Time for one last cache? Well, this one was kind-of on our way home.
A-Road Anarchy A456 - Remember the Fallen - GC1203Q
The Hagley War Memorial is easily spotted at the roundabout junction of the A491 and A456. This cache was a 35mm film container hidden behind the wall immediately on the right of the steps.
Eleven caches this evening, and five earlier in the day - we've more than doubled our find count in the space of 9 hours!
Monday 31 August 2009
Hedging our bets
Sand Pit - GC1NQD6
This was the last of the "Bromsgrove Feeder" series that we did today. The footpath leading to the cache started from opposite the end of the access road on which we parked for the previous cache.
It was a short walk to ground zero (with a cat leading the way!), but not such a quick find. Despite this being the largest cache of the series - an ammo box - it was nicely hidden in the hedge and took a few minutes to spot.
This was the last of the "Bromsgrove Feeder" series that we did today. The footpath leading to the cache started from opposite the end of the access road on which we parked for the previous cache.
It was a short walk to ground zero (with a cat leading the way!), but not such a quick find. Despite this being the largest cache of the series - an ammo box - it was nicely hidden in the hedge and took a few minutes to spot.
Calling occupants
Stoneybridge - GC1NQC3
This cache was conveniently placed next to an access road, so parking at it was easy.
The clue was "communication", and there was a pillar box and a telephone box at ground zero. Dr Cath soon found the cache in the 'phone box, in a magnetic box hidden on the back of the door closer.
This cache was conveniently placed next to an access road, so parking at it was easy.
The clue was "communication", and there was a pillar box and a telephone box at ground zero. Dr Cath soon found the cache in the 'phone box, in a magnetic box hidden on the back of the door closer.
We saw the sign
Hartle Lane - GC1NQCB
This too turned into a cache 'n' dash, more by luck than judgement.
We could see on the map roughly where the cache was going to be, and the clue was "sign". The point in question is where a B-road meets the A491, so there were plenty of signs around. I turned into the B-road and parked on the left.
As soon as we got out of the car, our GPSr indicated that we were right on top of ground zero - and indeed we were. I'd parked next to the direction sign for traffic exiting Hartle Lane onto the A491, and spotted the cache straight away - just next to one of the support posts on the rear of the sign, in a 35mm film cannister that was attached to the sign by a magnetic strip.
Just prior to finding this cache, it started to rain. We decided to leave the next cache in the series because it clearly involved a decent walk from the car. The cache after that is currently listed as "unavailable", so we moved on to the final two.
This too turned into a cache 'n' dash, more by luck than judgement.
We could see on the map roughly where the cache was going to be, and the clue was "sign". The point in question is where a B-road meets the A491, so there were plenty of signs around. I turned into the B-road and parked on the left.
As soon as we got out of the car, our GPSr indicated that we were right on top of ground zero - and indeed we were. I'd parked next to the direction sign for traffic exiting Hartle Lane onto the A491, and spotted the cache straight away - just next to one of the support posts on the rear of the sign, in a 35mm film cannister that was attached to the sign by a magnetic strip.
Just prior to finding this cache, it started to rain. We decided to leave the next cache in the series because it clearly involved a decent walk from the car. The cache after that is currently listed as "unavailable", so we moved on to the final two.
Crossing and hoping
Giles House - GC1NQA8
After the previous cache, we had to drive all the way back to our starting point in order to turn around and head back along the A491 in the right direction.
Thanks to one of the log entries for this cache, we decided to park in a lay-by just opposite ground zero and cross the A491.
Cross the A491 - we must be mental! Fortunately, the traffic lights just beyond here meant that at least one carriageway had nice long breaks in the traffic, and at least there was a proper crossing point here, because the footpath that the cache was hidden on has been intersected by the A491.
Over at ground zero, the hint was "corner". There was an obvious corner here, but a quick search yielded nothing. Dr Cath went off down the footpath to look for another corner, whilst I fixed the broken fence in order to properly examine this one. With the help of the lamp on my mobile phone, I soon found the cache - hidden behind the corner fence post, it was a 35mm film-sized container on a stick, meaning it looked a little like a rocket-type firework.
After the previous cache, we had to drive all the way back to our starting point in order to turn around and head back along the A491 in the right direction.
Thanks to one of the log entries for this cache, we decided to park in a lay-by just opposite ground zero and cross the A491.
Cross the A491 - we must be mental! Fortunately, the traffic lights just beyond here meant that at least one carriageway had nice long breaks in the traffic, and at least there was a proper crossing point here, because the footpath that the cache was hidden on has been intersected by the A491.
Over at ground zero, the hint was "corner". There was an obvious corner here, but a quick search yielded nothing. Dr Cath went off down the footpath to look for another corner, whilst I fixed the broken fence in order to properly examine this one. With the help of the lamp on my mobile phone, I soon found the cache - hidden behind the corner fence post, it was a 35mm film-sized container on a stick, meaning it looked a little like a rocket-type firework.
Our first cache 'n' dash
Meadowcroft - GC1N4RZ
Due to its location, this was a proper cache 'n' dash. The map and clue told us that it was clearly at the end of a footpath on the A491, but there was no obvious parking.
Thus, I pulled over in the acceleration lane from Bromsgrove Road, and Dr Cath set off after the cache - and she soon returned after an easy find. It had been hidden underneath a fallen log.
Due to its location, this was a proper cache 'n' dash. The map and clue told us that it was clearly at the end of a footpath on the A491, but there was no obvious parking.
Thus, I pulled over in the acceleration lane from Bromsgrove Road, and Dr Cath set off after the cache - and she soon returned after an easy find. It had been hidden underneath a fallen log.
Attack!
Orchard Lodge - GC1NQE3
We walked back to the car, and then took the public footpath which starts at the end of an access road to a number of properties off Church Avenue.
This is a terribly maintained footpath, and before long my jeans had been attacked by a barbed wire fence. With this on one side and a motley collection of thistles, nettles and brambles on the other, this was not pleasant!
At the end of this section was a stile (which needed repairing), leading to a field with two lovely horses in it. On the other side of this was another stile, and after this a very short secluded path lead to some steps up to the A491.
In this secluded section, on the right and well above head height, secreted in a tree amongst the ivy, was the cache - and pleasingly, the previous three hunters had failed to find it.
We took the Turquoise travel bug; it had rested there long enough!
We walked back to the car, and then took the public footpath which starts at the end of an access road to a number of properties off Church Avenue.
This is a terribly maintained footpath, and before long my jeans had been attacked by a barbed wire fence. With this on one side and a motley collection of thistles, nettles and brambles on the other, this was not pleasant!
At the end of this section was a stile (which needed repairing), leading to a field with two lovely horses in it. On the other side of this was another stile, and after this a very short secluded path lead to some steps up to the A491.
In this secluded section, on the right and well above head height, secreted in a tree amongst the ivy, was the cache - and pleasingly, the previous three hunters had failed to find it.
We took the Turquoise travel bug; it had rested there long enough!
Under the bridge
The next two caches were positioned such that we could park the car once and walk to both of them, so we drove on to Church Avenue and parked on the left, just after the public footpath that we would soon need to take.
Church Avenue - GC1NQ9B
Before going down that footpath, though, we walked back to the bridge taking the A491 over Church Avenue, and Dr Cath pretty much instantly found the next cache - in a large plastic box wedged behind a concrete gas main warning sign.
Church Avenue - GC1NQ9B
Before going down that footpath, though, we walked back to the bridge taking the A491 over Church Avenue, and Dr Cath pretty much instantly found the next cache - in a large plastic box wedged behind a concrete gas main warning sign.
Round and about
Violet Lane - GC1N4RD
The map showed that this cache was on (or near) to the roundabout junction of Violet Lane, Broome Lane and Bromsgrove Road, so that's where we parked.
The GPSr seemed to suggest that the cache was on the inside of the roundabout, so we spent quite a bit of time looking around here with no success. We did a lap of the roundabout, but found nothing.
Dr Cath must have noticed the GPSr pointing away from the centre of the roundabout, for she walked off to where the fence met the wall that shrouded the bridge support for the A491, and soon found the cache - hidden in a plastic stone-alike key keeper, secreted underneath a ball of brick and mortar.
The map showed that this cache was on (or near) to the roundabout junction of Violet Lane, Broome Lane and Bromsgrove Road, so that's where we parked.
The GPSr seemed to suggest that the cache was on the inside of the roundabout, so we spent quite a bit of time looking around here with no success. We did a lap of the roundabout, but found nothing.
Dr Cath must have noticed the GPSr pointing away from the centre of the roundabout, for she walked off to where the fence met the wall that shrouded the bridge support for the A491, and soon found the cache - hidden in a plastic stone-alike key keeper, secreted underneath a ball of brick and mortar.
Scrambling up banks
Clockwise - GC1N4R0
We parked in the first lay-by on the Bromsgrove-bound side of the A491 for this, and it was a short walk to ground zero - a large, ivy-covered tree halfway up the bank at the side of the road.
The cache was at around head height, and soon found.
We parked in the first lay-by on the Bromsgrove-bound side of the A491 for this, and it was a short walk to ground zero - a large, ivy-covered tree halfway up the bank at the side of the road.
The cache was at around head height, and soon found.
Into the unknown
We'd had such a good morning of box hunting that when we returned home we decided to do some more.
Dr Cath had printed out the necessaries for a group of 12 caches along the A491 "Bromsgrove Feeder Road", so we decided to give these a try. We knew that it would mean driving to pretty much each location in turn rather than doing them all as a loop, so off we went.
Gallows Brook - GC1N4QP
We parked in the lay-by on Park Road for this, and walked through the car park and overspill car park of the Lyttleton Arms public house. The public footpath proper starts at a metal kissing gate, and in the first field some way off were a group of horses. One of them started walking towards us, stopped as soon as he realised we were walking away from them, and turned round and wandered off... before roughly mounting a lady-horse! Filthy.
At the edge of the field, the footpath continued through a metal gate. The walking stick came in handy again because nettles had grown across the catch holding the gate shut.
The path on the other side of the gate was indistinct and very overgrown with nettles - not nice. After leaping over a trickle of a stream we soon found the tree containing the cache, and after moving a piece of loose wood found the cache hidden in the trunk. Whoever was 8th to find the cache (and everyone since!) had left the congratulatory token in the cache, so we collected it for prosperity.
Heaven knows exactly where the footpath went after this point - there was no distinct path - but it mattered not as we retraced our steps back to the car.
Dr Cath had printed out the necessaries for a group of 12 caches along the A491 "Bromsgrove Feeder Road", so we decided to give these a try. We knew that it would mean driving to pretty much each location in turn rather than doing them all as a loop, so off we went.
Gallows Brook - GC1N4QP
We parked in the lay-by on Park Road for this, and walked through the car park and overspill car park of the Lyttleton Arms public house. The public footpath proper starts at a metal kissing gate, and in the first field some way off were a group of horses. One of them started walking towards us, stopped as soon as he realised we were walking away from them, and turned round and wandered off... before roughly mounting a lady-horse! Filthy.
At the edge of the field, the footpath continued through a metal gate. The walking stick came in handy again because nettles had grown across the catch holding the gate shut.
The path on the other side of the gate was indistinct and very overgrown with nettles - not nice. After leaping over a trickle of a stream we soon found the tree containing the cache, and after moving a piece of loose wood found the cache hidden in the trunk. Whoever was 8th to find the cache (and everyone since!) had left the congratulatory token in the cache, so we collected it for prosperity.
Heaven knows exactly where the footpath went after this point - there was no distinct path - but it mattered not as we retraced our steps back to the car.
Tr-eesy does it!
Super Lynx - GC1DDCY
Our last find at Blackbush, and it's a lovely place to go box hunting. I'm a particular fan of seeing traces of the past, so wandering through the common land on what used to be RAF Hartfordbridge was fascinating - spotting the old runways, taxiways and other evidence of its former life.
This cache was another 35mm film cannister, hidden near the base of a silver birch tree covered in leaf litter. I found this one using the "poke it with a walking stick" approach, and was pleased that it was in the first tree I tried, considering how many there were in this area!
Our last find at Blackbush, and it's a lovely place to go box hunting. I'm a particular fan of seeing traces of the past, so wandering through the common land on what used to be RAF Hartfordbridge was fascinating - spotting the old runways, taxiways and other evidence of its former life.
This cache was another 35mm film cannister, hidden near the base of a silver birch tree covered in leaf litter. I found this one using the "poke it with a walking stick" approach, and was pleased that it was in the first tree I tried, considering how many there were in this area!
By hook or in crook
RAF Hartfordbridge - GCWRC7
Another micro (and another 35mm film cannister), quickly found by Dr Cath in the crook of a fallen tree.
We're staring to get the hang of spotting a likely hiding place as soon as our GPSr bleeps to let us know that we've reached ground zero - it's getting quite exciting, really!
Another micro (and another 35mm film cannister), quickly found by Dr Cath in the crook of a fallen tree.
We're staring to get the hang of spotting a likely hiding place as soon as our GPSr bleeps to let us know that we've reached ground zero - it's getting quite exciting, really!
Utterly stumped
"Where's My Lunch, Airstewardess?" - GC1DDD1
This one is fantastic - the most inventive cache location we've encountered so far.
Our GPSr was pointing off the main path towards a clump of trees, which seemed reasonable. In amongst this clump I spotted something that stood out - a tree stump, but a stump which was significantly thicker than the trunks of any of the other trees in the clump.
Magnificently, this tree stump was fake! To be more accurate, it was a "slice" of tree stump that had been partly hollowed out in the middle, so it would fit snugly over the Tupperware lunch box that was the cache - superb!
We took a Belgian 10F coin, and left a "scooby" man tag.
This one is fantastic - the most inventive cache location we've encountered so far.
Our GPSr was pointing off the main path towards a clump of trees, which seemed reasonable. In amongst this clump I spotted something that stood out - a tree stump, but a stump which was significantly thicker than the trunks of any of the other trees in the clump.
Magnificently, this tree stump was fake! To be more accurate, it was a "slice" of tree stump that had been partly hollowed out in the middle, so it would fit snugly over the Tupperware lunch box that was the cache - superb!
We took a Belgian 10F coin, and left a "scooby" man tag.
Treespotting
Harrier - GC1KEW9
We're getting good at spotting different types of trees thanks to all this box hunting! This time we knew we were after a pine tree, and as soon as we found the right one, Dr Cath spotted a telltale arrangement of sticks at the foot of it. A 35mm film cannister was buried beneath.
We're getting good at spotting different types of trees thanks to all this box hunting! This time we knew we were after a pine tree, and as soon as we found the right one, Dr Cath spotted a telltale arrangement of sticks at the foot of it. A 35mm film cannister was buried beneath.
Come fly with me
Yesterday, our good friend Sarah held the first of her two 40th birthday parties in Camberley. We thought we'd take the opportunity to zoom the geocoin we had in our possession "down south", and so we selected a route of five caches near to Blackbush Airport.
Originally we'd planned to do these yesterday - it's just as well we didn't, seeing as the UK's largest market takes place there every Sunday!
Spitfire - GC1KEVY
A nice easy start to our afternoon of box hunting, this regular-sized cache was pretty much visible from the main path, underneath a tree stump. We moved a couple of handy rocks to better mask its location, and because we reckon this is likely to be the most-visited of all five caches we did today (because it is the closest to Blackbush Airport car park) we left The RodgersClan's Green Gecko geocoin there.
Originally we'd planned to do these yesterday - it's just as well we didn't, seeing as the UK's largest market takes place there every Sunday!
Spitfire - GC1KEVY
A nice easy start to our afternoon of box hunting, this regular-sized cache was pretty much visible from the main path, underneath a tree stump. We moved a couple of handy rocks to better mask its location, and because we reckon this is likely to be the most-visited of all five caches we did today (because it is the closest to Blackbush Airport car park) we left The RodgersClan's Green Gecko geocoin there.
Saturday 29 August 2009
Stone me - a bench
Part 9 - GC1XMZC
The final part of a really excellent cache trail, this one was spotted by Dr Cath - a stone-effect key keeper hidden next to the left-hand leg of a broken bench.
All in all, a lovely walk through some pretty countryside, and nine caches to add to our total.
The final part of a really excellent cache trail, this one was spotted by Dr Cath - a stone-effect key keeper hidden next to the left-hand leg of a broken bench.
All in all, a lovely walk through some pretty countryside, and nine caches to add to our total.
Puttin' on the stile
Part 8 - GC1XMZ3
The public footpath signs lead off to the left, but the GPSr said to go straight on. I suggested that we follow the signs. I was wrong.
Fortunately there was another footpath at the edge of the field that lead back towards ground zero. This was another cunning spot; there used to be a stile to leave the field, but the boundary fence has long-since gone and the footpath simply goes around the stile, which sits forlornly at the edge of the field, serving no purpose...
...until someone hid a cache underneath it!
The public footpath signs lead off to the left, but the GPSr said to go straight on. I suggested that we follow the signs. I was wrong.
Fortunately there was another footpath at the edge of the field that lead back towards ground zero. This was another cunning spot; there used to be a stile to leave the field, but the boundary fence has long-since gone and the footpath simply goes around the stile, which sits forlornly at the edge of the field, serving no purpose...
...until someone hid a cache underneath it!
Tree-mendous
Part 7 - GC1XMYQ
This was a great hiding place - hidden inside a split tree, with a chunk of wood placed against it so that it couldn't be seen. The cache was at head height, and Dr Cath had to climb inside the tree to reach it.
This was a great hiding place - hidden inside a split tree, with a chunk of wood placed against it so that it couldn't be seen. The cache was at head height, and Dr Cath had to climb inside the tree to reach it.
Block party
Part 6 - GC1XMYC
This one should have been easy, but we'd gotten so used to the idea of looking for micros that it didn't initially occur to us that this would be a regular-sized cache.
There were a lot of muggles here, and so we took the opportunity for an orange squash break whilst working out where the cache might be. My suggestion of it being behind a concrete block at the corner of the boundary fence for the Norton pumping station was correct, and Dr Cath retrieved the cache.
This one should have been easy, but we'd gotten so used to the idea of looking for micros that it didn't initially occur to us that this would be a regular-sized cache.
There were a lot of muggles here, and so we took the opportunity for an orange squash break whilst working out where the cache might be. My suggestion of it being behind a concrete block at the corner of the boundary fence for the Norton pumping station was correct, and Dr Cath retrieved the cache.
We're not muggles!
Part 5 - GC1XMY1
Just before arriving at ground zero, we passed a couple out walking their dog going the other way - but Dr Cath had noticed that the man had been looking at a gap in the hedge until they spotted us.
It turned out that we'd spied RuberyBlue, who was looking for this cache as the final part of the Hagley Loop, having done it in the opposite direction to us. He was pleased to find us, because the battery had run out in his GPSr. They'd walked on when we appeared because they didn't know that we weren't random muggles.
We sent Dr Cath into the hedge after this one, and she found it straight away - it was another micro, the same container as part 4.
Just before arriving at ground zero, we passed a couple out walking their dog going the other way - but Dr Cath had noticed that the man had been looking at a gap in the hedge until they spotted us.
It turned out that we'd spied RuberyBlue, who was looking for this cache as the final part of the Hagley Loop, having done it in the opposite direction to us. He was pleased to find us, because the battery had run out in his GPSr. They'd walked on when we appeared because they didn't know that we weren't random muggles.
We sent Dr Cath into the hedge after this one, and she found it straight away - it was another micro, the same container as part 4.
You keep me hanging on
Part 4 - GC1XMXT
A cunning little blighter, this one, suspended from a tree at "head height" - a point just above my head. It was a micro metal container, similar to the one that micro 5 from Give Us A Clue was hidden in.
A cunning little blighter, this one, suspended from a tree at "head height" - a point just above my head. It was a micro metal container, similar to the one that micro 5 from Give Us A Clue was hidden in.
Boom bang-a-bang
Part 3 - GC1XMXA
We went straight to the correct tree for this one, and could see a suspicious-looking stone wedged into a gap at the base of it. Pushing the stone backwards caused it to clonk against the cache, but we couldn't get the stone out to get at the cache.
Then Dr Cath went round the back of the tree, and found that the cache could be easily removed from another hole there! This one was an ammo box, with lots of goodies inside.
We went straight to the correct tree for this one, and could see a suspicious-looking stone wedged into a gap at the base of it. Pushing the stone backwards caused it to clonk against the cache, but we couldn't get the stone out to get at the cache.Then Dr Cath went round the back of the tree, and found that the cache could be easily removed from another hole there! This one was an ammo box, with lots of goodies inside.
Name that tree
Part 2 - GC1XMWN
This clue required us to spot an oak tree - or more accurately, a specific oak tree from the many that were available!
The cache was a 35mm film cannister hidden in leaf debris at the foot of the tree.
This clue required us to spot an oak tree - or more accurately, a specific oak tree from the many that were available!
The cache was a 35mm film cannister hidden in leaf debris at the foot of the tree.
The Hagley Loop
This was a pretty new series of caches, only published a few days ago, and only a few miles from home. Despite the closeness, it's an area we'd never walked before, so it seemed like the ideal way to pass a couple of hours.
Part 1 - GC1XMW1
How high is "chest height"? Higher than Dr Cath's chest, at any rate. Despite this, she found the box - hidden in a camo bag - amongst the ivy on a tree.
Part 1 - GC1XMW1
How high is "chest height"? Higher than Dr Cath's chest, at any rate. Despite this, she found the box - hidden in a camo bag - amongst the ivy on a tree.
Thursday 27 August 2009
Try, try again
Trip #3 to Cannock Chase, and fail #3 with part six of Give Us A Clue. Before we next return, we'll be asking TheMightyShark for a hint.
Alchemy Quest ~ Tin - GCHJMQ
Too many trees here, so the GPSr was useless when it came to pinpointing the exact location. Instead we had to rely on the hint, which told us the cache was under a sloping tree. We could see one in the distance, but it was so far away from the bleep-point of our GPSr that we assumed it couldn't possibly be the right one.
Dr Cath eventually went to investigate, and lo and behold, it was the right one! Another successful mission.
Alchemy Quest ~ Tin - GCHJMQ
Too many trees here, so the GPSr was useless when it came to pinpointing the exact location. Instead we had to rely on the hint, which told us the cache was under a sloping tree. We could see one in the distance, but it was so far away from the bleep-point of our GPSr that we assumed it couldn't possibly be the right one.
Dr Cath eventually went to investigate, and lo and behold, it was the right one! Another successful mission.
Saturday 22 August 2009
If at first you don't succeed
Our second visit to Cannock Chase - with the bike this time - lead to disappointment when, after a long and pretty darn thorough search, we couldn't find the sixth part of the Give Us A Clue multi.
Never fear, there are plenty of other caches here.
Step Back In Time 3 - GCW79H
Another straightforward find; this one was hidden under a fallen tree, and I found it when I put my foot on the tree trunk to rest before starting the hunt! Dr Cath's GPSr bleeped to say we were at the location as she bent down to pick the box up.
We took TheRodgersClan's Green Gecko geocoin, and intend to zoom it towards Camberley next weekend, and left a heart-shaped paperclip.
Never fear, there are plenty of other caches here.
Step Back In Time 3 - GCW79H
Another straightforward find; this one was hidden under a fallen tree, and I found it when I put my foot on the tree trunk to rest before starting the hunt! Dr Cath's GPSr bleeped to say we were at the location as she bent down to pick the box up.We took TheRodgersClan's Green Gecko geocoin, and intend to zoom it towards Camberley next weekend, and left a heart-shaped paperclip.
Friday 21 August 2009
...continues here
A bit o' Saftness - Jumpin' Joe Darby - GC1AE4F
This one was a little trickier than the last because it was getting rather dark now, and there's good tree cover at the point where the cache is hidden. The intrepid Dr Cath dived into the undergrowth and emerged with the box.
We took the lickle green frog, and left the blue kazoo.
This one was a little trickier than the last because it was getting rather dark now, and there's good tree cover at the point where the cache is hidden. The intrepid Dr Cath dived into the undergrowth and emerged with the box.We took the lickle green frog, and left the blue kazoo.
Double success
Wanting to get off the mark with our box finding, we decided to see what we could do after Dr Cath returned home from work today. Since we're both Black Country folk, we chose two caches that were literally just up the road.
A bit o' Saftness - Dolly Allen - GC1AE4W
This was quite straightforward, really, thanks to my trusty walking stick - it's the best way to poke through leaves and other detritus and hear the telltale clonk of metal on plastic!
Nicely hidden by a tree stump, this was our very first find! Yay us!
We took a blue kazoo, and left a shiny sun keyring.
A bit o' Saftness - Dolly Allen - GC1AE4W
This was quite straightforward, really, thanks to my trusty walking stick - it's the best way to poke through leaves and other detritus and hear the telltale clonk of metal on plastic!
Nicely hidden by a tree stump, this was our very first find! Yay us!
We took a blue kazoo, and left a shiny sun keyring.
Thursday 20 August 2009
And we're off!
With Dr Cath wanting to do some cycling, we decided to travel to Cannock Chase. Therefore, a multi-cache seemed like a good way to start our box-hunting; this one, however, was a really tricky fella.
Give Us A Clue - GCXM16
This is a 9-stage multi, and we only got the first five found today:
[1]
The first was a tiny magnetic container, fixed to a bolt holding the leg of a bench to the backrest! This find was made harder because the picture clue provided by the hider showed the bench how it should have looked - unfortunately, the backrest was missing. Still, this was a pretty easy first find.
[2]
A 35mm film cannister hidden in one of the box sections of a weird "three triangles stuck to a triangle" bench thing. Lots of muggles around meant we had to bide our time initially. A search didn't reveal anything, so I decided to break out some technology: a mobile phone! Using the lamp and video function of my trusty Sony Ericsson, I chose one of the three box sections and filmed the inside of it - this very quickly revealed the micro. Handy!
[3]
A plastic stone-alike key keeper, hidden with some real stones beneath a tree, contained this micro.
[4]
This one took bloody ages to find. The location - a shelter for people eating lunch whilst enjoying Go Ape - was easy to find, but a tiny magnetic container wedged in the hole of a bolt that was holding one of the roof support struts in place, was not! Needed a pair of tweezers to extract the container.
[5]
Dr Cath struck gold with this one - again, not the quickest find, but a good one. It was in a plastic container, in a metal container, suspended by a thread from one of the drain exits from the pool that the waypoint lead us to.
[6]
We got to the location for this one, but with fading light and a car park that is ambiguously locked "at dusk", we called it a day.
Give Us A Clue - GCXM16
This is a 9-stage multi, and we only got the first five found today:
[1]
The first was a tiny magnetic container, fixed to a bolt holding the leg of a bench to the backrest! This find was made harder because the picture clue provided by the hider showed the bench how it should have looked - unfortunately, the backrest was missing. Still, this was a pretty easy first find.
[2]
A 35mm film cannister hidden in one of the box sections of a weird "three triangles stuck to a triangle" bench thing. Lots of muggles around meant we had to bide our time initially. A search didn't reveal anything, so I decided to break out some technology: a mobile phone! Using the lamp and video function of my trusty Sony Ericsson, I chose one of the three box sections and filmed the inside of it - this very quickly revealed the micro. Handy!
[3]
A plastic stone-alike key keeper, hidden with some real stones beneath a tree, contained this micro.
[4]
This one took bloody ages to find. The location - a shelter for people eating lunch whilst enjoying Go Ape - was easy to find, but a tiny magnetic container wedged in the hole of a bolt that was holding one of the roof support struts in place, was not! Needed a pair of tweezers to extract the container.
[5]
Dr Cath struck gold with this one - again, not the quickest find, but a good one. It was in a plastic container, in a metal container, suspended by a thread from one of the drain exits from the pool that the waypoint lead us to.
[6]
We got to the location for this one, but with fading light and a car park that is ambiguously locked "at dusk", we called it a day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)