It will come as no surprise that exploring can be dangerous, there are risks in almost every location we visit. Some are fairly insignificant from potential cuts to bruises, but others can be fatal. Be that falling from height, drowning, getting hit by moving objects, you name it. But we protect ourselves from these risks with common sense, we know the limits of our abilities and what we can and can’t do safely. Trust the feeling in your gut, if it doesn’t feel right, then don’t do it. You will only end up getting hurt if you do.
We have a question for those familiar with the first two episodes. If there was going to be a third episode, what would you want to see in it? More or less of anything? A new approach or more of the same? If it is to contain interviews is there anything you would like discussed? We’re all ears and welcome any suggestions you have, either comment below or send a message to contact@crackthesurface.com
Members of the public tend to be a bit of a nuisance to explorers, restrictive, intrusive and interfering. They are usually the only thing standing between you and a clean, and undetected entry. Usually their lingering presence is simply the result of a curiosity towards you, as standing in the rain at two in the morning outside a derelict factory is somewhat abnormal. Thankfully, most will shrug you off as a weirdo and carry on, as they have more important things to be dealing with.
Although I enjoy almost every type of exploration, be that tunnels, buildings or cranes, my favourite would have to be ships. By their nature, ships as a destination tend to be hard to come by, warships even more so. This is down to a variety of reasons. Firstly, ships tend to end active service in one of three ways. They sink, get opened to the public or are scrapped. If its one of the first two, you can usually access them legitimately, either by taking a tour, or following a diving team if they sank in shallower waters. While you can still technically explore a ship that’s open to the public, that tends to class more as infiltration.
At its core, the act of exploring a sewer, is a pretty disgusting affair. It comes with all the negative aspects you would expect from such an activity, faeces, urine, blood, tampons, grease, toilet roll, all the content you expel from your home or place of work on a daily basis, banishing them to a place where they are no longer your concern. What many fail to realise, or choose to simply ignore, is that several positives exist within a sewage system, be that of a historical, architectural or even photographic nature.
I’ve always been in two minds when it comes to London and the buildings that now inhabit it. While being a fine display of Victorian, Edwardian and Tudor architecture, London has hit, in my opinion, somewhat of a speed bump in recent years. Giant glass and concrete eyesores have been sprouting up all over the capital, each seemingly inspired by fruit, vegetables and items that have likely melted in the sun.
