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Uptown Magazine - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts, Entertainment & News

February 21, 2008


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2008-02-21

Diary of an urban explorer

Mark Humphries digs up information on a growing subculture

Mark Humphries

My contact was Curious George. We exchanged a few brief e-mails about urban exploration after I found his name on a website. When we met at a downtown coffee shop I guessed at his appearance, picking him out of the crowd. He had agreed to answer my questions about urban exploration, and, if I wanted, offered to take me into a couple of abandoned buildings.

I had become intrigued by urban exploration- or infiltration, as it's also called - through some photographs I'd found on the Internet. All I had to see was a classic image of a subterranean explorer in a dark sewer - silhouetted in the glare of a flashlight like some stark outtake from 28 Days Later - and I was hooked.

Infiltration obviously brings some legal risks - such as trespassing laws - and Curious George admits he has been stopped by police on more than one occasion. The practise of exploring abandoned, boarded-up properties also carries potential health risks - from decaying buildings as well as the obvious hazards of sewers or storm drains which were never intended for sightseers in the first place.

Despite the risks, the urban explorer subculture has been growing since the late 1970s. Canada is known for Ninjalicious, the pioneer who coined the phrase 'urban exploration,' and who founded the infamous Infiltration 'Zine, which helped popularize the activity. Diverse groups have sprung up focusing on a variety of sites, from the Paris catacombs to abandoned mental hospitals and subways.

Curious George notes that, in Winnipeg, "the size of the city has kept the scene small and not as diverse."

Despite this, exploration meetings are advertised online monthly, if you know where to look.

Curious George studied urban studies at university. He tells me he was originally "inspired by National Geographic articles of other cultures," which is why he traveled to Flint, Mich., to see what he described as a "lost industrial city of America."

Like other explorers, he's interested in adventure, treasure hunting, and documenting the spaces with photographs, but he's also motivated to understand a city's history from its decaying roots.

Abandoned buildings are "symbols that reflect local identity and history, but we treat the city like a commodity and don't see the intrinsic value," he says.

Winnipeg is not short of examples of removing the old for the new, and I listen with fascination as Curious George describes his harrowing climb into the Winnipeg Arena before it was demolished, and his excursions into the Ogilvie Flour Mill before it burned down.

From George's stories I got an idea of the spirit within the subculture. Exploring off-limits structures is an act of resistance. It means going where you're not supposed to go, into dark decaying spaces that test your physical limits, to see what others do not see - places that have not been carefully produced for your consumption.

At this point in the conversation, George asks: "Are you afraid of heights?"

I hear myself saying, "Not really," but I'm not entirely convinced. I'm also silently running a risk assessment of a run-in with the authorities. It helps to remember one of the unwritten codes of exploration: Do not deliberately break or damage a space in order to enter it.

. . .

We meet again on a cold December morning in Winnipeg's downtown. My two companions, Curious George and 1AJS, bring hard hats and safety vests. They look like they worked for a construction company.

In exploration lingo, this is called "using credibility props."

At the building, I realize I must climb an old fire escape ladder to the roof. My companions begin and, realizing it's now or never, I start shooting their ascent. Then it's my turn. I clutch the ladder and avoid looking down until I'm on the roof. Entering the building is straightforward.

Inside, I have entered a new world filled with forgotten artifacts - a secret museum. The floors are covered in pigeon feces which, thankfully, is frozen. We move through the building taking photos and investigating such things as floor plans, chairs, notes from past occupants, dead birds, photographs, and an old briefcase. In near dark, we work our way up to the top floor and back. The place is very still.

Climbing out, I'm tired. My camera lens is so cold it won't focus very fast. I miss a step at the exit point and fall head first off a desk.

My life nearly flashes before my eyes, but snow breaks my fall and my camera bag hits me clumsily.

Curious George is quick to help and comments: "So you really are going for the whole experience."

Before I can dwell on the situation or how sore I'll be tomorrow, I'm standing at the edge of the building.

My guides disappear, climbing down the fire escape in seconds. I think positive thoughts and cautiously slink over the side.

Mark Humphries is interested in photographing urban subcultures. E-mail him at photo-deviant@mts.net.

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