2015's caching in review

Hello!

It has been a while since my last post. I had begun to take a different attitude towards this blog - I thought there was no point posting about older cache loops since the majority of people have already completed them. I've been finding these older ones over the last couple of months. I thought it was more worthwhile reviewing newer caches on here.

Last week I realised I was wrong! There are almost 3 million caches in the world, and no one is anywhere near to finding all of them. A cacher may stumble across this blog who has never been anywhere near these supposedly old series', but wants to know if they're worth completing. So, rest-assured that in 2016 I will be blogging a lot more after caching.

Some of you may recognise a pattern here. New Year's Eve. "In review". Cache of the Year. Yep, it's time for my annual post reviewing my caching throughout the year - what I achieved, what I failed miserably at and what I hope to gain from Geocaching next year.

A good place to start is by looking at the goal I set myself earlier this year:

"This year I hope to get to 2,000 finds; it'd be nice to find than 522 caches (my current record) throughout the year. However, I will be concentrating on QUALITY caches, as I hope to truly rediscover what I have loved about Geocaching. Along the way, I'll be trying to beat previous stats records, as well as hopefully filling in more of my D/T grid. Most of all, I hope to have even more time to go caching this year. I also hope to place a new series, my first in three years."

Well, I have certainly achieved many of these things. I found my 2000th cache back in July. It was a fantastic walk along a beautiful stretch of coastal footpath and I couldn't have picked a better cache given the fact that I was in the area at the time and rapidly approaching the milestone. As I wrote in a blog post at the time, I had hoped to find a cache called Montserrat for my 2000th. This is the oldest cache in Spain, on a mountain of the same name. Unfortunately I didn't even find it when holidaying in Spain a month later - maybe next year - maybe I can get a move on and make it my 3000th! Despite this, I am still glad that I got to find a quality cache for the occasion!

The view from my 2000th, Start Point

It feels like 2015's caching was all about the summer. I found almost 100 caches the week I found my 2000th, and I beat my most in a month throughout August, setting 159 as my new record. I had a great time walking the final two loops of the GMS series in the Chilterns (see 2012 post), caching on Dartmoor and completing what I consider to be my favourite series of the year, TRotAM (see #1).

But there were also some great walks during the winter months, such as the Great Cotswold Walk which I wrote quite a bit about on this blog earlier this year. All these great trips helped me notch up more cache finds to finally beat my 2012 record of 522 for a calendar year - this year I found 576! So, my goal has been achieved in that I have beaten some previous stat records. I haven't been so successful in terms of filling in more of my D/T grid. I had trips to the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia planned to fill in some rare squares but these never happened. However, I filled in 9 spaces in my grid, the most I've filled in since 2010. I hope to complete a lot more of my grid next year as one of my main goals.

Views along the TRotAM series - Mam Tor ridge

I also said that I wanted to place my first series in three years. This hasn't happened. I walked the route way back in MAY but never got round to placing the caches - I guess I was concentrating on finding this year more than hiding. However, I've got everything in place to set the series next year - as long as someone doesn't beat me to it - fingers crossed! I reckon that I will wait until June/July as it's a good walk for the summer. Watch this space!

Finally, I recall that a year ago today I said that I hoped to "rediscover Geocaching". Have I? Of course I have! Every year I update my Cache of the Year Bookmark List, and this year the title goes to TWW - The Worcestershire Whopper! - it is a fantastic, quality cache which I will remember for some time. Not far behind it are Santa Margarida (GCQ9C4), When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney (GC6738V) and the caches I found whilst visiting Imber last week, GC434WG and GCKCJV. Obviously I didn't find all the "gems" I had wanted to this year with several trips not materialising, but there's always next year. I have rediscovered Geocaching - every cache I've found this year has oozed quality in one way or another, and none have been found simply for the numbers. I hope you too have played the game in the way you most enjoy it - whether you prefer quality, quantity or a bit of both.

So, in summary, next year I hope to find more great caches, possibly beat my best in one year again and fill in more of my D/T grid. 3000 would be nice, but I know it's going to be a busy year, and you've got to be realistic - I'll try though!

Keep your eye out for washknight's Interrogation questions soon - he sent them to me several months ago and I've been meaning to post my answers - it'll happen, I haven't forgotten.

All I have left to say is Happy New Year. Thanks to all of you who have been a part of my Geocaching in 2015, it has been my best caching year yet. It was an honour to be elected onto the GAGB committee last month, thanks to all of you who voted for me. I'm joint webmaster, and I look forward to helping out in other ways as well over the next year.

Bring on 2016 with even more quality walks and caches

Griff Grof

Caching in the Peak District

Hello!

My dad and I have been wanting to go to walking in the Peak District for ages; with stunning walks and some of the most favourited caches in the country, we knew that we wouldn't be leaving disappointed. We have some friends in Matlock who invited us to stay, and so after a few days in Devon we had three days in the Peak District to look forward to!

Unfortunately, it was pouring in rain the day we arrived. However, this did not stop us exploring the local area. The first cache we found was the Derbyshire Little Quest, GC15KQD, which offered fantastic views over Matlock. It was placed right next to Riber Castle which can be seen from most of the town. This marked only my second LQ cache as I slowly work my way towards the finale.

Nice view over Matlock from the LQ cache 

We then went up High Tor, above Matlock Bath. There is both an Earthcache (GC5TZ3H) and Multi cache (GCHFP3) there. Whilst it was raining to begin with, it soon cleared up as we began our walk along Giddy Edge completing the Earthcache and Multi simultaneously. There were great views to be enjoyed along a path only made possible by geology and Victorian ingenuity.

The Earthcache was fairly straight-forward, however we encountered problems when it came to the Multi. Several of the answers at the different stages were rather subjective, but we went with our gut instincts and saw that the coords were a mile away across the Derwent gorge! We realised that this couldn't be correct, so we tried again and again. Eventually we decided to head home and email some recent finders as we read in nearly every log that people were finding it difficult to come up with  a logical final location. Fast-forward two days and we found the cache thanks to some help from the previous finder.


GC5Q5FZ, TRotAM, 14 miles, 50 caches, Hope

Let me start by saying that this is one of the best series' I have ever done.

We chose to do this series after our friends informed us that the views from Mam Tor ridge were beautiful and that it would be a stunning walk overall judging by the terrain on the map. I was unsure, however, as typically loops with lots of caches disappoint. How wrong I was.

The series takes you through Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which tells the tale of a sailor who has returned from a long voyage. It starts and ends in the village of Hope.

Our friend decided to come with us to learn about Geocaching. After the very first cache, he was hooked, and decided he would register as 'moz63'. The series is split into two loops; the first is 6 miles long whilst the second is 7. We had decided to do the series in reverse, starting with the final cache of the second loop. This was only due to the weather forecast: with sunshine set for the afternoon, moz63 told us that it would be best to be walking along Mam Tor ridge at that point of the day.

The caches were all straight-forward finds in peaceful spots. At one point near towards the start of the walk, we passed through a field of cows. They didn't cause us any problems since they simply weren't interested in us. We then began a steep uphill climb which was worth it as we were rewarded with gobsmacking panoramic views and great caches.

Views. The clouds soon cleared!

As we continued to walk up, the views became even more impressive. I became immersed in them. I loved how the caches were placed at points which helped you appreciate them even more.

We loved one creative hide nearer the top. We were barely a couple of miles in and this series was already extremely promising with such beautiful views and a unique hide now thrown in. We were soon at the top of Win Hill, a stunning peak with superb views out towards Mam Tor and Kinder Scout.

Win Hill

We continued our walk along this ridge whilst enjoying the beautiful landscape. We crossed ways with some other cachers (Vandark) as we were doing the series in reverse. We then gazed into the spectacular Vale of Edale as we walked down a steep hill back into the lowland. In fact, it was so steep that we were glad we decided to do it in reverse and take the more gentle, although longer, route up.

Vale of Edale

We found several more caches before arriving back in Hope. Here, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and some cold drinks in The Old Hall Hotel. It was great to stop off there and cool down now that it was getting warmer towards the end of the first loop with the sun coming out.

Up to Mam Tor ridge

We decided to complete the next loop in numerical order. We weren't too keen on it at first, since we had to walk along quite a busy road for the first few caches. However, we soon forgot about this as we began our walk through some more lovely countryside, with Mam Tor looming above us in the distance. We had made the right decision this morning as there was (almost) not a cloud in the sky.

Before too long we began the steepish walk up to Mam Tor. Of course it seemed more tiring than the earlier incline, having walked 8 miles already. Again, it was worth it as stunning views began to emerge. Once we were up on the ridge, there were even more fantastic open landscapes either side of us.

Views from the top of the ridge

We decided that, whilst we were there, we had to divert to Mam Tor. This added just over a mile to our walk in total, but it was undoubtedly worth it. There were 360 degree views to be enjoyed and it was the perfect place to stop and have a break. It's hard to put it into words: it was simply stunning up there. The strong winds were invigorating and filled all of us with positive energy.

Views from the top of Mam Tor

After our worthwhile visit to the top of Mam Tor, we enjoyed more views along a superb walk on the ridge. It was great how we could see out towards Win Hill where we were just a few hours earlier. The caches kept on coming and unfortunately we had to skip out two extras since we had ascended Back Tor too early - and we weren't going back down after the walk up!

Mam Tor ridge

There were even more views as we descended back down into Hope. After just over 14 miles and 50 caches, we had completed possibly the best series we have ever done.

The views as we finished

It had everything: an outstanding walk over varied terrain (riverbanks, pastures, woodland, moorland, rocky peaks, ridges and green lanes), fantastic scenery and views, and purposeful caches. Whilst some were a little forgettable, there were a few creative hides, some of which I had not seen before. I don't think moz63 could have had a better first day caching!

I definitely recommend this series, especially to those who love elevated walking within a beautiful landscape. We won't forget this marvellous series. What a cracker. 

GC2M97J, Alphabet Soup, 9.5 miles, 25 caches, Darby Dale

We have read rave reviews about this series, and it has also been personally recommended to me. As we were staying just a couple of miles away, we decided that we couldn't leave the Peak District without having a go at one of the most favourited series' in the UK.

It's a shame that the CO doesn't seem to be as active as they once were, and as a result a few of the caches weren't in the best condition. Although broken, the first cache was awesome and from this point on we knew that there would be more treats in store.

We went wrong to begin with; couldn't quite understand why the second cache was placed on a parallel footpath to the one we were meant to be on. So we had to backtrack. Once we were on the correct path it was an enjoyable walk to begin with.

There were some nice views as we began to ascend. The great thing about this series is that many of the caches were ingenious hides - you never knew what to expect, so you have to commend the CO for keeping the cacher on their toes.

We were soon in Ladygrove Wood, which was beautiful. There were some great paths, and it was a brilliant surprise to find a waterfall there!

Waterfall

Unfortunately it was a DNF at cache J (which was disabled, but people had been finding it). Glad to see that we weren't the only ones to get a DNF that day, though... perhaps it is now truly gone?

Good paths

We were then in Halldale Wood, which was another lovely piece of woodland. Several great caches later, we found ourselves on the final stretch of the walk. There were still some more super caches to be enjoyed. Perhaps the only downside of the series was that that some lengthy sections of the walk followed roads. However, thankfully they were mostly quiet lanes, but of course it would have been ideal for even more of it to have been along footpaths! 

Overall, this was a nice series in a lovely part of the country. The caches were brilliant, and I can only imagine what they were like a few years ago when the series was newer and feeling less tired. It's good to have finally done this famous series. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Peak District, finding some outstanding caches along some stunning rights of way. What another great county for caching. We will be sure to return very soon. 

Griff Grof

Caching down in Devon

Hello!

It has been months since my last post!

Now that it's the summer, I've got a lot more time for caching! My dad and I went down to South Devon for a few days, and I was pleased to find my 2,000th cache there. In addition, we completed several series' near to where we were staying in the South Hams district.

GC2FPKC Frogmore Creek Series, 5 miles, 7 caches, Frogmore.

We arrived in Devon with 10 caches to go until my 2,000th. Frogmore is a village that I know well. When we spotted this series we thought that it would be perfect to bring my numbers up ever closer to the looming milestone.

It was a glorious sunny day, and we began the walk on the foreshore by the estuary. It is important to note that this series should only be completed during low tide, ideally 2 hours after high water. The views across the estuary were superb to begin with.

Frogmore Estuary

However, we suddenly realised went wrong - the GPS was indicating that the cache was to our right, on the footpath running alongside the estuary. Before I continue, I should emphasise that we were wrong in our thinking. Nevertheless, we scrambled up and soon found the first cache. On our way to the second, we realised that we had gone wrong, which meant that we had to find a safe point to descend back into the estuary. This added around 0.5 miles to our walk as we consequently had to backtrack a little in order to find this cache on the foreshore and inaccessible from the footpath.

Photo - Ham Point

After passing Ham Point, we walked uphill towards a Millennium beacon overlooking West Charleton. The cache here had not been found for months with a string of DNFs, and so we were pleasantly surprised when we spotted the sneaky hide.

View from the beacon

It was then through the village and into a valley we knew quite well. There were some friendly horses here, and there was a lot of wildlife to be seen including a vixen fox. This was perhaps my favourite stretch of the walk.

Valley

Unfortunately, we couldn't find the last two caches of the series. The penultimate one was literally inaccessible due to GZ being so overgrown (this has never happened to us before), whereas the final cache was like looking for a needle in a haystack - we had to move on after a while.

Overall, this was a great walk in a beautiful area which we were already familiar with. Yet, we still walked along footpaths we had not been on before. Would recommend this series to anyone who finds themselves in the area.

My 2000th find ~ GCPM39, Start Point

Due to the two DNFs earlier, we still had five caches to go. We were originally meant to be in Spain this week, and so the plan for months was to make GC2D4, Montserrat (the oldest cache in Spain) my 2,000th find. I still hope to find this cache at the end of the month, but now that we were going to Devon I had decided that GCPM39 would be my 2,000th instead. I love the coast and have wanted to go to Start Point for years, so this made sense.

We decided that it would be good to walk the South West Coastal Footpath from Torcross. This would enable us to find four more caches on the way (GC4A5AX, GC367VC, GC28Q5E and GC10WT8) which would bring my total up to 1,999. The weather was brilliant and the walk was fantastic.

As a keen geographer, it was great seeing the coastal bars at Slapton and Beesands as well as the haunting remains of the lost village of South Hallsands. It collapsed into the sea in 1917 as a result of coastal erosion. There was a quote at the viewpoint which I quite liked: "But that its wretched ruins then - though sunken utterly - will show how the brute greed of men helps feed the greedy sea".

Some of the remains of South Hallsands

The caches we found were in good locations which showcased the superb views. I liked how you could see Start Point right at the end of Start Bay throughout the whole walk; we had our eyes on the goal.

Start Point in the distance

Once we arrived at Start Point we followed the coastal path around the headland towards the cache. This stretch was also very enjoyable, and I felt even more immersed in the view here. Once we arrived at GZ, my 2,000th cache was found after a short search in a peaceful, beautiful spot .We had hoped to see some seals but there were none today.

View from the cache

It was definitely a fitting cache for the milestone, and GC2D4 will serve as my symbolic 2,000th find to commemorate the achievement. This second thousand has been even better than the first, and I hope that I will have found many more 'special' caches by the time I reach 3,000 - hopefully it won't take me as long!

GC48P2Z, More Ups than Downs, 5.5 miles, 26 caches, near Bridford

We had decided that we didn't want to leave Devon without a trip to Dartmoor. We initially considered walking around Haytor, but when we turned on the GPS the Pocket Query we ran for it didn't seem to have downloaded. We then noticed the More Ups than Downs series, on the eastern edge of Dartmoor. The name sounded promising (I like hills!) and we saw that the final cache had 97 favourite points. Consequently, we decided we would have a go at this series instead.

The beginning of the walk was a little strenuous. It consisted of a long and fairly steep uphill walk through Bridford Wood. This woodland was beautiful and there were some good views emerging behind us. Once we got to the top, we realised that it was worth the climb since there were some spectacular views to be enjoyed.

Super views

There some very nice vistas, including some towards Exmoor as well as Dartmoor, as the walk continued. Overall, it was a very peaceful walk with only a few stretches along minor roads and very few muggles about. We thought that all the caches were well maintained and there was no cache that was part of the series which we had difficulty with. Upon the return to Bridford wood, our GPS went crazy and we found the last few caches with at least 70ft to go displaying on the screen. Thankfully, the CO provided us with good hints so the caches were still easy finds.

Lovely views

We really enjoyed the walk and the series as a whole; whilst it wasn't really on the high moor it was a stunning walk within the Dartmoor National Park and all the ups prepared us well for our trip to the Peak District the next day... will publish a post on this latter trip very soon.

I've really enjoyed these few days walking in South Devon, it truly is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Will hopefully return soon and find many more of the great caches the county has to offer.

Griff Grof

Winchcombe series

W (Winchcombe) Series, 25 caches, 9 miles, starting nr. Farmcote

Hello!

I really wanted to go caching this weekend but the weather didn't look promising. As the week progressed, it seemed as if it was, in fact, going to be sunny on Sunday morning, so we decided to be up and walking by 9am at the latest so that we could complete this new series before the forecasted rain began.

We were glad that the forecast seemed correct on the morning, and we set off with high hopes for a good walk in an area we know is beautiful. It was surprisingly chilly once we stepped out of the car, and we were already captivated by the great view before us - and we hadn't even gotten our boots on yet!

The views were even greater once we were on the footpath, it was stunning how the landscape was lit by the early morning sunshine.

Fantastic views; Dumbleton Hill and Bredon Hill visible in the distance

There was also plenty of sheep to be seen right from the beginning, which signalled that we were in proper Cotswold country.

Sheep and the view behind them

There were some super cache placements, all of which were in sensible, purposeful locations. Also, the caches were all well-stocked, which is a rarity these days. For this reason, it felt like a real back to basics series.

The views continued; after walking around a farmyard and along a quiet lane for a few hundred metres, we turned right to battle a strong westerly wind. The views towards Cleeve Common, however, more than made up for it.

View towards Cleve Common 

The superb views and good caches continued right down into Winchcombe. We could see dark clouds in the distance, which we reckoned were two hours away, and we were only just nearing the half way point - we hoped that we could continue the walk in the lovely sunshine, which was enhancing our already breathtaking surroundings.

Just before entering Winchcombe, we saw some lambs, the first I've seen this year.

Lambs

Winchcombe itself was filled with muggles. There was a newly completed path which welcomed plenty of dog walkers and runners, so we had to be patient and stealthy at the locations for the caches along this stretch.

We then walked along a section of the Cotswold Way known as the Pilgrims Way, which was a historical causeway, with many of the residences named after monasterial terms.

We knew that having walked down the hill into Winchcombe, we'd have to go back up at some point. It was worth it, though, as we enjoyed even more views which were emerging all around us. It's always great to feel elevated on a walk, and that's exactly what we felt along this stretch.

Even more great views as the walk uphill begins

As we continued uphill, we spotted a familiar name in one of the logbooks: castleferrets - they must be out walking in the area as well... would we bump into them? Once at the top of the hill, some of the best views of the day could be enjoyed as the sun continued to shine.

The views remain, even better on top of the hill again

We were then nearly at the end of the series, with just a couple more caches to go and a Church Micro - if 'Church Micro Awards' existed, I think that this Farmcote one would easily win 'Best location'! We chuckled at the sign on the stile, and then crossed the ploughed field to the final cache of the series which was quickly found, a unique container in another good spot.

We bumped into castleferrets on the way back to the car. After a quick chat, we went our separate ways as they had another cache to do and we needed to head off to the Bonus, which was a large, well-stocked container and a fitting end to a fantastic series just as it began to drizzle.

I cannot fault this series; the landscape was beautiful, the views consistently superb and the caches were all well stocked and of high quality. There was also a wide variation in terrain, which always makes a walk all the more enjoyable. I definitely recommend this series, a simply stunning walk on a sunny Sunday morning.

So, I think that's it from me! Unfortunately, I won't be able to go caching until the end of May (although I may find the odd cache from time to time), so until then... happy caching!

Griff Grof

Great Cotswold Walk: Central loop

The Great Cotswold Walk, 132 caches, 23 miles, Quenington, Glos  

Hello!

It's been a few weeks, I know! We haven't had an internet connection for a fortnight and so I've only been able to update the blog today now that we have it back. I've set the date and time of this post to 17th Feb which is when I completed the Great Cotswold Walk.

Here's one final reminder of how we've split the walk before I begin my review of the Central loop:

GCW Central, 62 caches, 10 miles (1-37 and 71-93 + a couple of others) 

Once again, we had chosen a beautiful, sunny day to find more of the GCW caches. With the North and South loops having set standards so high, we had great expectations for this final section, and we were glad to get going early; in fact, the lanes we walked along at the beginning were extremely icy, and Fizz the geodog nearly slipped a few times (as did we!).

We were enjoying a walk through lovely open countryside to begin with. The caches were straight forward finds, and it was great to see some more snowdrops - we really can't wait for Spring!

Snowdrops - we've seen a few along the other GCW rings as well!

We were taken through some lovely little villages and hamlets, before the views really opened out. In fact, we feel that this loop had the best views out of the three, and they were made all the better under the sunshine. Unfortunately, we had to miss a cache out since farm workers were managing the hedge lines - hopefully the cache wasn't picked up amongst all those logs and twigs!

Views - even more beautiful when you're there! 

The time flew by as more caches were found. It was nice to walk through the lovely hamlet of Ablington again. We walked past an old tithe barn; can't remember the date it was built but it was sometime in the eighteenth century.

Old tithe barn in Ablington

A few caches later we were in in Bibury, a pretty Cotswold village which was filled with tourists - even today, a Tuesday, in February! I think it's neat how the route took you through Bibury as it's an iconic Cotswold village, so it just makes the series feel even more 'Cotswold'. We actually diverted slightly to find the cache in the heart of the village and to take some photos of the River Coln. We decided that there wasn't time to go to Arlington Row to see if the yellow car was still parked there!

The River Coln in Bibury 

The final stretch of the walk was fantastic, since we were walking alongside the Coln again, having done so on both the South and North loops. The river was just as beautiful today, idyllic, in fact.

Home stretch - the Coln one last time

All too soon, we were back in Quenington, where we had started the series just under a month ago. 26 miles and 133 caches later, we've completed possibly the best 'power trail' in the country. A very memorable series; whilst there aren't any elevated views, the route is beautiful in another way. The stretches along the river were wonderful, the settlements we passed through were lovely, and there was plenty of wildlife to be seen - overall, the area was mostly quiet and pretty much untouched.

The caches were all there to be found, which is just what you want with a series like this. We had five DNFs, but only where there were too many muggles to search or where the cache was clearly missing following DNFs before us.

To conclude: it really is a Great Cotswold Walk.

Griff Grof

Great Cotswold Walk: North loop

The Great Cotswold Walk, 132 caches, 23 miles, Quenington, Glos 

We weren't sure if we would be able to go caching this weekend! We awoke to three inches of snow on Saturday morning, with the forecast promising more overnight. It's always surprisingly difficult to find caches in the snow, so we were hoping that that they were wrong... luckily, they were.

We decided to complete the Northern loop of the GCW today; here's a reminder of how we're splitting the series:

GCW North, 36 caches, 6.5 miles (38-70 + a couple of others) 

Once again, we were lucky to be setting off under some lovely winter sunshine; we parked in the beautiful village of Ablington for this section. 

The River Coln in Ablington

The paths to begin with were great, and they offered us some nice views over the Gloucestershire countryside. Once again, the caches were easy to find, which meant that we could build up a good pace.

After just a few caches there was an obstacle in our way: the path was blocked by what appeared to be a natural dam. We followed in the footsteps of the walkers ahead of us, and navigated across by turning right down the valley for a few hundred metres until there was no water in sight. This actually brought us closer to an existing cache, GCT492, and so we decided to go ahead and find it. A stunning spot, with fantastic views; you could almost picture the valley being carved by meltwater at the end of the ice age.

The valley on the way to GCT492

We then enjoyed a stroll through some wooded areas. Unfortunately, the sun disappeared around this point, but this our spirits certainly weren't dampened as a result. We even saw some snowdrops, so spring can't be too far away!

Snowdrops 

The only thing the Southern loop lacked, if anything, were views from an elevated position. We were glad that this stretch of the series offered that; although we weren't too high up, the open wold views at #58, in particular, were fantastic. In fact, it even started snowing at this point!

Nice views looking back

Before too long the clouds made way for the sun, as we embarked on the muddiest stretch of the walk, which was also home to the most wildlife. We spotted four hares, and a fox and deer were less than ten metres from us at one point! This also turned out to be the quietest part of the series, with not a single person in sight, so I guess you could say that walking through mud for two miles was worthwhile!

We arrived back in Ablington all too soon, marking the end of another superb part of the Great Cotswold Walk. We had a brilliant time yet again; the walk was fantastic with some great views and a variation in terrain. Some of the caches were great hides, yet they were all straight forward finds which is just what you want on a walk like this.

We can't wait to complete the final, larger Central loop, which has around 60 caches! However, we've noticed that a few of them seem to be missing, so we're not sure whether we'll hold fire until they're replaced, or just go ahead anyway...

To summarise the GCW so far: magnificent.

Griff Grof

Great Cotswold Walk: South loop

The Great Cotswold Walk, 132 caches, 23 miles, Quenington, Glos

We had two options today - we could either join a group to find some more Below Above caches, or complete part of the Great Cotswold Walk, a large series which has been on my To-do list since it was published in 2013. We decided that we'd let the weather decide, and with the forecast promising that there'd be sunshine, we settled on planning for what we hoped would be a good walk.

At the moment, I'm trying to find as many caches as I can before August in order to get ever-nearer to number 2,000. Since its publication, I had my heart set on completing the entire GCW in a single day. However, I decided that it would be wiser to do it in three parts instead, especially given the time of year.

Below is a map of the GCW, illustrating how we've decided to split it (as suggested by the CO). I'll be referring to the three sections in my next few blog posts as the North, Central and South loops. Today, we completed the South loop...

GCW South, 38 caches, 7 miles (94-130 + the two 'Links') 

We began this section of the series from Quenington, although I suppose it's possible to start from Fairford. We were lucky as the sun was shining as forecasted; we knew we were in for a good walk from the go-ahead since the area was picturesque the second we got onto the footpath. 

Picturesque meander at the start near #94

We were glad that the caches were straight-forward finds with no-nonsense hints - just what you need when you're trying to build up a good pace; this also meant that we could spend more time enjoying our surroundings. Having said that, there were some neat hides and it wouldn't have been quite as fun if there hadn't been caches to find! 

I've got to be honest, I was a little surprised when I saw that the Great Cotswold Walk was the resounding winner of Cotswold Caching's Series of the Year 2014. However, after just a couple of miles, I could clearly see why - the landscape was just so beautiful and untouched, plus the paths were quiet which is always a bonus. 

I always love walks where there's something unusual to see, and this stretch of the GCW had that. Firstly, there was a sphere wonderfully crafted from horseshoes besides the entrance to an blacksmiths. 

Sphere made of horseshoes 

And secondly, the Ox Pens in Fairford was a rather interesting structure. It's an ancient agricultural building with wooden stalls that accommodated pairs of oxen which used to pull ploughs. We actually had to walk through it since the doorway (yes, doorway) to the permissive footpath was located at the back of the building. 

Ox Pens, Fairford - doorway to the permissive path

The route of the permissive path was absolutely stunning. We were walking besides Pitham Brook, parallel to the River Coln. The Ernest Cook Trust, who own the land, have done a brilliant job in managing the Coln, with various diversion spillways and beautiful streams in addition to Pitham Brook - as a keen geographer,  I was very interested; we even diverted off the main route a little to admire the Coln itself. 

Slight diversion - the River Coln 

The views soon opened up; we were obviously in a valley, and so they weren't very far-reaching, but the views across the fields ahead of us were still fantastic. We could only imagine how amazing this area must be in the spring and summer. We'd have loved to have seen a kingfisher along this stretch too... maybe next time. 

Lovely countryside and nice views ahead

All too soon, we were back at the car in the charming village of Quenington, having found all 38 caches. 

I can't speak for the rest of the GCW (yet) but this section was simply superb. The landscape was extremely picturesque - well, absolutely stunning in parts - particularly along the watercourses. The caches weren't too challenging, which meant that we weren't distracted from the lovely walk. What's more, there was a good variation in terrain - from low hills, to ploughed fields (we did get muddy!) to tarmac, to tracks, to riversides. Having set a couple of series' myself, I know it's difficult to find a route with a variation in terrain, so the CO has done a great job here - the variation always makes it that little bit more interesting. 

If all's well and the weather's pleasant, we'll be completing the Central and North loops over the next couple of weekends - so watch out for those posts. The South loop was excellent, and has certainly built up our appetite for more... 

Griff Grof

Walking around Little Compton and Chastleton

LC (Little Compton) series, 16 caches plus 2 Church Micros, 5 miles

After finding TWW earlier today, we set off to Chastleton to complete this new series, which was recommend to us by Wrighty. 

I remember the area fondly since we've walked around here before and it was the location for the 2013 CacheWalker Twixmas Bash - this time, though, there wasn't any rain. In fact, there was plenty of sun, and there wasn't a breath of wind. 

There were spectacular far-reaching views right from the first cache. The caches were all sensibly hidden, straight-forward finds which was just what we felt like. 

Lovely views near the start of the series

We then descended into the valley, which was lovely. Despite living so near, and often driving past, we had never been into Little Compton, so it was great to finally be able to pass through it. It was then on towards Chastleton again, where we passed the lovely Chastleton House which we haven't visited for years. 

Chastleton House from the footpath

We greatly enjoyed the series, and we even revisited the Cotswold Motel on Adlestrop Hill afterwards, where we enjoyed gorgeous views as the sun set.

What I love about Geocaching is that it takes you to places you would never have otherwise been to. It's always surprising how that's always true for places right on your doorstep as well. We walked through some lovely bits of countryside, and found some really good caches - there was a back-to-basics feel to the series - the caches were there to be found, and they were sensibly placed in nice spots. 

It's funny as I had thought about placing some new caches along a similar route, but hadn't even got round to the stage of initially walking it, so I was glad that HKMHill beat me too it. A really good series, and a superb, proper Cotswold walk. 

Griff Grof 

TWW - The Worcestershire Whopper

TWW - The Worcestershire Whopper (GC5DERW)

Today we found a brilliant cache. In fact, I think it's amongst the top caches we've ever done.

Let's start by saying that it's Whopper by name, and whopper by nature - it's at least four times bigger than the second largest cache I've found. Sure, this made it special, but there's also so much more to it; in order to obtain the coordinates for the first part of the final cache,  you first had to find two fantastic feeder caches.

In this blog post I'll be running through the whole journey and experience of finding TWW, without revealing any spoilers. Enjoy...

Feeder cache 1 found on 13th December: 
GC5AWQ0 - Ashton Circular 1 - ABFTN Dog & Bone
Part of a series of 8 caches, 2 miles, Ashton-Under-Hill

For the first feeder cache, we arrived in Ashton for a walk along the lower slopes of Bredon Hill. We had high hopes for the series since we remember the hill fondly from previous caching trips.

It was straight on to the feeder cache as it was the first, and its initial stage had us chuckling since I had looked straight at it ten minutes earlier - absolutely fantastic, and very ABFTN.

We enjoyed some pleasant views as we progressed with the Multi whilst bagging some more caches. We'd recommend visiting the location for GC5GNJX, since the views up there were particularly stunning.

Super views from GC5GNJX on Bredon Hill

Have to admit finding the second stage of the Multi a little difficult, but we soon got our heads around it following a quick PAF (thanks TJ!) - it all suddenly made sense. The twist that followed was ingenious too... I never thought a Multi which already had so many unique and creative stages could keep on getting better and better. The container at the end was a welcome surprise too, and we were overjoyed to have half of the coords for the elusive TWW already!

We also found some more creative caches as the series came to an end, with the Church Micro particularly standing out.

Lovely church in Ashton-Under-Hill

Overall, it was a very enjoyable series in a lovely part of Worcestershire, which we'd recommend to all. Plus, it ups your appetite for TWW following such a brilliant feeder cache!

Feeder cache 2 found on 14th December: 
GC5H8M1 - Mile Drive Multi
You pass 3 other caches

The very next day we popped out to grab the second and final feeder cache in order to have all TWW details at hand. It's a Multi, by Wrighty... need I say more? It was great!

The Mile Drive is a stretch of the Cotswold Way, and it's one I know quite well. Plus, I found some of my first caches along here, so it brought back some good memories as we returned.

Nice views along the Mile Drive (photo by walktall on Geocaching.com gallery, we didn't have our camera) 

This was a real back to basics cache - a straight-forward two stage Multi, in a lovely location with some nice views, and a large, well-stocked cache at the end. Quite frankly, this is what all caches should be like!

After we had rummaged through the cache, we jotted down the remaining numbers for TWW's location,  and we were over the moon to be ready to find it!

THE WORCESTERSHIRE WHOPPER found on 18th January 

A month came and went and we finally pencilled in a visit to the main attraction. It was a beautiful, sunny day, albeit a little chilly, and we arrived at the coords early in the morning. Popped in to say hello to H and L of L8HNB, with H kindly offering to visit the cache with us.

I was surprised how quickly I spotted the required info at the first stage, and then it was on to GZ, which was a nice spot. Surprisingly, I walked straight past the cache - it was very well camouflaged for its size!

As I mentioned at the start of the post, it really was gigantic - so large that I could have jumped inside it! Plus, there was plenty inside, and I'm sure that if I'm passing by I'll drop some more stuff in such as larger swaps and TBs, in fact, I may even take something out too.

Overall, a brilliant experience in lovely countryside - from finding the fantastic feeder caches by sumadartson and Wrighty, to opening one of the best caches I've ever found. A truly memorable find; this is what caching is all about.

Griff Grof

Opinion: what's Geocaching?

Over just a few years, Geocaching has changed. A lot. Whether you look at the website, the types of hides, the containers, or the trinkets, you cannot deny that it has.

Ahead of finding my first cache, I remember that I thought deeply over what to bring along with me as swaps. I didn't know what to expect, but I certainly thought that what I took from the cache would be the most rewarding part of the experience.

I was mesmerised upon finding it - yet, I can't remember what I swapped. However, I do remember walking through a beautiful forest, wondering why I had never been here before with it being so close to home. In retrospect, that was what made finding the cache brilliant.

So, in my opinion, a good-sized cache with a few swaps in a beautiful, untouched or special location is the jackpot when it comes to Geocaching - and I'm sure thousands of other cachers would agree that it's great to visit places that you otherwise wouldn't have.

But I've mentioned that things have changed. Micros. Nanos. Cache 'n' dashes. Drive-by power trails. Roadside caches. Sure, they've got a purpose, but I'm pretty sure that there are a lot more of these sorts of caches being published than the well executed ones I enjoy most, like my first. Yet, I've found many of these sorts of hides, and I'm sure that most other cachers have too.

This poses a question: what is Geocaching?

You may think that's a ridiculous question with an easy answer; Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt game played throughout the world using GPS-enabled devices in which cachers search for hidden containers       no, that's what it is in principle, but what is it actually?

Let me explain; the first Geocache was hidden in 2000 by Dave Ulmer in Portland, Oregon. It was a large bucket, filled with good-quality swaps placed in a thought-out location. However, how is that, in any way, similar to a nano with a sheet of paper on a bridge above a motorway? As far as I can see, it isn't. How can a proper cache at a viewpoint, on a mountain or underground even be compared to an uncreative, empty one you don't remember in a purposeless location which you also don't remember as a result. Are we seeing a stage of transition in which Dave Ulmer's original idea has completely changed to something different altogether?

So, I guess this is the real question: is Geocaching a game which involves finding larger caches with swaps in nice spots, or smaller caches with nothing but a log book in less impressive areas?

In fact, this conundrum is what makes Geocaching so great. There's literally a cache for everybody - I don't think there's another hobby so versatile that it can become so fun (and addicting) for so many different people.

This is an opinion post, so I'll put it out there and say that I wholeheartedly prefer larger caches with a couple of swaps. Like my first cache, though, that's not what I take away - the location, for me, is what makes or breaks a cache, and it's what I come to remember the most - from the journey to the cache to the reward at GZ. This doesn't mean that I won't continue to find other sorts of caches though. If it's a micro or a nano in a good spot, or along a good series, then there's no problem, either. Sometimes you just feel like finding a cache, and those in very accessible locations are perfect for that. Plus, you need the caches you enjoy a little less to recognise those that are truly outstanding.

I'm looking forward to my caching adventures this year - I hope to hit 2,000 around August and so I'll be getting a move-on over the coming months. Whilst I do, I want to be certain that I know what Geocaching really is in terms of cache and location - and by finding the types of caches I enjoy most, I know I'll have a more definite definition. Hopefully you, too, will define Geocaching in your own way through concentrating on finding the type of caches you prefer most.

Griff Grof