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UER Forum > UE Main > Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions (Viewed 5862 times)
stickbeat 


Location: Peterborough
Gender: Female
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Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< on 7/28/2014 7:51 PM >
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It was a clear, dark night here in Toronto. The city's lights were all that illuminated the streets – there was a new moon party going on over in High Park (or, so the facebook invites said). The sky was inky black, the stars blotted out by the city lights.

After a few days spending my nights at home, spot suggested that we get together and do an explore. Nothing major, he assured me: we both work on weekends.

On my way into work that morning I scoped out our target: a cathedral (one of many) undergoing renovations. Certainly, I reasoned, there must be a way in?

I met Spot for pints immediately after work. The pub was a cool one, sort of old and British-styled (the library-tavern at Dundas square, if you must know). So we drank, we talked – as I recall, I talked too much (but then, memory is hazy from the concussion). We ate chips & vinegar over our pint. It was a comfortable time.

Then we set out: the target was in sight, and we spent some time watching it. Cameras everywhere, but that was no problem for us (masked). We circled the target, looking for our way in, and decided to climb the chain-link fence in the dark alley.

This was a good idea for two reasons: it was easier to climb chain-link than wrought-iron, and the seclusion of the alley would keep us from being seen.

As usual, I went first. My size and weight (combined with decent agility) makes me a good tester for all manner of questionable activities, from unsafe flooring to scaling insecure structures.

I made it up no problem. It was a standard 10-or-12-foot chain-link with the standard barbs at the top. I'd done this countless times, as have most of the people on this board (I'm guessing). I straddled the top and began poking with my foot for the right hold. Secure in its little spot, I eased my weight down -

then the thing happened.

My foot slipped. The foothold which had felt so secure gave way, and I fell – crashed, really.

My body (or, parts of it) grated along the fence and crashed on the ground. My left hand caught in the barbs at the top and fore from the wrist to the first knuckle; my right was split between the forefinger and middle finger. My face grated along the fence and bloodied on the chin. Something in my knee gave, and somewhere between up and down I hit my head hard enough for a concussion to linger even as I'm writing this.

Props to Spot: he carries a first-aid kit. There are no infections.

Bandaged up, we decided to press on. After all, we were over: why not!?

We climbed another fence, the one separating the schoolyard from the administrative building. We grabbed a ladder to face the next obstacle, and upon reaching the top I was confronted with the reality: I couldn't jump down. I couldn't jump down from there and expect to be okay.

We turned back.

Undeterred, we found another way in. I went over the wrought-iron fence, while Spot went under.

We climbed: we naively expected there to be an entry point behind at least one of the tarps covering the renovation work. There certainly is an entry point, though while I could squeeze into that gap my companion would be left behind.

All in all, the night was a failure and a farce. It's not my first, it won't be my last, but it is memorable in that there was a witness.

So I turn to you, UER: how do you confront your failed expeditions, what do you learn from them, and how do you adapt?

1. This is mostly what we were up to.


2. Here's the only nice shot of the night: enjoy glass-jesus.


3. The view wasn't even worth it.


4. Fuck it, I should've climbed another skyscraper or something.




- A.
yokes 


Location: Toronto
Gender: Male
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I aim to misbehave

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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 1 on 7/28/2014 9:08 PM >
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Welcome to my neighbourhood.

My most annoying fail was trying to get into a now demolished (or mostly?) chemical factory in southwest Ontario. Partially active at the time, with security.

Plans were made. Aerial photographs were reviewed. etc.

Parked. Made way to, and then past, the fence. To get to the goods, we had to cross a road in full view of a guard shack inside the property. No way around it. Plan was to book it across the road and into the ditch on the other side where the was cover from vegetation and hope for the best.

Ready? GO. Run. Across the road, start down the ditch... and then start sliding... and then am up to my waist in black nasty smelling water. I'm in the storm water runoff ditch for the chemical factory.

And this being November, it was getting cold. Not wanting to continue across the ditch of nastiness and then freeze my ass off on the explore, we retreated and vowed to find a plan B.

Never got around to it and then demolition began. Oh well.

Lesson learned: When you think you've looked close enough at an aerial, look closer.




"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel
billgeorge 


Location: Burnaby
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 2 on 7/28/2014 10:09 PM >
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It was a standard 10-or-12-foot chain-link with the standard barbs at the top. I'd done this countless times, as have most of the people on this board (I'm guessing).


Not this guy. I recently stared hard for ten minutes at an 8-foot chain-link fence with three rows of barbed wire on top. The wire was kind of droopy in places. This was around a beautiful looking abandoned factory, late afternoon on a Sunday, and I was comfortably hidden from view. But I couldn't see anyway over this damn fence, without at least a carpet to throw over it, and I left empty-handed.

Oddly enough, though your climb resulted in scrapes and a concussion, you make me want to try harder.

I have learned nothing from your failure.





mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
Gender: Male
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 3 on 7/28/2014 11:08 PM >
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I don't let fails bother me too much, yet I know people for whom failure really really gets to them almost too much.

Because I've had a fair amount of fails over the years I just shrug them off, I'm of the opinion I either get in or I don't and it doesn't usually get to me, however on the odd occasion very rarely it does.

My most gutting fail was getting kicked out of an amazing derelict mansion in Belgium within 30 seconds of entering through the back door in December last year, I really really felt that one right down to the pit of my stomach. Luckily I was over there again at the weekend and got it done no dramas

I've turned up to a few places after studying maps and previous visitors photos to find them being demolished or indeed totally gone on a few occasions. I've also had days spent hitting multiple sites only for them all to be fails or busts, my worst was last summer when me and my mate hit a total of nine sites in one day and all of them were either sealed up or not possible to do because of way too many people wandering around outside them.




fornaz 


Location: Montreal
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 4 on 7/28/2014 11:50 PM >
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Other than arriving to find the place shut tight, I don't have many spectacular "fail" stories, but I have acquired a deep hatred for retired people, always working in their garden and ready to call the police at the sign of young people.




JKuhnss 


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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 5 on 7/29/2014 2:33 AM >
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The other day me and a friend went exploring an abandoned slaughterhouse. We just arrived and parked on a hidden dirt road next to the place when we noticed a white SUV just sitting there as well. After much investigation we found there was some creepy guy sitting in the SUV staring at our every move. We weren't sure if he was a random person, security, or the property owner. But most importantly we didn't know if he had called the cops so we just left and came back 2 days later.

I also went to explore an abandoned school campus I've been to many times with a friend. On all my other visits most of the buildings had many points of entry. So we arrived at the first building, sealed tight with new boards. Weird I thought. Tried the second, same, sealed. And same story with all the other buildings. Turns out some asshole burned down one of the buildings and the property owner sealed the rest. We still made it into some, but not as many as before.




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sara'mer 


Location: WNC
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 6 on 7/29/2014 2:46 AM >
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Well I wouldn't usually let everybody know how clumsy I can be, but just yesterday I sprained my foot somehow. After trying to walk it out for a few hours, I gave up and started sitting down a lot. And hopping. And leaning on my tripod like it was a cane. The folks I was with were super awesome (thanks for the Motrin, AD) but I'm sure it was a hilarious sight... lol!




they call me the hyacinth girl
KD20 


Location: Northeast Ohio
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 7 on 7/29/2014 4:20 AM >
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The failure that sticks out in my mind was an abandoned school in southeast Ohio. I found pictures of it that were a few years old and it looked awesome. This school was absolutely in the middle of nowhere so I assumed it was probably in a similar state as the pictures I'd seen. I made the 2-hour drive only to find the building completely gone and Amish people building something where it had once stood. Luckily, I had planned ahead and knew of a couple backup locations that were relatively close so at least the long drive wasn't for nothing. I really wanted to explore that school, though.




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stickbeat 


Location: Peterborough
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 8 on 7/29/2014 4:35 AM >
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Wow guys, super encouraging: failure all around, and I'm just glad that I live pretty close to the downtown. I didn't even have to drive towards (or away from) my failure.

So how do you guys handle failure?

In this case, I'm considering a return trip solo, or with a comparably wee friend to squeeze into the site with (on that note, any small people in the Toronto area want to go to church on Sunday?)

Do you go home, make a better plan, prepare hard, and go it again, or do you simply give up on the site and look for a new one?

Obviously with sites gone demolished or super-secure, a revisit is equally futile. But what about those times where you just couldn't find a way in?





- A.
mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 9 on 7/29/2014 8:11 AM >
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Posted by stickbeat


Do you go home, make a better plan, prepare hard, and go it again, or do you simply give up on the site and look for a new one?

Obviously with sites gone demolished or super-secure, a revisit is equally futile. But what about those times where you just couldn't find a way in?




It depends really. Sometimes I make the effort to give it another go if the site is worth it, other times I lose interest in it totally and focus on something else as the chance of another failure outweighs the chance of success and/or it's too much of a risk to travel a long way to try again. I've done a few sites recently that have required at least three attempts to do successfully and they've been worth the wait.




ZenCanadian 


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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 10 on 7/29/2014 11:58 AM >
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Failure is not an option!!




Zen and the art of infiltration...
http://www.flikr.com/photos/zenslens
Zen is an uber explorer, a demi god of craning and purveyor of the finer things in life.
KD20 


Location: Northeast Ohio
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 11 on 7/29/2014 5:45 PM >
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What I do about failure depends on how close the location is and whether I think trying again is worth the time. If it's nearby, I'll give it some time and then check again. If it's further away, I won't make any special trips for it, but I'll try again if I'm in the area for another explore or some other reason. There was one abandoned school that took me four tries to get into but it ended up being well worth it. This particular school was on the same property as a functional school so I knew people being around would probably be an issue. The first two times, it was locked up tight. The third time I tried was in the evening. I actually was able to find a POE but right as I was about to enter, some PTA lady came around the corner and yelled at me. I guess I got there right when they happened to be having a meeting. So I left and ate dinner, hoping they were gone by the time I got back. An hour later, I returned and was able to get in with no problems. The time period from my first try to actually gaining entrance was just over a year. This is why I don't completely give up on still-standing locations. There's always a chance.




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Benched_it 


Location: Central NC
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 12 on 7/30/2014 1:43 AM >
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Posted by stickbeat
But what about those times where you just couldn't find a way in?



I usually say it wasn't meant to be and move on unless..... it's a certain building that I've tried twice with no luck. It's boarded up very tight and I know it will be pitch black inside but I can't stop thinking about it for some reason? I guess it's a good thing it's about a five hour drive for me....





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Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 13 on 7/30/2014 2:09 AM >
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If you don't have the occasional fail, you aren't pushing yourself hard enough....

Abby Normal




"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
Helix 


Location: Dark side of the moon
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She don't eat the meat but she sure likes the bone, ROCK!

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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 14 on 7/30/2014 4:29 AM >
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HA! I was searching for this, stilling basin of sorts, that I had heard rumors of since my freshman year. Supposedly right in the middle of town by a major intersection on one side and the other side nothing but pasture through a grumpy old farmers land. So me and my bud Sid decided we were gonna photo the infamous "lost basin of Woodward". With tennis shoes, and t shirts, in thickly overgrown forage and covered in skeeters. To our credit we found it!


After a couple shots we each took a pic hanging over the ledge, then decided to bail. Well taking the pasture route, because it led to out neighborhood, Sid heard a noise. We got bobcats and coyotes and little varmints, but Sid heard something in the brush and was getting a spooky. So *ahem* tough guy decides to lead the way. Then I not only heard rustling, I saw the sage moving in front of me. So I prepare the pull a street fighter shoryuken on our assailant and a momma skunk popped out...in reverse...not looking happy.

I am sorry to say that I left Sid that day. I hit the burners and was gone. Until the top wire of a bobwire fence. Cover your eyes here ladies....bout caught my Stanley and gave him a rip. I outran the "big, bad, skunk". Sid...*sobs* he didn't. The villain shot him!

It was worth it though I still plan to go back and take some good shots in the daylight. Those were twilight, qwik stop quality cameras. But I wouldna traded that evening for the world.




Samurai ability to enter any establishment...thanks grandpa for all the training.
stickbeat 


Location: Peterborough
Gender: Female
Total Likes: 25 likes




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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 15 on 7/30/2014 2:12 PM >
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I've decided to just go to the Church on Sunday and slip off during mass.




- A.
Spotlight_Buddha 


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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 16 on 8/1/2014 4:17 AM >
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In case you were interested.

This is what Stick's hands looked like:







But like a mother-fucking boss, she still climbed up 70ft of scaffolding in the dark to give us all those shots.

It was a learning experience for sure, but at least you've got some bad ass scars! =P




stickbeat 


Location: Peterborough
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 17 on 8/1/2014 5:07 AM >
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Gross.

Healing nicely though.




- A.
Granuaile 


Location: Cincinnati
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Enveloped in a sentiment

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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 18 on 8/2/2014 1:35 PM >
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This morning started at 3 am. I had very ambitious plans. Found a buddy to go and everything.

Church #1 : guy sitting at the entrance in the dark. Thankfully was smoking so I noticed him before i just walked up on him. Then the lady living near it stared us down. Aborted mission saved for another day.

Church #2: buddy pussed out

Building : buddy pussed out

Church #3: locked up tight and neighbors out all over

Failure all morning.



[last edit 8/2/2014 2:42 PM by Granuaile - edited 1 times]

"First rule of space travel, kids, is always answer distress beacons. 9 out of 10 times it's a ship full of dead bodies and free shit."
alexcell33 


Location: Long Island NY
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Re: Confronting Failure: On Failed Expeditions and Farcical Conclusions
< Reply # 19 on 8/5/2014 7:36 PM >
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There an abandoned school build in late 1800's about 40 min from me. Its going to be demolished very soon (October). First time I went landscapers were working and there were gardeners right outside the entrance I found. I went back today and they started venting out the building for demolition. There was tents and fences around the main entrance with many workers. I still could get through the entrance I found and was determined. The only thing that stood in my way was a fence and wall I had to parkour up. Unfortunately the fence ended up giving me 8 stitches in my hand and I had to leave and drive home to a clinic. Still not giving up.
1. Really deep puncture wound didn't look that bad fat was oozing out of my palm.





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