simply because we love it that much. It truly is a wonderful group of people.'
After travelling down some people build tents at the bottom and stay the night in the sinkhole to watch the sun come up in the morning.
It has become popular with BASE jumpers - while it would take about ten seconds to hit the bottom, the ascent back up is slower taking between 40 minutes and 2 hours.
Pose for a photo: Photographer Amy Hinkle inside the Cepillos cave
Don't look down: Amy Hinkle seconds before rappeling into Golondrinas
Film: The Fellowship proceeds with caution in
the Mines of Moria, in this scene from The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring. The Mexican caves have a similar quality to the
film
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