Apologies for resurrecting this seemingly deceased topic, but I had my first joint explore a little while back and I have some fresh thoughts.
Pete C took me to Severalls, which would have to rank amongst the best sites I've visited and I certainly couldn't have asked for a better host. He showed me around (I'd definitely have got completely lost without him), knew where the best stuff was, could answer most questions I threw his way and was just plain good company.
On Sunday I visited Richborough Power Station (I have pictures if anybody'd like to see them) and did a solo explore. There's stuff I'd have liked to ask about, but I don't think I'd trade the experience of being completely alone on that huge site for anything. The whole place (even the small building by the main gates where the security shoud have been - where their hi-vis where all hanging up) was completely empty. I took it at my own pace, looked where I wanted to look and could fully take in the silence, stillness and emptiness of the place.
A year ago - maybe even sooner - I wouldn't have dared tackle such a large location by myself. Now I'm proud of myself for doing so. For a long time I thought it was just me doing this. Then I found out many other people were doing it and what I was doing was pretty small stuff. Now I feel like a fully-fledged Urban Explorer.
That doesn't mean I don't always want to go places on my own, I'd just have to see them on my own at least once. I visited a site yesterday and part of me wanted somebody else there, if just for a bit of company and reassurance (lots and lots of people had been in there and a few of them could still have been about by the looks of things)
As for the dangers (see quote below) - I got a cut on my leg and a couple of scratches on my arm from my visit to Richborough Power Station. How serious were they? I didn't even notice them until the day after. I've been at this for five years and those are the only injuries I've ever got.
I think that most (not all) hazards are avoidable once you know what to look for. Personally, I found a good way to not fall through sagging floors is to not walk on them. Nearly every site I visit has concrete floors anyway so it's hardly limiting my activities.
A tutor at a writing class I attended a few years back said that the secret to becoming a good writer is to follow the rules and the secret of becoming a great writer was to break the rules. Never going on your own is a good rule, but I think it's certainly one to break when you have enough experience.
sassylad;8987; said:
The dangers in some of the places we visit aren't always as obvious as we'd like (from the point of view of spotting them!!) and I'm sure we've all nearly (or indeed some of us actually have...) fallen through floors, or underestimated just how big a drop is below a sagging floor or roof, and we've all seen bits of (or again at least the results of) masonry falling from the heavens, so with all this in mind I'd prefer to have some backup there immediately who can help if the worst were to happen...
