Urban Spelunking

[Newanderthal]

I recently started Urban Spelunking. It's my own term for crawling around in places I probably shouldn't, like drainage tunnels.

Check out my blog post for a few pics and the full article.

Adventures of the Newanderthal: Renegade Canoeing and Urban Spelunking

I've been twice now with my girlfriend and we've had a blast both times. The biggest challenge is finding the entrance to these places. I'm working on mapping the tunnels that run beneath Lake Charles, LA so I can find out where they all go.

[jason]

I have heard of people doing that. There really is no drainage tunnels here in Florida. But I have heard of people going to "ghost" towns and exploring old tunnels and basements.

[HikingChick]

What a wild and fun concept!

The small town I used to live in had hollow sidewalks. Originally it was part of the drainage system to direct rainwater to the nearby river. The newer system replaced it, but the hollow sidewalks remained. I never had the opportunity to explore them, though. I imagine there were a few treasures there since one place that was viewable often collected junk folks had dropped or that had washed in there.

[Michael]

I've generally heard such endeavors referred to as urban exploration. It includes exploration of abandoned buildings, rooftops, and really any place in or around civilization that you're not generally meant to be.

Still, very cool. I love the pictures, especially the writing on the wall.

[Newanderthal]

I consider very few places to be off limits. My girlfriend and I snuck into an abandoned jail in DeRidder, LA to take some photos. NO TRESSPASSING signs are there in case a person gets hurt and wants to sue. But if I go in and do something stupid and get myself hurt, it's my own fault, so I ignore the signs. I might have to pay a fine if I ever get caught, but I won't complain. It's just part of the adventure.

[Michael]

It's generally a good idea to learn a bit about such places before you sneak past the no trespassing signs.

I lived near an old abandoned asylum for some years before they tore it down. The local police had a zero tolerance policy toward people sneaking into it. If people loitered in the area, they'd be told to get out. If the police thought someone had sneaked in or had tried to do so, they'd arrest them on the spot. They apparently tear gassed one of the buildings once when they thought people were hiding in there.

Mostly though, you're right. Mostly you have to be careful, be quiet, and be respectful, and you're good.

[woodsman]

Never heard of it myself and the drainage tunnels in my area aren't big enough to explore. Still even if I had, I'd still stick with caves, but to each his own.