I wanted to try something different, maybe ill never do it again but I wanted to write about a exploration we did. Take a read of one of our recent shenanigans, definitely one more of the more interesting ones which is why I choose to write it up. Its honest, detailed and gives you a idea of what where like, normal people :) I've choosen not to name the location!
01:30 That numb feeling of being trapped inside somewhere you can't escape, feeling hopeless and sorry for yourself, most of all the emotion of regret slowly sinking in. It was the funniest thing even though we where trapped, there was six storeys of massive unused complex to hid upon, just how we played it out and whether our hunters decided to check every level for us was there business.
Climbing over the fence crawled with barb wire, I joked to Robert saying I wouldnt be going down for this one and didn't want another pending conviction for unlawfully been in a building, what's the worst that could happen a few alarms go off and the security arrive. As we approached the building we did notice windows had since been smashed and boarded up on a lower level which we used as an exit another once before, mindless shit I thought smashing windows is just wasteful we said to one another. So clearly some vandals had paid a visit since our last explore. This really is the cycle in abandoned places, building becomes vacant and unused, decay sets in and vandals drop by and decay worsens. Oh and then theres us. I have a terrible sense of direction and been at night time I was sure I was going to get lost (again). As we walked around the buildings using as little light as possible, we decided we'd enlighten our evening by bringing along a bottle of Countdowns finest wines from under $10 each. I was quite depressed to discover the bottle shops where all closed in this place at 7pm on a Monday. I popped my top announcing we where here, took a few sips and we where off. I wanted to see the laundry room, last time we couldn't get in and since then Robert discovered how to slid his Czech ass through an above window that was open. I followed suit, thanking god I didn't put on to much weight over summer because there was a very small tight beam on the other side to catch our drop. In the dark it made it feel like we where acrobats but im sure the ground was really only a meter away and we could have jumped.
The laundry consisted of large commercial machines, there was very little left bar the washers. It was a large open concrete dirty dusty place, but its was really fascinating seeing washing machines and driers that you could squeeze one another inside of, pity we couldn't flick the button and spin it right round. Some where so big they required power to be opened with massive arms on the sides. After stumbling back up the window for fresh air we made our way to the back of the complex in hope of finding the basement, after staring at a map for about 5 minutes, we decided it was the building to the left (they both looked similar and it was hard to tell at the end of the day) we hunted around for a possible entry point, they become limited by the second, this place was pretty well held down. Most of the bottom floor windows where boarded, we found one that had become neglected over the years and pushed it aside and jumped on in, thinking we where rather clever as we had spent the last 20 minutes searching over the windows and now we where in, we got inside and discovered this end had been closed off, which looked like many years ago and where the door way to the other half of the building was, it was plastered over. From there we couldn't get we'll, anywhere but maybe 30 meters of a empty room that smelt funky. Kicking the wall a few times in the “I can't believe it we where so close” manner, we climbed out the window and I pulled the bottle of wine out of my bag and took a skull.
We carried on and went down a window and discovered the next board had been quite neglected too and we could bend it enough to get through, the windows where quite long and had been boarded up sometime ago which was working in our favour, so I held my breath and sucked it in, through the window I went, the room was rotting, wall paper was peeling everywhere and it was becoming mold central. Wet weather coming in through this window had clearly done some major damage in the past, so the carpet by now had become something from a horticulture experiment. We crept out into the hall and no alarms seemed present, the character of the building its self you had to enjoy from the inside, native timber in the structure and it had this cool old laundry shot and the doors reminded me of something out of an American tv show how they that had the slit in middle, so the top half was closed in one room so we had to do the limbo to get in. We wondered around this room and found the top floor access still looked like no one knew we where on site, so we made our way to a corridor where from the outside we spotted the sky walk. But just as I was about to push open the door there was a sensor and we backed off, we left that building and the board over the window and headed for the front of the complex not before poking our heads into a few windows and realizing that even if this place didn't have alarms, I reckon we'd be lucky to see 30% in one night.
We figured we might aswell go for the main building now, a spot light, shines upon the centre area where some construction has began, very minimal though and inside it shows slow if nil progress. Gazing up at this almost sky scraper of a building my mind wondered for a few seconds and I had a flash, you always imagine what these places would have been like active, I looked down to a glass corridor below which ran along and linked up to another set of buildings, people walking through and making there way ran through my head. Then Robert started climbing up the side of the corridor so I quickly pulled myself up knowing this wasnt going to be a quiet experience. Walking along the tin roof wasn't the most stealth way in but we had little to no other option, taking the same entry as we did last time we climbed in so far avoiding any problems. We walked down a dark long hall way and at the end was a big piece of machinery, power still running to it, it was cool to see the machine again. I poked around at the machine and buttons, I have a thing for pushing buttons so pushed all the buttons I could find while in my mind encouraged myself not to then sit on the machine for the fear it actually still might work after I went on my button pushing tangent, we hesitated to head down to the other end of the corridor as there is a sensor, Robert was telling me where going to set it off maybe we shouldn't go, last time I told him security just came don't worry don't worry. He so badly had wanted to avoid alarms all evening but he knew now was the one time we could no longer do this, we walked out from underneath the sensor and bam the bugger lite up.
But no siren this time, must be silent we both said, after all where already here why waste a good thing even if security where on there way. Whats the worst that could happen, they chase us out or call our mummys? We continued on cautiously, as familiar parts coming to me, entering the hallway we decided to go downstairs, examining the windows from the inside, it was a pity about there smashed state and now we had no easy exit. We headed down to basement area where the rooms where dark dusty but most of all concrete and no windows or light, the first room to the left was a phone server , I suppose you would call it and up a room but now empty inside written on the door “records”, if only I thought. Few other rooms where maintenance and one held the main power switches for that building, humming away loudly as I strolled past it as if I knew what each box meant, Robert was off in the distance with his camera. These large big boxes had levers that where calling out to be pushed and pulled, I reached my hand out and jiggled it a little thinking hmm maybe it will cut the entire power to everything.
I learnt my lesson to never do that again, there was incident at an abandoned location where we got quite carried away and thought we where at the circus or something, with similar looking levers. So my self control won this round. We ventured off through double doors, this took us into a ground floor area, I had no idea where I was and I liked it. Following a random phone cable we headed upstairs, it must have been temporary erected for the construction, it went across the floor just laying there as if where the only visitors it had in the past few months, then looped up some stairs where it took us into some main lobby where the lights filled the room. Looking out the doors I could see the phone cable running outside, I turned around and looked at Robert he was fixated on his looking for sensors buzz, I was giggling inside, appeared to be none and it was a new part we hadn't discovered so was exciting. We knew where we where from the outside view, as we gazed around deciding where to go next, hopefully up, some lights shone from outside, torch? Street light? God knows there was enough light surrounding this place at night. There, the light shined through the glass doors again, my heart raced, oh shit security have arrived and they where fast, must be a slow night in this town yo. The adrenaline immediately kicked in and we knew we had to make a move, Robert headed for the stairs I wasn't far behind him, I then stopped. I slowly headed back up to poke my head up, he was yelling at me in the most quiet and polite way to get going but there was something about the rush and wanting to know how far away the security was. I stood there eyes racing backwards and forth, feeling like the lights getting closer, whether it was is anyone's guess, but it had now become a game of cat and mouse especially if they where to open that door and come flying in.
It seems slightly silly because what could they do, hug on us, there only security tight? There not police. But we still knew we weren't meant to be there, yet we defy that. And I wasn't helping my own situation, as I had recently been charged for unlawfully been on a property while exploring else where, I guess after 7 odd years my luck was running out but as for tonight I wasn't keen to hang around to explain what we where doing, because the Police never understand Urbex and its probably best kept that way, and security where hot on our heels for trouble. We run off down the stairs making our way back through the dark basement and up the stairs, we headed for the level we came in on, but as soon as we started to climb the stairs which are on the covered outer part of the building, lighten up by the many street lights, we both froze. I looked out and got a sick feeling, pain hit me, weak, my friends where here. Two to three police cars surrounding the front of the building. They made me want to vomit, I could already foresee the outcome, feeling that every part of my body was weak. I was 100 percent sober all of a sudden and my most super stealth serious personality that had been on hiatus kicked in. Robert and I both got low, hugged the floor and took those stairs like Jackie Chan on crack.
Fuck was I wearing cuffs tonight or listening to some cop tell me I need to get a new hobby. We slid in the door of the level which was about half way up, and I couldnt bare to look out the window. From here we could also see the back of the building. Robert went and checked and said they had the dogs aswell. I sighed and abit of panic set in because shit started to get serious. He said we should try to get out the back window and make a run for it, I stood there gob smacked by the lengths the police had gone, I mean ok we could be stealing, but we weren't, but bringing in the dogs. What a waste of taxes payers money. Most of all why haven't security come and just done there job and we would have just been on our merrier damn way. Some Police station was bored tonight. I knew there was no way we where leaving this building while my friends loitered on the outside, I knew they'd have the whole complex and exits surrounded, sure enough we went to another side of the building which over looked a public road and another exit tapped with barb wire and there was a cop car parked there. See I said where trapped we have to sit it out, or until they find us I mumbled. We where pretty sure they where coming inside any moment. By now I was beyond caring, if they had dogs, they'd find us, so I headed for a bathroom to my right, to just sit on the toilet and feel sorry for myself, go write a facebook status while I await the outcome and cross my fingers. It had all caused abit of conflict between us both and it was quite stressful. We both found the police unnecessary but couldn't tell them that and Urbex is all about alittle law breaking baby. Robert told me I wasn't allowed to hide in the bathroom on my own. So I turned around and said to him, we need to go up then, far from them and to hide. He was off, some place had popped into his head, back onto the stairs and the sinking feeling rocked my stomach, go away stomach. Taking the stairs freaked me out, and felt like we where vulnerable to the police.
Top floor and following behind my now ninja partner. I closed the door quietly as if a baby was sleeping. We did window checks again, I told Robert off for using his torch, I'm sure he wished he had duct tape. Walking along the brown carpeted hall I felt a little safer been higher up, holding the wall for guidance, he took me to some room towards the end that held the air vents, explaining to me when he came here on his own exploring last time he found this room and thought it might end up been helpful, amen I thought. Over some dodgy pipes and bending down to miss our heads, we climbed our bodies inside some vent box that was big enough for us both, closing the metal door behind us the room became pitch black. Inside it was full of chipped all sorts of materials lingering on the bottom, could be paint, could be asbestos, I was just pleased to be in what felt like a vault right now. We sat there not having expectations of what the next hour or so might bring, but knew we'd have to sit quietly and could be for some time.
As our bums grew numb and the need to move became apparent in this confined space, it almost was a small dose of entertainment when one of us wiggled or whispered something. We become suspicious of sounds and eventually adjusted, I started to doze off then Robert said something, and we both swore we heard something outside, I just kept quiet. Minutes pasts, this turning into 15 then half an hour. I just wanted the sun to come up, might sound ridiculous but I was over the dark, surely the police wouldnt hang around very long. In our heads it was such a silly extent just to find us and we just wanted them to be gone. We where both exhausted, in wondering what the time was I knew Robert didn't want to spend all night here and my safety conscious side had claimed down by now. I suggested we take a peak, opening out the door on the vent it screamed at us, if there was anybody nearby they would have surely heard that bloody door. We both made our way into the hallway stepping over the pipes and dodging the ones above our heads as our eyes adjusted in the dark. I stood back heart racing a little I wont lie. Robert walked forward to the window, peered to the side of the curtain and looked out, lighting up the area below us was the ugly orange street lights flashing, they stood there so peacefully as if they had been watching this hole time. No cars about, foot path was empty and the sun wasn't even anywhere to be seen yet. A great sigh of relief! I joined him at the window and we both checked from a few different angles. We paced ourselves just in-case security where doing checks and headed straight down the stairs for the exit off the building onto the ground, running across the lighten up yard, then over the fence where had the biggest smiles on our faces since our arrival.
I did ask while heading there if we could have a sleep over and bring out our sleeping bags but someone wasn't keen, wet blanket. Next time ;)
Nathan..
01:30 That numb feeling of being trapped inside somewhere you can't escape, feeling hopeless and sorry for yourself, most of all the emotion of regret slowly sinking in. It was the funniest thing even though we where trapped, there was six storeys of massive unused complex to hid upon, just how we played it out and whether our hunters decided to check every level for us was there business.
Climbing over the fence crawled with barb wire, I joked to Robert saying I wouldnt be going down for this one and didn't want another pending conviction for unlawfully been in a building, what's the worst that could happen a few alarms go off and the security arrive. As we approached the building we did notice windows had since been smashed and boarded up on a lower level which we used as an exit another once before, mindless shit I thought smashing windows is just wasteful we said to one another. So clearly some vandals had paid a visit since our last explore. This really is the cycle in abandoned places, building becomes vacant and unused, decay sets in and vandals drop by and decay worsens. Oh and then theres us. I have a terrible sense of direction and been at night time I was sure I was going to get lost (again). As we walked around the buildings using as little light as possible, we decided we'd enlighten our evening by bringing along a bottle of Countdowns finest wines from under $10 each. I was quite depressed to discover the bottle shops where all closed in this place at 7pm on a Monday. I popped my top announcing we where here, took a few sips and we where off. I wanted to see the laundry room, last time we couldn't get in and since then Robert discovered how to slid his Czech ass through an above window that was open. I followed suit, thanking god I didn't put on to much weight over summer because there was a very small tight beam on the other side to catch our drop. In the dark it made it feel like we where acrobats but im sure the ground was really only a meter away and we could have jumped.
The laundry consisted of large commercial machines, there was very little left bar the washers. It was a large open concrete dirty dusty place, but its was really fascinating seeing washing machines and driers that you could squeeze one another inside of, pity we couldn't flick the button and spin it right round. Some where so big they required power to be opened with massive arms on the sides. After stumbling back up the window for fresh air we made our way to the back of the complex in hope of finding the basement, after staring at a map for about 5 minutes, we decided it was the building to the left (they both looked similar and it was hard to tell at the end of the day) we hunted around for a possible entry point, they become limited by the second, this place was pretty well held down. Most of the bottom floor windows where boarded, we found one that had become neglected over the years and pushed it aside and jumped on in, thinking we where rather clever as we had spent the last 20 minutes searching over the windows and now we where in, we got inside and discovered this end had been closed off, which looked like many years ago and where the door way to the other half of the building was, it was plastered over. From there we couldn't get we'll, anywhere but maybe 30 meters of a empty room that smelt funky. Kicking the wall a few times in the “I can't believe it we where so close” manner, we climbed out the window and I pulled the bottle of wine out of my bag and took a skull.
We carried on and went down a window and discovered the next board had been quite neglected too and we could bend it enough to get through, the windows where quite long and had been boarded up sometime ago which was working in our favour, so I held my breath and sucked it in, through the window I went, the room was rotting, wall paper was peeling everywhere and it was becoming mold central. Wet weather coming in through this window had clearly done some major damage in the past, so the carpet by now had become something from a horticulture experiment. We crept out into the hall and no alarms seemed present, the character of the building its self you had to enjoy from the inside, native timber in the structure and it had this cool old laundry shot and the doors reminded me of something out of an American tv show how they that had the slit in middle, so the top half was closed in one room so we had to do the limbo to get in. We wondered around this room and found the top floor access still looked like no one knew we where on site, so we made our way to a corridor where from the outside we spotted the sky walk. But just as I was about to push open the door there was a sensor and we backed off, we left that building and the board over the window and headed for the front of the complex not before poking our heads into a few windows and realizing that even if this place didn't have alarms, I reckon we'd be lucky to see 30% in one night.
We figured we might aswell go for the main building now, a spot light, shines upon the centre area where some construction has began, very minimal though and inside it shows slow if nil progress. Gazing up at this almost sky scraper of a building my mind wondered for a few seconds and I had a flash, you always imagine what these places would have been like active, I looked down to a glass corridor below which ran along and linked up to another set of buildings, people walking through and making there way ran through my head. Then Robert started climbing up the side of the corridor so I quickly pulled myself up knowing this wasnt going to be a quiet experience. Walking along the tin roof wasn't the most stealth way in but we had little to no other option, taking the same entry as we did last time we climbed in so far avoiding any problems. We walked down a dark long hall way and at the end was a big piece of machinery, power still running to it, it was cool to see the machine again. I poked around at the machine and buttons, I have a thing for pushing buttons so pushed all the buttons I could find while in my mind encouraged myself not to then sit on the machine for the fear it actually still might work after I went on my button pushing tangent, we hesitated to head down to the other end of the corridor as there is a sensor, Robert was telling me where going to set it off maybe we shouldn't go, last time I told him security just came don't worry don't worry. He so badly had wanted to avoid alarms all evening but he knew now was the one time we could no longer do this, we walked out from underneath the sensor and bam the bugger lite up.
But no siren this time, must be silent we both said, after all where already here why waste a good thing even if security where on there way. Whats the worst that could happen, they chase us out or call our mummys? We continued on cautiously, as familiar parts coming to me, entering the hallway we decided to go downstairs, examining the windows from the inside, it was a pity about there smashed state and now we had no easy exit. We headed down to basement area where the rooms where dark dusty but most of all concrete and no windows or light, the first room to the left was a phone server , I suppose you would call it and up a room but now empty inside written on the door “records”, if only I thought. Few other rooms where maintenance and one held the main power switches for that building, humming away loudly as I strolled past it as if I knew what each box meant, Robert was off in the distance with his camera. These large big boxes had levers that where calling out to be pushed and pulled, I reached my hand out and jiggled it a little thinking hmm maybe it will cut the entire power to everything.
I learnt my lesson to never do that again, there was incident at an abandoned location where we got quite carried away and thought we where at the circus or something, with similar looking levers. So my self control won this round. We ventured off through double doors, this took us into a ground floor area, I had no idea where I was and I liked it. Following a random phone cable we headed upstairs, it must have been temporary erected for the construction, it went across the floor just laying there as if where the only visitors it had in the past few months, then looped up some stairs where it took us into some main lobby where the lights filled the room. Looking out the doors I could see the phone cable running outside, I turned around and looked at Robert he was fixated on his looking for sensors buzz, I was giggling inside, appeared to be none and it was a new part we hadn't discovered so was exciting. We knew where we where from the outside view, as we gazed around deciding where to go next, hopefully up, some lights shone from outside, torch? Street light? God knows there was enough light surrounding this place at night. There, the light shined through the glass doors again, my heart raced, oh shit security have arrived and they where fast, must be a slow night in this town yo. The adrenaline immediately kicked in and we knew we had to make a move, Robert headed for the stairs I wasn't far behind him, I then stopped. I slowly headed back up to poke my head up, he was yelling at me in the most quiet and polite way to get going but there was something about the rush and wanting to know how far away the security was. I stood there eyes racing backwards and forth, feeling like the lights getting closer, whether it was is anyone's guess, but it had now become a game of cat and mouse especially if they where to open that door and come flying in.
It seems slightly silly because what could they do, hug on us, there only security tight? There not police. But we still knew we weren't meant to be there, yet we defy that. And I wasn't helping my own situation, as I had recently been charged for unlawfully been on a property while exploring else where, I guess after 7 odd years my luck was running out but as for tonight I wasn't keen to hang around to explain what we where doing, because the Police never understand Urbex and its probably best kept that way, and security where hot on our heels for trouble. We run off down the stairs making our way back through the dark basement and up the stairs, we headed for the level we came in on, but as soon as we started to climb the stairs which are on the covered outer part of the building, lighten up by the many street lights, we both froze. I looked out and got a sick feeling, pain hit me, weak, my friends where here. Two to three police cars surrounding the front of the building. They made me want to vomit, I could already foresee the outcome, feeling that every part of my body was weak. I was 100 percent sober all of a sudden and my most super stealth serious personality that had been on hiatus kicked in. Robert and I both got low, hugged the floor and took those stairs like Jackie Chan on crack.
Fuck was I wearing cuffs tonight or listening to some cop tell me I need to get a new hobby. We slid in the door of the level which was about half way up, and I couldnt bare to look out the window. From here we could also see the back of the building. Robert went and checked and said they had the dogs aswell. I sighed and abit of panic set in because shit started to get serious. He said we should try to get out the back window and make a run for it, I stood there gob smacked by the lengths the police had gone, I mean ok we could be stealing, but we weren't, but bringing in the dogs. What a waste of taxes payers money. Most of all why haven't security come and just done there job and we would have just been on our merrier damn way. Some Police station was bored tonight. I knew there was no way we where leaving this building while my friends loitered on the outside, I knew they'd have the whole complex and exits surrounded, sure enough we went to another side of the building which over looked a public road and another exit tapped with barb wire and there was a cop car parked there. See I said where trapped we have to sit it out, or until they find us I mumbled. We where pretty sure they where coming inside any moment. By now I was beyond caring, if they had dogs, they'd find us, so I headed for a bathroom to my right, to just sit on the toilet and feel sorry for myself, go write a facebook status while I await the outcome and cross my fingers. It had all caused abit of conflict between us both and it was quite stressful. We both found the police unnecessary but couldn't tell them that and Urbex is all about alittle law breaking baby. Robert told me I wasn't allowed to hide in the bathroom on my own. So I turned around and said to him, we need to go up then, far from them and to hide. He was off, some place had popped into his head, back onto the stairs and the sinking feeling rocked my stomach, go away stomach. Taking the stairs freaked me out, and felt like we where vulnerable to the police.
Top floor and following behind my now ninja partner. I closed the door quietly as if a baby was sleeping. We did window checks again, I told Robert off for using his torch, I'm sure he wished he had duct tape. Walking along the brown carpeted hall I felt a little safer been higher up, holding the wall for guidance, he took me to some room towards the end that held the air vents, explaining to me when he came here on his own exploring last time he found this room and thought it might end up been helpful, amen I thought. Over some dodgy pipes and bending down to miss our heads, we climbed our bodies inside some vent box that was big enough for us both, closing the metal door behind us the room became pitch black. Inside it was full of chipped all sorts of materials lingering on the bottom, could be paint, could be asbestos, I was just pleased to be in what felt like a vault right now. We sat there not having expectations of what the next hour or so might bring, but knew we'd have to sit quietly and could be for some time.
As our bums grew numb and the need to move became apparent in this confined space, it almost was a small dose of entertainment when one of us wiggled or whispered something. We become suspicious of sounds and eventually adjusted, I started to doze off then Robert said something, and we both swore we heard something outside, I just kept quiet. Minutes pasts, this turning into 15 then half an hour. I just wanted the sun to come up, might sound ridiculous but I was over the dark, surely the police wouldnt hang around very long. In our heads it was such a silly extent just to find us and we just wanted them to be gone. We where both exhausted, in wondering what the time was I knew Robert didn't want to spend all night here and my safety conscious side had claimed down by now. I suggested we take a peak, opening out the door on the vent it screamed at us, if there was anybody nearby they would have surely heard that bloody door. We both made our way into the hallway stepping over the pipes and dodging the ones above our heads as our eyes adjusted in the dark. I stood back heart racing a little I wont lie. Robert walked forward to the window, peered to the side of the curtain and looked out, lighting up the area below us was the ugly orange street lights flashing, they stood there so peacefully as if they had been watching this hole time. No cars about, foot path was empty and the sun wasn't even anywhere to be seen yet. A great sigh of relief! I joined him at the window and we both checked from a few different angles. We paced ourselves just in-case security where doing checks and headed straight down the stairs for the exit off the building onto the ground, running across the lighten up yard, then over the fence where had the biggest smiles on our faces since our arrival.
I did ask while heading there if we could have a sleep over and bring out our sleeping bags but someone wasn't keen, wet blanket. Next time ;)
Nathan..
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