Les W
Active member
burrencrawler said:
It has numerous entrances and exits as the cataphiles continually open new ones as soon as the authorities close others. They have to leave some open as there is a very good chance that closing them all would result in trapping people inside. They do tend to monitor the entrances they leave open and occasionally sweep through the main routes to try and catch people. The crime appears to be no more serious than trespass and is usually dealt with by a small fine, however the inability to understand the catapolice (yes they really do exist) seems to result in them letting you go without a fine. It is also rumoured that if you are well equipped with good maps and lights then they let you go but I have never experienced this myself.
Without maps you will get lost but there are very good and up to date maps that are available for download on t'internet (for free!!!) and there are companies that will encapsulate them for you at a reasonable price, to ensure they survive underground.
As for the entrances, well they are never published and are never photographed. Local knowledge is the key. Access to the GSN is relatively easy, but access to some of the other catacombs is much more difficult and jealously guarded. A lot of ground work is required to win the trust of the locals before this information will be given.
It does make for a cheap weekend though as all you need to do is get to Paris, no need for hotels, etc. as you normally sleep underground. Beer is uber expensive in Paris though, last time we were there it was ?10 for half a litre
As there is a certain etiquette concerning the catacombs I won't post sensitive information in the public domain but I may impart more knowledge if you want to contact me directly.
