As the post goes on, you will understand this sentence. This post does not feature spectacular photos or semi-suicidal actions, but rather shows what such a search is actually like. It usually begins with looking from a distance for unnatural ridgelines, changes in vegetation, or flat terraces. Can you see them?
(View from Silent Hill)
This depression runs from the entrance of Tunnel No. 6 (in the direction of view) toward an old railway tunnel. Remains of rails can still be seen at both locations. On the left-hand side are large concrete blocks, presumably the remains of collapsed houses.
In the upper right, a small hut can be seen, presumably a guard house. Above it, terraces, paths, and trails are visible. The problem is that they gradually shift over time due to landslides or are crossed by animal trails afterward, which is often misleading.
So I climbed up. At first, it was quite manageable, and the terraces and paths became easier to make out. Suddenly, remnants of stairs appeared as well. I followed them, happily clearing the way for quite a while with my knife. Then I ended up at a landslide that had wiped out the continuation of the path.
On the way back, I noticed the remains of walls — what purpose did they serve? They could not have supported anything. And they are too far away to have been part of a ventilation shaft.
So back to the starting point. I spotted a drainage channel. It might have served as drainage for a mine shaft, or perhaps for fields? No idea. So, knife drawn again, I hacked my way forward. Shortly afterward, I came across a toppled utility pole and a satellite dish that has probably been outdated for 30 years. Where there is trash, there were people. Where there is old trash, there have been no people for a long time.
This settlement must once have been enormous. Even today, I can still make out seven terraces. But not much remains — mostly just old stoves. No mine entrance. There must have been electricity at some point as well.
The corrugated roof sheets point to the 1970s. The more recent beer cans suggest that people still come here occasionally.
Stairs connect the different levels.
The highest level (around level 6 or 7) is particularly notable because it has a very strong foundation, whereas the lower levels do not have such massive structural support. No remaining machine parts can be found anymore.
We found this old electrical porcelain insulator, which indicates that large power lines once ran through this area.
(copyright Claudius Petzold)
