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

2014 in review

Hello!

It's been months since my last post - you've guessed it, I haven't been caching much! However, I've been working towards a cache known as TWW - when I find it, I'll write about it and the feeder caches!

Also, on Sunday I attended the 2014 CacheWalker Twixmas Bash, rescued by strongsRus and Calabrian Dreamer who executed a magnificent and uplifting group walk and a great, welcoming event in Shenington with delicious bacon butties by RTM.

Don't think I'm going to go in to the details though (I rambled on way too much in my log anyway) as this is my annual post reviewing my year's caching.

The year began with a find rate of 43/day - that would have equated to over 15,000 finds over the year. Of course, that's impossible - I'd be surprised if anyone could find 43 caches every day of the year. Yet, 43 a week is perhaps feasible at a push - that'd have upped my count by over 2,000. You've guessed it, I couldn't keep that up either.

In fact, I only found 149 caches this year - that's nearly half the total I found last year, which I already thought was the lowest I could go. What's more, I beat my own slump record - I went 128 days without a single find.

I wouldn't believe you if you said that I've been caching for five years - I'm certainly not where I wanted to be numbers-wise; I hit 1,000 in April 2012 and had aimed to hit 2,000 by December 2013 at the very, very latest; I've still got 296 caches to go!

But, you know what, who cares. I've felt disillusioned with Geocaching recently, but I hope that's about to change. It is a very different scene to how it was five years ago, with new caches and walks being of low standards compared to the 'classics' I remember from my early caching days. Change can be good though, and there are some excellent new concepts for caches popping up; such as what I've seen in the feeder caches for the TWW cache I'm working towards.

This year began with a surprisingly good larger series, before finding my first Lab Cache, completing a CacheWalker walk by Wrighty, a fantastic series in the heart of Gloucestershire, the summiting of two mountains, some great caches in Spain and a superb Wiltshire loop before we concluded the year with the Twixmas event's Shenington Shuffle series.

As is now tradition, I have selected my cache of the year. The title goes to 'Ashton Circular 1- ABFTN Dog & Bone' (GC5AWQ0) - as one of the feeder caches for TWW, I shan't go in to too much detail as I'll talk you through it in a future post. I will, however, say that the first stage was fantastic, the second good and solvable, the twist brilliant and the container superb and well-stocked - it's easy to see why everyone who's found the cache has awarded it a favourite point!  Not far behind were El Predró de Pals (GCVBCR), The First in Wales (GC2BA) and the CacheWalker Twixmas event day (GC5HGYE). If I had found more caches the whole result could have been different - for what I found, though, the winner and runners-up are no-brainers!

So, what does 2015 hold? Well, only time will tell - I'd love to finally hit 2,000, but I've said that for three consecutive years now - of course I'm going to try, though. Most of all, I want 2015 to be the year I truly rediscover Geocaching - enough with these milestones, stats challenges and find rates. Bring on the gems - virtuals in fascinating locations, great caches in beautiful spots, and loops so good that you realise why you've stuck with the hobby for so many years. I want to rediscover the brilliance of the sport; be taken to new locations, enjoy new experiences and be wowed by fantastic caches.

Happy New Year - hopefully you too will consider re-approaching Geocaching in the light you most enjoy it in.

Griff Grof

Sugar Loaf and The Blorenge

Hello! I have been quiet for around a month on here as I've, literally, not been caching! HOWEVER, yesterday was 'CacheWalker On Tour: Sugar, anyone?' event day, and so walktall, tarmacjohn and I set off early to head out to Abergavenny, located in the East of the Brecon Beacons national park, Wales.  

There was one thing on each of our minds: the weather. For the past week, the forecast was assuring us that we'd see heavy rain from 10pm. We were overjoyed when they changed their minds, promising a generous dry spell between 10am and 2pm, with heavy rain and thundery showers thereafter. They changed their minds, AGAIN, and we awoke to a prediction of rain for every hour of the day. Fantastic when you're heading out to climb a mountain (or two, in our case, as we had decided that we'd head over to the Blorenge after the Sugar Loaf event). 

Nevertheless, the weather remained dry on our drive over, and as the car ascended up the lower reaches of Sugar Loaf we were welcomed by jaw-dropping views behind us. However, as we parked the car and met up with other event attendees, we were disappointed to see that the view was fast being hidden by low cloud: and if we were having trouble seeing the views down here, would we be able to see anything at all 300m up on the summit?! 

It was a pleasant ascent up the mountain, in good company, and stories were shared as we approached  Sweet Spot and Mick's Stash, the two caches we'd planned to take in on this pre-event group walk. The landscape was lovely, the hillsides carpeted in fern, and we were now well above the tree-line, and approaching the summit. Sadly, though, we could not see further than 15m, thanks to the low cloud. It was great having Funk to Funky with us, as he's part of the local mountain rescue team, and so he could share some of his local knowledge with us! 

And after a last push upwards, we had done it: summited Sugar Loaf, at noon, marking the start of the official event! For about half an hour we had the whole summit to ourselves, which we admitted was a rarity. Details for the YOSM and Earthcache were jotted down, before a picnic lunch was enjoyed - whilst we couldn't see far, to our surprise it was STILL dry, against all odds! Therefore, we were having a good time anyway, as we continued to geo-chat.

Is that a view emerging from the low cloud?!

It was nice to see the clouds clearing a bit just as we were about to descend, which meant we could catch a glimpse of the fantastic view we'd seen in previous photographs! As we approached the car park on return, the cloud had lifted even more and the views were amazing - such a shame we couldn't take them in from the top.

View from Sugar Loaf car park; cloud now lifted - imagine them 300m further up!

From the parking, we continued to admire the views! We then bid farewell to our companions. In my opinion, it was a great event, and we were extremely lucky not to get soaked whatsoever! We found some quality caches in nice spots, and we did enjoy the glimpse of the views on the way back - admittedly, it was a shame we weren't met by sun today, but I feel that this didn't dampen our CacheWalker spirit. I wonder which mountain we'll tackle next?! Well, for myself, TJ and WT, the answer was looking straight at us...

That's where we're heading: The Blorenge from Sugar Loaf car park.

Off to the Blorenge - almost certainly to get wet! Whilst the forecast at one point had hinted the dry spell we had experienced, rain was always promised thereafter. However, we just had to grab a couple of special caches, so we decided to head over anyway! 

First, it was The Punchbowl Earthcache; a valley formed by a glacier, with a small lake left over from melt water, presumably. I won't go into Geological detail here - otherwise I'd be giving you the answers. It was an idyllic, peaceful spot though, and some locals turned up to go swimming just as we were leaving - brave souls!

The Punchbowl

One Blorenge gem down, another to go, and still no rain. TJ had noted that there was a lightening storm heading over from the East, but we were glad when twenty minutes later we found out it was actually heading North. From where we had parked, it was a very steep climb up The Blorenge. By now the cloud was really lifting, and there were some stunning views on our way up, lit by the sun which was trying to break through the higher clouds. Our target was The First in Wales, a cache placed in February 2001, just below the summit.

There were boulders everywhere - which one was it under? WT thought he spotted something, and I went to check it out - there was the cache (a large ammo can), filled with swag and TBs all these years later. This is now my oldest cache find, and what a location.

It's sad to think that you don't see caches like this one published these days. Gone are the treasure-troves at the end of a great adventure. It was a pleasure finding this cache whilst they still remain.

The First in Wales: nicer caches placed back then! 

To round off the day, we continued on to the summit to enjoy the far-reaching views and log the YOSM. There was even some sunshine, now! An absolutely brilliant spot to reflect on what has been a fantastic day, summiting two mountains, in good company, whilst picking up some superb caches. The Blorenge wins for me, but perhaps that's because we got to enjoy the views this time. Will have to return to Sugar Loaf soon, as they're meant to be even better over there! Really cannot believe we didn't get wet one bit, and were left wishing we had brought our sunglasses! Next time, don't listen to the weather forecast!

Sunshine?! Absolutely stunning views from The Blorenge summit! 

Griff Grof.

Avening Circular Walk

Avening Circular Walk, 12 caches, 5 miles, Avening nr. Stroud, Gloucestershire 

Hello!

We were back out in the field today! We initially had another Wrighty series planned, but we noticed that a couple of the caches appeared to be missing, and so we chose to venture a little further today, instead.

Avening is an idyllic Cotswold village located in South Gloucestershire, a corner of the county which I absolutely love - you can be sure to enjoy sweeping hillsides and lush valley bottoms here!

We set off in the sunshine with Fizz, for what was promised to be a super series - I had been reading great things about it!

Cotswold cottage in the idyllic village of Avening

 The cache owner was very helpful in including detailed directions on the cache pages, which took away a lot of stress as we began to meet footpath junctions. Found a Church Micro en-route before embarking on the first cache of the series; this was an easy find. The second took longer than needed; I was expecting a really unique cache container and so I was a little surprised when we spotted the hide, nevertheless it certainly wasn't a common cache. The path opened out in to a valley meadow packed with an array of wildflowers, which were almost twinkling under the sunlight.

Fizz resting amongst the wildflowers between #2 and #3

We then walked past some long barrows thought to be around 5000 years old. We always like it when a walk takes you past somewhere with a story, and so we enjoyed admiring the barrows as we continued to ramble through the sweeping meadow.

Oh, guess what? I had forgotten what it was like to cache during summer. There were nettles which peaked at heights well above me, and I had to wade through them to grab a couple of caches. Shortly after this point, the nettles joined forces with other high-reaching plants to block a track needed to reach the GZ of another cache! Thankfully, I had long trousers and a light sweatshirt on, so they didn't really cause me a problem - I certainly wasn't expecting their presence in such a way, though! I was obviously still used to winter caching!

I thought the walk had an excellent variation in terrain. We were ambling through a lovely (ancient?) forest before too long, which was welcoming after roasting in the sun for an hour.

A walk in the woods

There was only one thing missing: views. The last series we did in this area was the Pinswell Loop, and so I was a little disappointed in their absence, to be honest. However, I guess they say not to speak too soon, as we were soon greeted with pleasant views; although not far reaching, they were stunning in their own right - sometimes these are the best of views.

Great views - follow the arrow!

We got lucky at #9! Just as we went through the gate, the farmer arrived and let in a herd of cattle from the next field - that would have been a disaster, especially with Fizz! The walk was completed with a descent back to Avening, where we found the final two caches of the series. 

To summarise: a fantastic walk, with a superb variation in terrain (from country lanes, to grassland, to meadows, to woodland, to hillsides) and good caches, each surviving well. I would definitely recommend this loop to anyone who hasn't already had the pleasure of completing it - I'll make a post on CacheWalker all about it tomorrow! 

Until next time... happy caching! 

Griff Grof

The CacheWalker Five

The CacheWalker Five, 6 caches, 5 miles, Willersey, Worcestershire. 

Hello, I'm back!

Have had a hectic few months sitting and preparing for exams... I even handed over administration of CacheWalker to walk tall until I had completely finished! So, apologies for my lack of updates on here.

Today we contemplated over where to go... we could locate a series with a healthy number of caches to boost my plummeting stats, or we could try an unfound Wrighty series near to home. Easy choice, then!

The CacheWalker Five was originally placed to coincide with the very first CacheWalker event back in 2007, and it's been on the To Do list since I started caching! When we were going to set-off and do it, we changed our minds upon noticing that the third cache was missing. It still was today but we thought: hey, you can't wait forever!

It was a brilliant walk. Starting in Willersey, the route took us gradually up-hill before we were met with an extremely steep climb in comparison. We were, however, rewarded with fabulous views over the Vale of Evesham:

The first cache took us a little longer than it should have, due to the fact that everything was so overgrown thanks to the time of year - the last time we went caching was January, after all! The second cache was Vale View, which existed before the series was placed, and the above photo was taken not far from it.

The third cache was, indeed, missing. I was hoping that this wouldn't prevent us finding the Bonus, as we approached the fourth cache and gathered more info for it. The views were still very pleasant here, and Fizz (accompanying us once again) was having the time of her life as she explored the area.

The fifth cache was excellently placed; I was a little concerned upon approach when I saw a beer bottle situated in an ideal hiding place! With the hint checked, however, I made the find - nice one! Decided to compile the Bonus details I had, but was very doubtful that we'd find the cache.

If you decide to do this series (which you should) take care choosing which path you take, as we turned left instead of carrying on past Farncombe Estate - this led us to a field of unfriendly cows, where we double-checked the route and realised that we had gone wrong.

Studying the photos on the Bonus cache's gallery gave me an idea of where it could be, and I was relieved when we approached a similar-looking location on the home stretch: and there it was! We were the first to find it since October 2012, meaning that we easily qualify to find GC2FPDY - hurray!

A great series which we, and Fizz, thoroughly enjoyed. No, it won't have bumped my numbers up much, but (as with all Wrighty walks) you take away far more than cache finds. I definitely recommend this one, if you haven't done it already!

Griff Grof