My first Wherigo - Reindeer Round-Up

Reindeer Round-Up , 10 caches, 3.5 miles, Himbleton, Worcestershire 

Hello,

After the working week, we thought we needed a little break - caching [:)] I had some homework left to do, and so we decided that we needed to find a short little walk, near to home. I had been looking at doing the "Reindeer Round-Up" series since it was published at Christmas, and even though it did have a festive theme, I just couldn't resist giving this series a go. Of course, the other factor  that made me really want to the series was the fact that 9 out of the 10 caches on the loop were Wherigo caches - I'd never found a Wherigo before, so I was really excited. So read on, as I take you on my first Wherigo adventure!

 

There was ample parking near to the first cache. I loved how Wherigo caches are like a game. The object of the game on this series was to catch all the reindeer for Santa - thus why the series is called "Reindeer Round-up"! The walk had a pleasant start, we went through a field of sheep - and there were lovely views to be enjoyed. The first few caches were all easy finds, before my Wherigo cartridge kept on crashing, causing a huge delay at the "Vixen" cache - spent ages looking for it, with my Oregon turning itself on and off all the time, before we had to PAF to the CO's Delta68, who kindly told us where the cache was. 

Even though the day was a little dull, there were a lot of ramblers about - this made the whole process a little slower, because they kept on stopping for snacks when we needed to find caches. Somehow managed to retrieve the next few without them noticing. I loved the "Blitzen" cache the most! Don't want to give anything away on here, but it was a challenge, and a rewarding, well stocked cache at the end - in the most tranquil of spots! The cartridge seemed to be working fine now, though it was a little slow. Now that I had successfully caught (found) all eight reindeer (caches) the Grotto was unlocked on my GPS - it was like magic, there I was and the suddenly a cute little grotto pops up on my screen - great. The next part of my quest was then to walk over to the Grotto itself, and give the reindeer back to Santa. 

Passed some very lovely ponds on the way to the grotto, and there were some fishermen enjoying themselves, even though it was now raining. I simply loved what happened at the grotto - the cartridge let you "talk" to Santa, who expressed his thanks for rounding up his reindeer, and also told us where the cache was - great. The grotto cache was nice and big, as well as well stocked - the log book was in a stocking! Great, now I wish I had done it at Christmas, but oh well. Now it was to work out the puzzle, and go to the bonus. 

Eek, well on the way to the bonus, there was a field of cows. After being chased by them the last two times I've been in the same field as them, I felt a little nervous - but it was all fine, and I soon found the bonus cache waiting for me - glad I had managed to solve the puzzle correctly! By now the rain was really coming down, so after signing the log it was a dash back to the car, and the end of a great series. 

Well, it was fabulous! A great little walk, with good terrain, some nice views, and picturesque landscape. I was over the moon to not only have bagged my first Wherigo, but my first 9 Wherigo caches all in one day! This series must be breaking peoples records! Although all the caches are listed as "small" all the containers were different, but yet all were well stocked. So, to sum up, a great little Wherigo series, which is highly recommended by me. Really enjoyed this new cache type, it's only the beginning for me and Wherigo caches, looking forward to finding more, and maybe even setting something myself. Perfect for a first time Wherigo adventure!

Griff Grof

Hobditch Hunt

Hobditch Hunt, 40 caches, 9 miles, Ullenhall, Warwickshire 

Hello again,

Posting this a little late, but this is a report on my last caching trip of the Easter break. I had been saving this series for a while now, and with the sun out, it seemed the perfect day to complete it - and bag 40 caches! This highly recommended series took us to the pretty Warwickshire village of Ullenhal, and parked by the church. Unfortunately, little did we know that this super series would sadly be cut short due to a severe head-ache I got at #16. We'd been doing it in numeric order, but decided to push on until the series next looped through Ullenhall again, and at #28 going to #40, and along the road back to the village to #33. Skipped out around 5 caches due to this, and with a head-ache like that it was no surprise that I got a DNF on 4 caches on the series. Oh well, it was still a good day out, and now you know what happened, let me entertain you with my review and account of the series.

A very pretty start to the series, lovely trees in blossom, and plenty of friendly horses about. Even met Dadu13 at one of the caches, and had a good chat until he got back to the car. He warned us that we still had a long walk ahead of us, and some great caches. He also advised us of some cows at #26 (which we ended up DNFing as they were right next to it) Other than the cows, his comments made us even more excited for the rest of this great loop. Short after, we were finding some novel caches, some just placed to make you smile. Others were simply in super spots (like the image above - that's on top of a hill, seems flat though!) and a couple were well sized  - shame they've started to build up tat though! 

Spring was at its best yesterday, with some very cute lambs about. The rest of the series was thoroughly enjoyed, before spirits were brought down after the first of many DNFs of the day. It was here when I started to feel a little ill, but pushed on, before deciding that we weren't going to do all the series at #16. Some stunning views on the way to #20, and before too long we were in the first field of cattle on the series. Very scary, they suddenly started running up to us, and we were trying to stay calm while uncovering the cache - once safe over the fence, I had a fun (you could say) read of other cachers experiences with those very cows - glad our case wasn't quite as scary! 

Some lovely houses on this walk - you can see many people from Birmingham have decided to relocate down here to the countryside, for a weekend retreat, or even a full time home! They were stunning, and shared the same lovely open countryside views that this series did. More cows after a couple more fields, but we survived, and then it was along the road back to Ullenhall, as I continued to suffer with my head-ache. The penultimate cache of the day, "Chicken Run" (can't remember which number - sorry) was the best cache on the series, really made me laugh - superb. 

All to soon it was the end of this fantastic series. A super variation in terrain, in very pleasant countryside, and some great hides - just a shame it all had to be cut short due to illness! Oh well, another reason to come back to this great area. 

Griff Grof

Who's Best

Who's Best, 11 caches + one existing, 4 miles, Welford on Avon, Warwickshire 

Hello,

Today I was hoping to get out and find Hobditch Hunt, but we decided to leave it for the weekend, and complete this short, but very popular, series by the gnome-ads - with a plus point that it's closer to home, and so we'd only need a couple of hours to complete it!

Luckily, it was a warm, sunny day after yesterdays storm - felt sorry for all those at the local point to point! Arrived in Welford very quickly, and we were impressed by the May pole in the center of the village - a very pretty Warwickshire, and once we parked the car, we were very much looking forward to the series after admiring some far reaching views - we'd never have come here if It wasn't for caching!

The first cache was an easy find, and before too long we were on the existing cache, "Clives Cache", which was an easy find, but the cache was quite wet. 

At #2 of the series, the devious and different hides began. That was one of things I loved about this series, the fact that you never knew what to expect - whether it was the container, or simply the way it was hidden. Also, as well as these epic hides, there were also nice big, well stocked boxes to keep you happy. Cache wise, this series had everything!

On the way to #3, we left the public footpath, as the series took us onto a permissive footpath - we're very glad the gnome-ads managed to place some caches there! Stunning woods, and a lovely little brook, swarming with wildlife and a variation of flora - all this was made even better under the sun, and by listening to the songs of the birds, we could even hear a woodpecker! There were signs all over the wood stating that it's a conservation project, and we can see why! A little gem to the series, which made it all the better! All the caches along these stretch were also placed sensibly, so there would be no risk of damaging the area.  

Once we were out of the stunning woodland, it was a stroll along the river Avon for the rest of the series. The river Avon is famous for flowing through Stratford Upon Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, and so the footpath that we were walking along was called: "Shakespeare Avon Way". It was a lovely little path, and here the series displayed more in variation of terrain - now we were walking along a river! 

More clever hides along this stretch, some making us laugh quite a bit! We even saw two swans, and then later two Canadian Geese! 

Then it was to cache #10. This one had been getting lots of favorite points on Geocaching.com, and so I was really looking forward to it! I was quite shocked when I found a cache quite a bit from the coordinates, and inside was a log book! No coordinates or clues to find the second stage of this multi! Where had I gone wrong? Yes, I had found the final part of the cache, without even finding the first! I felt a little let down, after reading all the comments and not experiencing whatever the "twist" was myself, so my dad suggested to search for the first part, and go to the cache again. And am I glad he did! What a wonderful twist it was, truly unique, just a little sad I knew where the cache was. Don't want to give away any clues on here, but I will say that you simply have to go and find this cache! Best on the series! 

And so, after two hours, our short morning 4 mile walk came to an end. And another nice view to finish with at #11. 

An excellent series, Highly recommended, a great variation of caches, and a super walk - good terrain and nice views.

Griff Grof

Rodington Ramble

Rodington Ramble, 58 caches, 11 miles, Rodington, Shropshire 


Hello,

Happy Easter! My dad and I celebrated by setting out to try and complete this new series of nearly 60 caches.

After some Easter celebrations at home, we decided to set off, though we got a little lost, and arrived at the late time of 12 noon. Glad that we'd decided to bring the bikes, yep again, as most of it seemed (and is) bikeable. Hoping to get out and do some proper walking later in the week though, finding what seems like a cracker of a series - more of that when I actually do it, but now back to this one.

What caches! Some superb camo on nearly all of them, four of which we had to DNF! The caches are what makes this series special - there is such a variety, from creative camo'd ones, all the way to big boxes stuffed to the brim with swag - perfect for families!

After whizzing around we got to #9 - spent forever searching, before we were joined by the Heidi Seekers, who were a little concerned about it, after meeting another cacher earlier reporting a DNF. Together, 6 pairs of eyes, we spent around half an hour searching - with no cache in sight.

We continued downhill by bike having a few more finds, not so quick, all taking quite a while, so we were joined by the Heidi Seekers for nearly all of these. Some lovely spots to put the caches, very pretty, though we're missing our usual dose of views...

Before too long we'd arrived at the road, and bid farewell to the Heidi Seekers, who'd started here. Off the footpaths now, meant we could whiz down the lanes bagging a cache every few seconds - coming thick and heavy here, still superbly put together caches, but finding things a little easier now.

Then, we met even more cachers! This new series really has brought everyone out and about this Easter, can't say the 58 caches doesn't help ;) They were called Lost and Found, and after a little chat we went our separate ways (they were walking it in reverse). They warned us that #40 was very tricky, and by the time we got there the time was hot on our heels - we had 18 caches left, the time was 17:00, had a 90 mile drive home, and a roast dinner waiting = not much time to spare. So, unfortunately, we had to move on after 10 minutes, making it the 4th (and final) DNF  of the day, also due to the silly time and fading daylight... but all was made better, as the caches continued to come one by one, as I found yet another amazing hide, after amazing hide.

I loved #53, best cache of the day, simply amazing. Never seen anything quite like it before.

And so was the end of another days caching. What a great series, though the walk was a bit samey, but all the wonderful caches made up for that! You never knew what to expect, and no cache was hidden in the same way - big hats off to the CO nozi parkez on a great set of hides! Hopefully the fact that there are a huge amount of caches, 58, many will come and experience them - just a shame on our DNFs, but they were all due to time. Hopefully not the last caching trip of the Easter holidays, but if it is, it was a great one.

But in this story there sadly isn't so much of a happy ending. We parked near #1, to do them in numeric order (even though no one had) outside a gate where there was another cachers car - the gate was rusty, heavily padlocked, had barbed wire, and the field was a wreck. We thought it was abandoned, and so off we went. When we came back, the kind farmer had left notes all over our car stating "PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK MY ACCESS TO MY FIELD - THIS IS NOT A CAR PARK". Reading the other cachers log, he also arrived to find the same notes. Funny thing is the field doesn't look like anything, as I said it looks abandoned. Just proves never  judge a book by its cover. Still, it was the end of a great day.

Griff Grof

Aldbourne Circular Trail

Aldbourne Circular Trail, 35 caches + 2 more en-route, 13 miles, Aldbourne


Today took me to Wiltshire yet again. It's the start of what will hopefully be many caching trails throughout the rest of the Easter break from school - and what a series it was to get me started! Before I continue, I'd like to apologise as we didn't have the camera, and so there will be no images uploaded to this entry. However, if you really want to, you can refer to the gallery for the cache listings, and view other peoples photos -or just save it for when you get there...  you won't be disappointed!

What an awful start to the day! Woke up at 6:00am to hear the news that the trip had been cancelled as my dad had to sort some work out. Luckily, at around 9:00, he decided that we could go, but I was in a sticky place - living in North Gloucestershire, in the Cotswolds, we knew from the start there was a 2 hour drive alone to get there. And we had to keep in mind that the walk was 13 miles long, with people reporting an 8 hour walk car door to car door. My dad suggested to take the bikes with us, and cycle the series, like the listing suggested. I always prefer walking, as you can enjoy the scenery more, but today I was willing for a change, with the time in mind.

Arrived for a 11:36 start (yes - very late) but within 30 mins we were already on cache #5, and enjoying the stunning views from Sugar Hill! From this point on, I knew we'd made the right decision to cycle the series.

All the caches were easy finds, and within one hour we were in Aldbourne, meaning we were around a third through. That worked out to about 10 caches an hour - great! The byways/bridleways were still fine for biking (duh) and the rain seemed to thankfully be holding off the dark clouds above us. After the village, we tackled the second steep incline of the day, very hard to do on bike (ended up walking) but we were rewarded with even more stunning views, and our lunch. My dad enjoyed a hot cuppa and sandwiches, while I treated myself with a pasta salad - yum yum! Before too long (15 mins to be exact) we were back on the trail, with the caches coming thick and fast.

Next we cycled through the village of Upper Upham, and down a rocky byway enjoying even more views! I liked how sensible the caches were hidden, no standing looking for ages, but a little challenge at the same time. After a zoom along the downhill part of the rocky byway, we turned right to pick up a really cool cache, in the deserted village of Snap (previously Snape) which was abandoned in the 19th Century, after it's last resident, and elderly woman, was persuaded to move to Aldbourne. Didn't see any ruins of the village, but did find a huge ammo box filled with goodies - just the kind of cache I love!

After leaving Snap, I noticed the "Beware of the Bull" sign, as we entered the field, but can gladly say that not a single form of livestock was within it. We then bumped into some fellow cachers, who we knew were out and about after seeing their names in every log book so far. Had a quick chat, before my dad and I whizzed ahead of them on our bikes, gaining speed along the level/downhill byway. Took in some glorious views after this, truly stunning, and then it was across the road for the final stretch of the series.

On one of the last caches, I cut my thumb with a sharp splint - it's still hurting now! But it was all made up when we were surrounded by amazing 360 degree views at #34. Here, it was time to calculate the coordinates for the bonus cache, but I suddenly noticed that somehow I was missing the values for E - what was I to do? Well, I had already pinpointed where the bonus could be, and I was certain it was up there. Quick PAF to tarmacjohn confirmed it was down that particular byway. So, with our estimated coordinates we set off to find the cache - always nice to have an ammo box to finish with! Left a Geocoin to entice more visitors to this superb cache - not quite on the hills like the rest, but still in a stunning location!!!

And so was the end to a FANTASTIC series - cracking walk, great views, and good caches made it a perfect day - and it didn't rain once! Plus, I can confirm that this series is fully bikeable! How long did it take me? 8 hours like the rest? Nope, we completed it all in 4 hours - great ride, and great for saving time!


What a start to my caching holidays - check back here soon for more frequent posts!

Griff Grof

Kildanes - the end of an era

Hello,

It is with great regrets that I announce we're to archive the much loved Kildanes series. Here is Wacky races and I's official statement:

Unfortunately, after two long years, it's time to put this series to bed. 

Thank you to all who visited, and we're glad that you enjoyed this walk, which is very special to us. Thank you for all your lovely logs, favorite points, and uploaded images. Every one has made us smile, and it has been a pleasure sharing this walk with you.

The series has been through a lot, firstly being archived due to permission... but then, brought back and enjoyed for another 15 months. Now, we just feel it is time to turn the page, and begin a new chapter.

With all good things, there's a beginning and an end - we hope this little gem of a series will never be forgotten, and remember the walk is still there to enjoy. 

We intend on leaving the cache 'n' dashes in the series, to continue bringing people to the area.

A tribute goodbye post coming when they are archived (in the next 48 hours probably) but for now I leave you with a collage of the life of the series:

Griff Grof and Wacky races