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"90/ Photographs by . . ~ ~
Steve Duncan

EPIC

Tunnel
Vision
STEVE DUNCAN is the undis-
puted king of urban explorers.
Granted, it's a small club, a
cultish group of city dwellers
who've been spelunking through
subway tunnels and climbing
suspension bridges for more
than a decade. But Duncan,
33, has drawn new eyes to the
quixotic, and generally illegal,
pastime thanks to Andrew
Wonder's short film Undercity,
which captured Duncan's forays
into Manhattan's underground
infrastructure and took home
the Director's Choice Award at
Mountainfilm in Telluride last
May. Since the film appeared,
Duncan, who started exploring
New York City tunnels while
an undergrad at Columbia
University, has been featured in
The New York Times, on NPR,
and on NBC's Today show. More
impressive, the photographer
and public - history master's
student has made a living from
his passion, selling images of
his expeditions and lecturing at
places like the Explorers Club.
"The underground is one of
those things everyone wants to
learn more about:' says Duncan,
a wiry Maryland native. "But
not everyone is willing to spe-
lunk a sewer!' This fall, Duncan
sets off on his most ambitious
project yet: a three - day odyssey
.through the 124-mile cata-
combs beneath Paris. "Travel-
ing from ancient catacombs to
19th - century sewers to modern
subways will show how the
entire history of the city can be
told through its underground
infrastructure:' says Duncan. It
also requires safety gear. To cope
with the Paris sewers' smelly,
germ -infested waters, Duncan is
bringing hip waders, puncture-
resistant gloves, and a helmet-
to keep the cockroaches out of
his hair. -WILL HUNT

62 OUTSIDE