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64-477: Cacophony events, which may be sponsored by any member, often involve wearing costumes, performing pranks in public places, and urban exploring . Formed in 1986, some members became organizers of the annual Burning Man event. The move came after Cacophony member Michael Mikel attended the event's previous iteration, the unnamed Memorial Day beach party to raise and burn the Man on Baker Beach , in 1988 and publicized

128-741: A central heating plant . These pipes are generally run through utility tunnels, which are often intended to be accessible solely for the purposes of maintenance. Nevertheless, many of these steam tunnels, especially those on college campuses, have a tradition of exploration by students. This practice was once called "vadding" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , but students there now call it roof and tunnel hacking . Some steam tunnels have dirt floors, poor lighting and temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F). Others have concrete floors, bright light, and more moderate temperatures. Most steam tunnels have large intake fans to bring in

192-553: A branch of the National Science Foundation . The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,500 residents, and serves as one of three year-round United States Antarctic science facilities. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo. McMurdo Station continues to operate as the hub for American activities on

256-471: A few months had its signal received as far as the US east coast. AFAN had changed frequencies several times in subsequent years. The station continued broadcasting on shortwave into the 1980s when it dropped shortwave while continuing FM transmission. For a time, McMurdo had Antarctica's only television station, AFAN-TV, running vintage programs provided by the military. Broadcasts started on November 9, 1973, with

320-417: A few times every year, often as early as May, and sometimes even as early as April, and very rarely above 0 °C. The highest temperature ever recorded at McMurdo was 10.8 °C on December 21, 1987. There is enough snowmelt in summer that a few species of moss and lichen can grow. Starting in 1963, McMurdo played host to one of the only two shortwave broadcast stations in Antarctica. From sign-on to 1971,

384-472: A half dozen other countries. Between 2003 and 2006, and in 2008, "Sant' Arctica" was held at McMurdo Station , Antarctica . Many activities have been inspired by the Society, such as Pee-wee Herman Day (commemorating Actor Paul Reubens ' arrest in a pornographic theater). Flash mob activities have been influenced by the Society, as well as groups like Improv Everywhere . The Society also has links to

448-471: A mix of US programs and interviews with visitors and scientists, as well as a daily news and weather service. The station's equipment was susceptible to "electronic burping" from the diesel generators that provide electricity in the outpost. The station was profiled in a 1975 article in TV Guide magazine, where the station broadcast in the summer months, known by staff as "the season" (November to February),

512-485: A polar ice cap climate ( Köppen EF ). However, in the warmest months (December and January) the monthly average high temperature may occasionally rise above freezing. The place is protected from cold waves from the interior of Antarctica by the Transantarctic Mountains , so temperatures below −40° are rare, compared to more exposed places like Neumayer Station , which usually gets those temperatures

576-478: A proprietary, non-replaceable part critical to battery storage reduced the power generation of the turbines by 66% by 2019. Between 1962 and 1963, 28 Arcas sounding rockets were launched from McMurdo Station. McMurdo Station stands about two miles (3 km) from Scott Base , the New Zealand science station, and all of Ross Island lies within a sector claimed by New Zealand. Criticism has been leveled at

640-504: A rally. As of 2007 , McMurdo Station was Antarctica's largest community and a functional, modern-day science station, including a harbor , three airfields (two seasonal), a heliport and more than 100 buildings, including the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center . The station is also home to the continent's two ATMs , both provided by Wells Fargo Bank . The work done at McMurdo Station primarily focuses on science , but most of

704-619: A safety consciousness organization, The Art of Bleeding , along with several members of the Los Angeles chapter. In 2008, the Los Angeles chapter was revived by San Francisco members Heathervescent and Rev. Borfo with Michael Mikel's blessing. They have since continued to sponsor events. In December 1993, the Seattle Chapter held a protest event called "Uncan the Cranberries" at a shopping mall, where Cacophony members asked

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768-604: A specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains!", because the dangers of becoming entrapped, washed away, or killed increase dramatically during heavy rainfall. A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers . Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean features. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore owing to the risk of poisoning by buildups of toxic gas (commonly methane , hydrogen sulfide , or carbon dioxide ). Sewers can contain viruses, bacteria , protozoa , and parasitic worms . Protective equipment

832-591: Is Cities of the Underworld , a documentary series that ran for three seasons on the History Channel starting in 2007. This series roamed around the world, showing little-known underground structures in remote locales and right under the feet of densely packed city-dwellers. Websites for professional and hobby explorers have been developed to share tips and locations. With the rise in the hobby's popularity, there has been increasing discussion of whether

896-703: Is Željava Air Base , situated under the Gola Plješevica mountain, near the city of Bihać . It was the largest underground airport and military air base in the SFR Yugoslavia , and one of the largest in Europe. The complex contains tunnels in total length of 3.5 km (2.2 mi), and other large facilities. Nowadays, it is popular for urban exploration, although it is risky due to the possibility of anti-personnel landmines being located in unexplored areas, remnants from 1990s Bosnian War . Many explorers find

960-463: Is about 45 cm × 60 cm (18 in × 24 in) in size, and is secured to a large vertical rock halfway up the west side of Observation Hill , at the former site of the PM-3A nuclear power reactor at McMurdo Station. The inscription details the achievements of Antarctica's first nuclear power plant. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 85), following a proposal by

1024-473: Is known as haikyo ( 廃墟 ) (literally "ruins"), and the term is synonymous with the practice of urban exploration. Haikyo are particularly common in Japan because of its rapid industrialization (e.g., Hashima Island ), damage during World War II , the 1980s real estate bubble , and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . In Bosnia and Herzegovina , a large underground facility abandoned since 1992

1088-412: Is recommended for people who enter sewers. Exploring active and abandoned subway and railway tunnels, bores, and stations is often considered trespassing and can result in civil prosecution due to security concerns. As a result, this type of exploration is rarely publicized. An exception to this is the abandoned subway of Rochester, New York , the only American city with an abandoned subway system that

1152-597: Is the practice of exploring active or in use buildings, which includes gaining access to secured or "member-only" areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors, and other normally unseen parts of working buildings. The term "infiltration" is often associated with exploring active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing trespass, and civil prosecution may result. Catacombs such as those found in Paris , Rome , Odessa , and Naples have been investigated by urban explorers. Some consider

1216-589: The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), opened for signature on December 1, 1959, and officially entered into force on June 23, 1961. The first scientific diving protocols were established before 1960 and the first diving operations were documented in November 1961. On March 3, 1962, the U.S. Navy activated the PM-3A nuclear power plant at the station. The unit was prefabricated in modules to facilitate transport and assembly. Engineers designed

1280-670: The Church of the SubGenius and the annual Saint Stupid's Day Parade held on April 1st in San Francisco . Urban explorers also have taken some inspiration from early Society events such as the Sewer Walks. Urban exploring Urban exploration (often shortened as UE , urbex, and sometimes known as roof and tunnel hacking ) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of

1344-712: The Discovery Channel , MTV's Fear , and the Ghost Hunting exploits of The Atlantic Paranormal Society have packaged the hobby for a popular audience. The fictional film After... (2006), a hallucinatory thriller set in Moscow's underground subways, features urban explorers caught up in extreme situations. Talks and exhibits on urban exploration have appeared at the fifth and sixth Hackers on Planet Earth Conference, complementing numerous newspaper articles and interviews. Another source of popular information

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1408-587: The Mines of Paris , comprising many of the tunnels that are not open to public tours, including the catacombs, the " Holy Grail " due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these spaces are known as cataphiles . Entry into storm drains , or "draining", is another common form of urban exploration. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the Cave Clan and Darkside in Australia . Draining has

1472-667: The 1989 event in the Cacophony Society newsletter. In 1990, Carrie Galbraith and Kevin Evans conceived of Zone Trip #4 and organized it with John Law and Michael Mikel. They publicized the event in the Society newsletter as "A Bad Day at Black Rock". Larry Harvey and Jerry James, who had previously run the Baker Beach party, co-founded the Burning Man festival when they were invited to bring their effigy along for

1536-498: The Antarctic continent. By road, McMurdo is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from New Zealand 's smaller Scott Base . The station takes its name from its geographic location on McMurdo Sound , named after Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo of British ship HMS  Terror . The Terror , commanded by Irish explorer Francis Crozier , along with expedition flagship Erebus under command of English Explorer James Clark Ross , first charted

1600-715: The End of the World reports on the life and culture of McMurdo Station from the point-of-view of residents. Anthony Powell's 2013 documentary Antarctica: A Year on Ice provides time-lapse photography of Antarctica intertwined with personal accounts from residents of McMurdo Station and of the adjacent Scott Base over the course of a year. An annual sealift by cargo ships as part of Operation Deep Freeze delivers 8 million U.S. gallons (6.6 million imperial gallons/42 million liters) of fuel and 11 million pounds (5 million kg) of supplies and equipment for McMurdo residents. The ships, operated by

1664-456: The IGY, it became the center for US scientific as well as logistical activities in Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty , subsequently signed by over forty-five governments, regulates intergovernmental relations with respect to Antarctica and governs the conduct of daily life at McMurdo for United States Antarctic Program (USAP) participants. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called

1728-399: The Los Angeles branch often centered on public pranking with several historical events, including "Cement Cuddles" where they filled a dozen teddy bears with cement and put them on toy store shelves complete with bar-coded labels. The Los Angeles group splintered in late 2000 when longtime leader, Al "Reverend Al" Ridenour, pranked the society itself and declared a "bold new direction" for

1792-715: The San Francisco Cacophony Society , a book published by Last Gasp . In 2013, a digitized collection of the San Francisco chapter's Rough Draft newsletters was uploaded to the Internet Archive . Originating in 1991, the Los Angeles chapter listed events in their monthly newsletter Tales from the Zone . After mailing out physical monthly newsletters for several years, they switched to an online newsletter format. The events produced by

1856-675: The Sewer Walk. After a lull in activity in the San Francisco chapter in the late 1990s and the cessation of the chapter's monthly newsletter, Rough Draft , a group of subscribers to the defunct society's email discussion list became active under the Cacophony Society aegis. This resurgence followed a mock Pigeon Roast organized by a fictitious group called "Bay Area Rotisserie Friends" in San Francisco's Union Square in 2000, proposed by Drunken Consumptive Panda. In 2013, Kevin Evans, Carrie Galbraith and John Law co-authored Tales of

1920-494: The Society in his writings, particularly in the book Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon . Palahniuk used the Society as the inspiration for the fictional organization Project Mayhem in his novel Fight Club . Palahniuk himself was pranked by a group of members disguised as waiters at one of his book readings in San Francisco. Cacophony chapters are or have been active in about two dozen American cities and at least

1984-627: The Sydney Cave Clan 's website after they raised concerns that the portal could "risk human safety and threaten the security of its infrastructure". Another website belonging to the Bangor Explorers Guild was criticized by the Maine State Police for encouraging behavior that "could get someone hurt or killed". Toronto Police , called for an "end" to rooftop photography in 2016, citing similar concerns about

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2048-533: The U.S. Military Sealift Command , are crewed by civilian mariners. Cargo may range from mail, construction materials, trucks, tractors, dry and frozen food, to scientific instruments. U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers break a ship channel through ice-clogged McMurdo Sound in order for supply ships to reach Winter Quarters Bay at McMurdo. Additional supplies and personnel are flown into nearby Williams Field from Christchurch in New Zealand. With all months having an average temperature below freezing, McMurdo features

2112-512: The U.S. Navy Seabees , was initially designated Naval Air Facility McMurdo . On November 28, 1957, Admiral George J. Dufek visited McMurdo with a U.S. congressional delegation for a change-of-command ceremony. McMurdo Station was the center of United States logistical operations during the International Geophysical Year , an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. After

2176-651: The US. Voice communications within the station are conducted via VHF radio. Testing of the Starlink service began in September 2022, with a second terminal providing connectivity for the Allan Hills field camp brought in November 2022. The Starlink test ran from January to March of 2023, when it was shut off indefinitely to analyze test data. McMurdo has the world's most southerly harbor. A multitude of on- and off-road vehicles transport people and cargo around

2240-476: The annual Burning Man festival. Eventually, the Burning Man organizers banned their guns. The Black Rock City Post Office (BRCPO), which sends US postal mail from the Burning Man festival with a unique BRCPO postmark arranged with the US Postmaster, is still managed by PDX Cacophony associates. One of the most widely known Cacophony members is Novelist Chuck Palahniuk, who has mentioned his experiences with

2304-502: The area in 1841. The British explorer Robert Falcon Scott established a base camp close to this spot in 1902 and built a cabin there that was named Discovery Hut . It still stands as a historic monument near the water's edge on Hut Point at McMurdo Station. The volcanic rock of the site is the southernmost bare ground accessible by ship in the world. The United States officially opened its first station at McMurdo on February 16, 1956, as part of Operation Deep Freeze . The base, built by

2368-484: The ascents of rooftops, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, etc., usually illegally, to get an adrenaline rush and take selfie photos or videos . Rooftopping differs from skywalking as the latter is mostly about taking panoramic photographs of the scene below, and safety is more important than the thrill. Rooftopping has been especially popular in Russia . Buildering has a similar goal as rooftopping and skywalking (to reach

2432-625: The base regarding its construction projects, particularly the McMurdo-(Amundsen-Scott) South Pole highway . McMurdo Station has attempted to improve environmental management and waste removal in order to adhere to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty , signed on October 4, 1991, which entered into force on January 14, 1998. This agreement prevents development and provides for

2496-456: The branch by allegedly joining an Orthodox Christian community out of guilt over the deaths of two young members who reportedly died in a drunken post-event car accident. However, one of the men eventually turned out to be completely fictitious and the other, Peter "Mr. Outer Space" Geiberger, was discovered to be alive. In Spring 2001, Ridenour stepped down as leader of the chapter. In 2005, Reverend Al resurfaced as Dr. A.P. Ridenour, leader of

2560-504: The callsign was KMSA, from then on it was changed to WASA (W A ntarctic S upport A ctivities), later changing to AFAN in 1975. As KMSA, the station broadcast in the same building as the bowling alley, the barber shop and the retail store. A part of the vinyl collection reportedly came from Vietnam, believing to have been played by Adrian Cronauer 's show in Saigon. In a 1997 interview to The Antarctic Sun , Cronauer denied these claims and

2624-409: The components to weigh no more than 30,000 pounds (14,000 kg) each and to measure no more than 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) by 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m). A single core no larger than an oil drum served as the heart of the nuclear reactor . These size and weight restrictions aimed to allow delivery of the reactor in an LC-130 Hercules aircraft, but

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2688-431: The components were delivered by ship. The reactor generated 1.8 MW of electrical power and reportedly replaced the need for 1,500 US gallons (5,700 L) of oil daily. Engineers applied the reactor's power, for instance, in producing steam for the salt-water distillation plant. As a result of continuing safety issues (hairline cracks in the reactor and water leaks), the U.S. Army Nuclear Power Program decommissioned

2752-399: The decay of uninhabited space profoundly beautiful, and some are also proficient freelance photographers who document what they see, such as those who document the infrastructure of the former USSR . Abandoned sites are also popular among historians , preservationists , architects , archaeologists , industrial archaeologists , and ghost hunters . Another aspect of urban exploration

2816-483: The extra attention has been beneficial. The activity's growing popularity has resulted in increased attention not just from explorers but also from vandals and law enforcement. The illicit aspects of urban exploring, which may include trespassing and breaking and entering , have had critical attention in mainstream newspapers. In Australia , lawyers for the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales shut down

2880-457: The floor, making slips and falls a special concern near hot pipes. Steam tunnels have generally been secured more heavily in recent years due to their frequent use for carrying communications network backbone cables, increased safety and liability concerns, and perceived risk of use in terrorist activities. The rise in urban exploration's popularity can be attributed to increased media attention. Recent television shows such as Urban Explorers on

2944-434: The fresh air and push the hot air out the back, and these may start without warning. Most active steam tunnels do not contain airborne asbestos , but proper breathing protection may be required for other respiratory hazards. Experienced explorers are very cautious inside active utility tunnels since pipes can spew boiling hot water or steam from leaky valves or pressure relief blow-offs. Often there are puddles of muddy water on

3008-476: The ice from 1989 to 2006. A hyperbaric chamber is available for support of polar diving operations. McMurdo Station briefly gained global notice when an anti-war protest took place on February 15, 2003. During the rally, about 50 scientists and station personnel gathered to protest against the coming invasion of Iraq by the United States. McMurdo Station was the only Antarctic location to hold such

3072-456: The manmade environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby, sometimes involving trespassing onto private property. Urban exploration is also called draining (a specific form of urban exploration where storm drains or sewers are explored), urban spelunking , urban rock climbing , urban caving , building hacking , or mousing . The activity presents various risks, including physical danger,

3136-533: The most common example of urban exploration. Many sites are entered first by locals and may have graffiti or other kinds of vandalism , while others are better preserved. Although targets of exploration vary from one country to another, high-profile abandonments include amusement parks , grain elevators , factories , power plants , missile silos , fallout shelters , hospitals , asylums , prisons , schools , outmoded and abandoned skyscrapers , poor houses , and sanatoriums . In Japan, abandoned infrastructure

3200-687: The new Labor Day weekend art festival after they had been blocked from burning it on the beach by law enforcement. The Society was also involved in such events as the Atomic Café, the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt, the picnic on the Golden Gate Bridge , driving an earthquake-damaged car on the closed Embarcadero Freeway to commemorate the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , the Brides of March , Urban Iditarod, and

3264-411: The only season where Antarctica was (at the time) open to aircraft. In the mid-90s, a cable network was installed. By 1998, shortly after the launch of new AFN television services the year before, the traditional AFN network was broadcast over cable channel 2 (the channel that would soon become AFN Prime), NewSports (the current AFN News and AFN Sports) was on channel 11 and Spectrum (current AFN Spectrum)

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3328-486: The plant in 1972. Conventional diesel generators replaced the nuclear power station, with several 500 kilowatts (670 hp) diesel generators in a central powerhouse providing electric power. A conventionally fueled water-desalination plant provided fresh water. Three Enercon E-33 (330 kW each) wind turbines were deployed in 2009 to power McMurdo and New Zealand's Scott Base, reducing diesel consumption by 11% or 463,000 liters per year. The subsequent failure of

3392-531: The possibility of arrest and punishment if done illegally and/or without permission, and the risk of encountering squatters . Some activities associated with urban exploration may violate local or regional laws, certain broadly interpreted anti-terrorism laws , or can be considered trespassing or invasion of privacy. Encountering squatters , who are unauthorized occupants in abandoned or unmonitored properties, can lead to unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations. Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps

3456-1120: The possibility of death or injury. The Toronto Transit Commission has used the Internet to crimp subway tunnel explorations, going as far as to send investigators to various explorers' homes. Jeff Chapman , who authored Infiltration , writes that genuine urban explorers "never vandalize, steal or damage anything". The thrill comes from "discovery and a few nice pictures". Some explorers also request permission for entry in advance. Storm drains are not designed with human access as their primary use and can be subject to flash flooding and bad air. Many abandoned structures have hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, broken glass, stray voltage , entrapment hazards, or unknown chemicals and other harmful substances (most notably asbestos ). Other risks include freely roaming guard dogs and hostile squatters . Some abandoned locations may be heavily guarded by motion detectors and active security patrols, while others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery. Rooftopping and skywalking are

3520-425: The protection of the Antarctic environment through five specific annexes on marine pollution , fauna and flora , environmental impact assessments , waste management , and protected areas . It prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific ones. A new waste-treatment facility was built at McMurdo in 2003. Scientific diving operations continue with 10,859 dives having been conducted under

3584-435: The public to "save the free-range cranberry". Another Cacophony member asked the "adult children of parents" to avoid "dysfunction and substance abuse" by staying home and avoiding family gatherings. By the mid-1990s, the Cacophony Society had expanded to Portland, Oregon. In 1996, Portland Cacophony organized the first Santa Rampage outside of San Francisco. The arrival of the members dressed like Santa, who flew in by plane,

3648-464: The residents (approximately 1,000 in the summer and around 250 in the winter) are not scientists, but station personnel who provide support for operations, logistics, information technology, construction, and maintenance. Scientists and other personnel at McMurdo are participants in the USAP, which coordinates research and operational support in the region. Werner Herzog 's 2007 documentary Encounters at

3712-574: The roof), but involves climbing the building from the outside rather than infiltrating from the inside. McMurdo Station McMurdo Station is an American Antarctic research station on the southern tip of Ross Island , which is in the New Zealand –claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program (USAP),

3776-668: The station area, including Ivan the Terra Bus (a pun on Ivan the Terrible ). There is a road from McMurdo to the New Zealand Scott Base and South Pole, the South Pole Traverse . McMurdo station is serviced seasonally from Christchurch Airport about 3,920 kilometres (2,440 mi) away by air, with C-17 Globemaster and Lockheed LC-130 , by three airports: The Richard E. Byrd Historic Monument

3840-472: The vinyl collection was apparently destroyed. The station—AFAN McMurdo—initially operated on AM 600 and had a power of 50 W, but by 1974, it transmitted with a power of 1 kilowatt on the shortwave frequency of 6,012 kHz and became a target for shortwave radio listening to hobbyists around the world because of its rarity. The station was picked up by DX for the first time in New Zealand in July 1974, and within

3904-549: Was erected at McMurdo in 1965. It includes a bronze bust on black marble , 150 cm × 60 cm (5 ft × 2 ft) square, on a wooden platform, bearing inscriptions describing the polar exploration achievements of Richard E. Byrd . It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 54), following a proposal by the United States to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting . The bronze Nuclear Power Plant Plaque

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3968-653: Was met by Portland police in riot gear, following a tip-off from the San Francisco Police Department. However, the activities resulted in only two arrests, which involved a gift wrapped in a Playboy centerfold being given to a recipient without verifying that they were over 18. For several years, Portland Cacophony was responsible for the Disgruntled Postal Workers, a group of armed individuals in postal uniforms who occasionally delivered newspapers and other forms of "mail" at

4032-564: Was on channel 13. McMurdo Station receives both Internet and voice communications by satellite communications via the Optus D1 satellite and relayed to Sydney, Australia. A satellite dish at Black Island provides 20 Mbit/s Internet connectivity and voice communications. Voice communications are tied into the United States Antarctic Program headquarters in Centennial, Colorado , providing inbound and outbound calls to McMurdo from

4096-476: Was once operational. The Cincinnati subway is also abandoned but was never completed. London has a number of stations on the London Underground network that have been closed over the years, with Aldwych tube station a popular location for explorers. Universities, and other large institutions, such as hospitals, often distribute hazardous superheated steam for heating or cooling buildings from

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