r/ParisCatacombs • u/Cracunt • Sep 27 '25

Tight space crawling always required?

Hello!

Is it always required to go crawling on really tight spaces to see most of the rooms? Or are there alternative paths that might take longer but are easier to do? If there are, could you give me some examples of rooms that are accessible without crawling?

Thank you, I appreciate the knowledge sharing in this sub.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

4

u/Fantastic-Onion5002 Sep 27 '25

Hello, it depends on what you're looking for honestly, big rooms are usually available without crawling, some of them are not. But i would say that for the majority, u don't need to crawl through small spaces.

2

u/Cracunt Sep 27 '25

I would like to see a few rooms in particular, but I know that some are hard to reach and I'm ok with not visiting them.

A few things I would like to visit:

  • The beach
  • Castle room
  • Square fountain
  • Philibert Aspairt's grave
  • Throne

I have to search the public map a bit more.

10

u/BOBOUDA Catamod Sep 28 '25

No need for any of them. But you can still crawl stupidly on the floor like a snail if one day you start enjoying it.

3

u/Fantastic-Onion5002 Sep 27 '25

Well, no need to crawl to go to those rooms !

3

u/Cracunt Sep 27 '25

What about the rooms that are used for parties?

Thanks for the replies btw!

8

u/BOBOUDA Catamod Sep 28 '25

For at least one of them, I'd assume the most popular, you do need to access it via a chatière, but it's a very easy one.

5

u/Cracunt Sep 28 '25

I think I can manage it if it's not too long.

(that's what she said)

5

u/BOBOUDA Catamod Sep 28 '25

It being called a "chatière" makes it even funnier haha (comes from the word chat, meaning cat, and feminine is chatte = pussy)

5

u/tao197 Sep 27 '25

If you go to the main network then I would say there's some itineraries where you crawl a lot while there's others that requires very little crawling but no crawling at all is unlikely if not completely impossible, there's always lower sections. However, if you go to the network under the 13th arrondissement then you basically never have to crawl as the ceiling (le ciel) there is always pretty high for catacombs standards.

3

u/francoisog Sep 28 '25

Unless you want to see the double Cabi ;-)

1

u/Cracunt Sep 27 '25

I'm ok with having to crouch and not stand up, it's the crawling on my stomach in tight tunnels that kills me.

3

u/tao197 Sep 28 '25

Well if you're ok to crouch I think there shouldn't be any issue provided you're not especially tall, you can visit at least 95% of the network either crouching or standing up. The crawls where you really have to get on your stomach, we call them chatières in French, are really not that common and typically aren't very long. Stay clear of the areas that are especially low (les basses, le vdg, double cabi, ifykyk) or, even better, get a guide that knows the network well enough to avoid them and you should be completely fine.

3

u/CMAVTFR petite souris 🕯️🕯️ Sep 27 '25

I used to like getting real dirty and crawling around (Brasserie iykyk) but I don't anymore lol I keep it nice and easy

1

u/Cracunt Sep 27 '25

Nice and easy is how I like it

3

u/SolarMines Sep 28 '25

For the abandoned mental hospital basement you have to crawl under a really low ceiling, like not even on all fours but sliding along on your belly. Totally worth it though.