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Urban Explorers |
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 Posted: Alex Detig |
Saturday, 16 July 2011 11:08 |
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Urban Exploring – it’s a new form of archaeology. There is a worldwide fan-base, eagerly following the discovery of many unknown and abandoned places – places with an undoubtedly chilling atmosphere. But this is a hobby that is both dangerous and requires a degree of bravery – the first urban treasure hunter to dare venture into the catacombs of Paris never returned from his adventure.
GPS, video and stills-cameras all form part of the essential kit of these hobby-archaeologists, modern-day explorers and thrill seekers. Across the world, they explore the macabre remains of hospital cellars, discover abandoned warehouses of old factories, and catalogue the lonely leftovers of once-bustling sites of human civilisation. And this time, we will follow them live on their most daring explorations yet and venture with them into the chilling depths of abandoned buildings, deserted underground networks and lonely industrial sites.
The scenes that face us have the distinctive feel of a post-apocalyptic no-go zone. What happened here? Where did everyone go? And is anyone using the site in secret? Some of these modern-day explorers even dare to enter truly dangerous places: the abandoned subway network of New York, or radioactive zones around the Chernobyl reactor site.
And not all the buildings found and explored are old – a hospital closed down just a few years ago due to insolvency and hidden deep in a German forest is just as much a target as the ancient catacombs of Paris. It offers many interesting, but also chilling, scenes: used catheters, defibrillators … the list is endless. It’s as if everyone left in a hurry. In the cellars, the morgue is a particularly eerie place – nobody really expects to find any dead bodies, but the thought nevertheless is at the back of everyone’s mind.
Finding homeless people or looters is not unheard of – the empty buildings can be inviting sources of income … or simply offer a roof over the head. But most of the time, it is just the urban explorers making their way through bizarre scenes of ghostly emptiness and strange surprises. They discover unfamiliar scenes that once formed part of someone’s every-day life. And following these pioneers of modern-day archaeology live means taking part and witnessing the thrill of discovery first hand. Curiosity is a very human trait – and this live investigation of some of the most bizarre places littering our cities and towns is all about experiencing the curiosity of uncovering secrets and long-forgotten places.
