I start the day waking up in Chernobyl with an awful hangover from drinking with the guards into the small hours. What better way to blast it out than some rooftopping, Pripyat stylee.
It’s actually illegal to enter any of the buildings in Pripyat, although I’ve never known anyone to go, and not get in.
We choose the tallest building in Prypiat (16 Storeys) and make our way in.
We start climbing, and the guide explains to me that we can go to the top floor, but we mustn’t be seen, and that the roof is out of bounds. We arrive slightly out of breath at the 16th floor and enter a flat through a funky padded door:
I make my way onto the balcony and despite all instincts, I look down:
Then I look up…The view is awesome:
Duga 3 in the distance:
Building opposite:
Nothing prepares you to take in that much abandonment.
I probably spend around 12 hours a week looking for abandoned buildings - Here, I have 13,800 abandoned dwellings laid out before me.
The iconic chimney of Reactor 4, looms ominously on the horizon, some 5Km away:
I pose for some shots on a small projecting balcony, and my guide seems to be getting nervous. Although everyone knows everyone goes in the buildings, he’s not keen for me to be spotted.
The whole time he stands close to a utility cupboard which is emanating daylight, it’s blatantly the way to the roof...
“Is time to go now” he calls. “Oh OK” I call back, pretending to photograph another padded door.
He tuts as I make yet more adjustments to my camera and he starts to head back down, assuming I’m following him…
I make a sprint past where he was standing seconds ago, and rapidly, yet very carefully climb the last ladder stage out onto the roof.
Although it’s only 20ft higher than where I just was the view is 360 degrees.
Nearly ever night for the last decade I’ve dreamt of being in a group of the last few survivors on Earth.
I strive on a daily basis to get a feel of what it would be like, mainly through urbex.
Never has it felt as real as this: standing several hundred feet up, with abandonment as far as the eye can see, at least 25Km in each direction.
I notice a telegraph pole near the edge, and realise I could be even higher than where I am now.
I leap up onto the pole and cling on, taking in the vast landscape beneath me.
A gust of wind lurches the pole forward, making a grinding noise in it’s fittings.
Not wanting to take the quick way down, nor wanting to be spotted by my guide (who must nearly be at the ground by now) I take a minute to chill by the edge.
I make my way in, and rush down the stairs. Taking half-staircases with one leap.
I catch up with my guide just as he’s nearing the ground floor. We look at the books once again and the residents directory.
We leave the building and I look back up the roof with a massive grin…
It’s actually illegal to enter any of the buildings in Pripyat, although I’ve never known anyone to go, and not get in.
We choose the tallest building in Prypiat (16 Storeys) and make our way in.
We start climbing, and the guide explains to me that we can go to the top floor, but we mustn’t be seen, and that the roof is out of bounds. We arrive slightly out of breath at the 16th floor and enter a flat through a funky padded door:
I make my way onto the balcony and despite all instincts, I look down:
Then I look up…The view is awesome:
Duga 3 in the distance:
Building opposite:
Nothing prepares you to take in that much abandonment.
I probably spend around 12 hours a week looking for abandoned buildings - Here, I have 13,800 abandoned dwellings laid out before me.
The iconic chimney of Reactor 4, looms ominously on the horizon, some 5Km away:
I pose for some shots on a small projecting balcony, and my guide seems to be getting nervous. Although everyone knows everyone goes in the buildings, he’s not keen for me to be spotted.
The whole time he stands close to a utility cupboard which is emanating daylight, it’s blatantly the way to the roof...
“Is time to go now” he calls. “Oh OK” I call back, pretending to photograph another padded door.
He tuts as I make yet more adjustments to my camera and he starts to head back down, assuming I’m following him…
I make a sprint past where he was standing seconds ago, and rapidly, yet very carefully climb the last ladder stage out onto the roof.
Although it’s only 20ft higher than where I just was the view is 360 degrees.
Nearly ever night for the last decade I’ve dreamt of being in a group of the last few survivors on Earth.
I strive on a daily basis to get a feel of what it would be like, mainly through urbex.
Never has it felt as real as this: standing several hundred feet up, with abandonment as far as the eye can see, at least 25Km in each direction.
I notice a telegraph pole near the edge, and realise I could be even higher than where I am now.
I leap up onto the pole and cling on, taking in the vast landscape beneath me.
A gust of wind lurches the pole forward, making a grinding noise in it’s fittings.
Not wanting to take the quick way down, nor wanting to be spotted by my guide (who must nearly be at the ground by now) I take a minute to chill by the edge.
I make my way in, and rush down the stairs. Taking half-staircases with one leap.
I catch up with my guide just as he’s nearing the ground floor. We look at the books once again and the residents directory.
We leave the building and I look back up the roof with a massive grin…
There is still better out there yet to come 
