crippletron 3000
18-02-2011, 12:09 AM
Hardcore Drain, Manchester.
The weather was decent so I decided to go and check on a couple of drain leads off my research list.
It's quite ironic that most of Manchester's best drains are located in some of the worst ghettos, this was no exception!
As I arrived at my destination I decided to wear wellies, but having made it half way across the river I had breached big time and my feet and legs were now soaked - FAIL.
Back to the ghetto I got some strange looks wringing out my socks whilst balanced on one crutch :D
Deploying the wad0rs I headed back off yet again to said river, this time crossing was much easier although the local dog walkers couldn't get their head around a cripple wadering through your rivers LOL.
Once across, the Outfall was much bigger than I expected, about 4 metres all told. As I walked through, it got much deeper and opened out into a pretty big concrete box, at this point I got the biggest whiff of 'fresh'.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/1.jpg
There wasn't much natural light so I switched on the head torch and WOW, 2 6ft RBP's, BUT then as I looked down I was stood in a sea of arse soup with stale turds floating about Yummy!
(Suppose that would explain the smell then) :D
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/2.jpg
I found a safe place to anchor one of the crip stix, and quickly whipped out the cree and set sail up the first RBP....
As I stepped inside, it was obvious it was some kind of culvert, as the water was clear and none of the usual toilet peripherals draped about.
It was a fair bit rocky for the first 100 yards, then it was just a matter of slippery brickwork to contend with.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_1.jpg
I must have walked about another 300 yards before it started to curve to the left
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_2.jpg
Eventually it straightened out and I carried on upstream for what seemed like an age before I could here what sounded like a weir in the distance
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_3.jpg
As I got closer the pipe appeared to be half blocked with steel supports and was backfilled with silt and rocks.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_4.jpg
Infact I had arrived at a small chamber /junction with a smaller 2ft RBP connecting in from the right,
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_5.jpg
ahead, the now blocked semi-circular RBP continued into the distance, it was 3ft at a push and I had no intention of stooping any further at this point until I'm properly fit... I'll be back
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_6.jpg
I turned round and headed back to the Outfall so I could check out the other RBP....
As I neared the Outfall, the smell of fresh filled my nostrils once again, without hesitating I made my way past the floaters that had gathered around the second shit pipe. I stepped in and shone my torch about, looking for somewhere to place the tripod, the first thing I spotted was a rubber johnny swimming about (NSFW).
It was quite misty as most sewer overflows are intitially, so I mooched up a bit further and took the following shot looking back down the pipe.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_1.jpg
Similar to the other RBP it curved off to the left around 400 yards in
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_2.jpg
Again it was fairly slippy, so relied on the crip stick to keep me steady, I must have walked another couple of hundred yards before the brick appeared to end? WTF as I switched on the cree, it was a case of oh my days....
I was now stood in a rock blasted cavern which had opened up ahead, and a short distance in front of me was a 5ft RCP, confused? I was!
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_3.jpg
I stooped through the short RCP, obviously replacing a collapsed section, which was even more evident as I got to the other side (Some more recent than others).
This was insane, I started off in a drain, I'm still in a drain, but felt like I had now been teleported into a cave or mine :shocked
Whatever, this place was awesome and like nothing I have ever seen before, even the 'Cavern CSO' in Accrington wasn't a patch on this place and that was impressive!
Anyway, after I had got my head around it all I decided to carry on further upstream, as I stepped forward my stick dissapeared.
I was now waist deep in festering sewerfresh, surrounded by fanny plasters and all manner of STD's :eek:
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_4.jpg
My wad0rZ now failed me, thats 2 pairs in 2 consecutive days FFS, I was now soaked, it was becoming uneven & rock as fook and my foot started giving me jip, but I hadn't come this far for fuck all so I ploughed on.
After what seemed like an eternity, the overflow took a sharp right-left turn
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_5.jpg
It went deeper again here and was starting to think that this aint such a good idea solo, but as I shone my torch beyond the turn, I knew there was much more to see..
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_5_1.jpg
In the distance I could hear dripping water and the drain appeared to widen into what looked like another cavern. As I got closer I could see the water dripping down a shaft that was a good 40ft above.
As I stepped under to take a closer look up, it was Game Over, I sunk upto my chest in what appeared to be some kind up sump, also looking ahead it was quite deep & stoopy so decided to call it a day.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_6.jpg
I will be returning once my foot is a bit better and I have new wad0rs, as there is almost certainly much more to see, and I suspect some big CSO chamber further upstream.
It felt good to be back in your DrainZ.
The weather was decent so I decided to go and check on a couple of drain leads off my research list.
It's quite ironic that most of Manchester's best drains are located in some of the worst ghettos, this was no exception!
As I arrived at my destination I decided to wear wellies, but having made it half way across the river I had breached big time and my feet and legs were now soaked - FAIL.
Back to the ghetto I got some strange looks wringing out my socks whilst balanced on one crutch :D
Deploying the wad0rs I headed back off yet again to said river, this time crossing was much easier although the local dog walkers couldn't get their head around a cripple wadering through your rivers LOL.
Once across, the Outfall was much bigger than I expected, about 4 metres all told. As I walked through, it got much deeper and opened out into a pretty big concrete box, at this point I got the biggest whiff of 'fresh'.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/1.jpg
There wasn't much natural light so I switched on the head torch and WOW, 2 6ft RBP's, BUT then as I looked down I was stood in a sea of arse soup with stale turds floating about Yummy!
(Suppose that would explain the smell then) :D
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/2.jpg
I found a safe place to anchor one of the crip stix, and quickly whipped out the cree and set sail up the first RBP....
As I stepped inside, it was obvious it was some kind of culvert, as the water was clear and none of the usual toilet peripherals draped about.
It was a fair bit rocky for the first 100 yards, then it was just a matter of slippery brickwork to contend with.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_1.jpg
I must have walked about another 300 yards before it started to curve to the left
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_2.jpg
Eventually it straightened out and I carried on upstream for what seemed like an age before I could here what sounded like a weir in the distance
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_3.jpg
As I got closer the pipe appeared to be half blocked with steel supports and was backfilled with silt and rocks.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_4.jpg
Infact I had arrived at a small chamber /junction with a smaller 2ft RBP connecting in from the right,
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_5.jpg
ahead, the now blocked semi-circular RBP continued into the distance, it was 3ft at a push and I had no intention of stooping any further at this point until I'm properly fit... I'll be back
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/3_6.jpg
I turned round and headed back to the Outfall so I could check out the other RBP....
As I neared the Outfall, the smell of fresh filled my nostrils once again, without hesitating I made my way past the floaters that had gathered around the second shit pipe. I stepped in and shone my torch about, looking for somewhere to place the tripod, the first thing I spotted was a rubber johnny swimming about (NSFW).
It was quite misty as most sewer overflows are intitially, so I mooched up a bit further and took the following shot looking back down the pipe.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_1.jpg
Similar to the other RBP it curved off to the left around 400 yards in
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_2.jpg
Again it was fairly slippy, so relied on the crip stick to keep me steady, I must have walked another couple of hundred yards before the brick appeared to end? WTF as I switched on the cree, it was a case of oh my days....
I was now stood in a rock blasted cavern which had opened up ahead, and a short distance in front of me was a 5ft RCP, confused? I was!
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_3.jpg
I stooped through the short RCP, obviously replacing a collapsed section, which was even more evident as I got to the other side (Some more recent than others).
This was insane, I started off in a drain, I'm still in a drain, but felt like I had now been teleported into a cave or mine :shocked
Whatever, this place was awesome and like nothing I have ever seen before, even the 'Cavern CSO' in Accrington wasn't a patch on this place and that was impressive!
Anyway, after I had got my head around it all I decided to carry on further upstream, as I stepped forward my stick dissapeared.
I was now waist deep in festering sewerfresh, surrounded by fanny plasters and all manner of STD's :eek:
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_4.jpg
My wad0rZ now failed me, thats 2 pairs in 2 consecutive days FFS, I was now soaked, it was becoming uneven & rock as fook and my foot started giving me jip, but I hadn't come this far for fuck all so I ploughed on.
After what seemed like an eternity, the overflow took a sharp right-left turn
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_5.jpg
It went deeper again here and was starting to think that this aint such a good idea solo, but as I shone my torch beyond the turn, I knew there was much more to see..
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_5_1.jpg
In the distance I could hear dripping water and the drain appeared to widen into what looked like another cavern. As I got closer I could see the water dripping down a shaft that was a good 40ft above.
As I stepped under to take a closer look up, it was Game Over, I sunk upto my chest in what appeared to be some kind up sump, also looking ahead it was quite deep & stoopy so decided to call it a day.
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Other/Hardcore/4_6.jpg
I will be returning once my foot is a bit better and I have new wad0rs, as there is almost certainly much more to see, and I suspect some big CSO chamber further upstream.
It felt good to be back in your DrainZ.