The cache has been archived.

I went to do maintenance today, and found that the cache location has deteriorated badly since my last visit. I am therefore archiving this one and setting the same puzzle (but with different numbers) in a new location a mile away.

Rgds, Andy

Called by to check this one out. Quite a lot of vegetation so I missed the host item at first, but backtracked and could see the cache. Covered it slightly better but didn't pick it up as there were some muggles in view, but with this type of container there is no reason to suppose it is not in good condition.

Rgds, Andy

I found the original GC version of this cache back in August 2011, gebfore it was listed on Opencaching. This was a really enjoyable puzzle and I never realised that I had often passed one of the ends without realising it.

These days I rarely come to this area but this morning I had to be up near Hampton Court so decided to return home north of the Thames to do this cache and a church micro. Parked in the convenient parking and took the longer route to GZ. At first I was looking for the same host item as last time but things seemed to have changed a bit, and the hint confirmed this. Cache found after a short search.

TFTC

I found this cache from its crosslisting elsewhere. I have had an interest in maps since I first learnt about them in the boy scouts about 70 years ago. I kept this cache in mind for my 5,000th groundspeak find so it is pretty obvious I would hold it in high esteem.

Thanks to my pal Amberel for allowing me to log it on here as well.

Found this one today en route to spending the afternoon with my sister...I managed to persuade VHF1 that this really was "on the way" ('though I'm not sure what someone would have made of that statement )
A fascinating puzzle which I spent a fair amount of time working out - tackling from both ends to correct for any possible error (which after all is important !) then made a real "schoolboy" error by mixing up two of the figures from the dates which put me close, but not close enough (certainly for this !) and the ever patient Amberel was good enough to point this out and then save me from a second error which would have put me on the wrong side
The location of the cache was absolutely unmistakable at GZ, thanks to a very precise hint, so after retrieving and signing, I stood for a few minutes in the glorious sunshine just taking in the significance of where I was standing.
Many thanks to Amberel for an absolutely fantastic theme for this cache and for the mental workout too
Thanks and Merry Christmas Amberel...

The works are finished and the cache has been replaced. Enjoy .

Rgds, Andy

Maintenance visit this morning revelas it is no longer there. There is currently a lot of improvement work being undertaken at GZ, the cache will be replaced when it is finished.

 

Rgds, Andy

Wpis typu [Komentarz] skasowany.

This morning this cache was reported as being almost certainly gone - the tree in which it had been hidden is no more, chopped down as part of a general tidy up of the whole area.

I have replaced it with a new cache a few feet east of the original location, behind and at the base of a modest tree 8 feet from the water. I will have to rework the puzzle element to generate the new co-ordinates, but for the time being this should be enough to find it.

Many thanks to The White Family for alerting me to the problem.

Rgds, Andy

---(2011-11-02 13:15:00---(Find 6874)---
The theme of the cache is obvious but we followed several dead ends before Amberel gently steered us back on track. We solved the puzzle when the cache was listed on Groundspeak but hadn't got round to visiting before it was archived there.

Today we visited the cache site and searched for some time before phoning Amberel who described a hiding place that was obviously no more so we moved on to Bedfont Lakes. After finding a couple of caches there we were eating lunch in the car when Andy phoned to say that, in what must be the most prompt maintenance visit ever, he'd replaced the cache close to its original hiding place. Andy gave us a a description of the new hide and asked if we'd like him to sign the log for us. We're rather purist when it comes to finding caches and signing logs so we declined Andy's kind offer.

After finishing lunch we drove back to the cache site and went straight to the place we'd thought Andy had described, where we didn't find the cache. We looked in other places nearby, including the one which later turned out to be the right one, before again admitting defeat and phoning Amberel. It seemed that not only had we misunderstood Andy's description but also had actually poked the hiding place with a hiking pole without finding the well hidden cache. We were very pleased to be able to sign the log.

Thanks for the cache, and for replacing it so quickly.

This cache was previously listed on Groundspeak, but has now been archived there. It is exactly the same cache as before, so can be cross logged if you already found it.

Rgds, Andy

We've long since given up being FTF hounds being technologically disadvantaged in our locality compared to local cachers. However, when the owner notified me of his new cache because it was similar to some of my caches that he had found, I was hooked by the time I'd read just a few lines of the description and the lure of a rare chance for FTF on a puzzle cache provided even greater incentive.

The excellent puzzle was solved by lunchtime, aside from an error transcribing the coordinates that turned out to be of no consequence. However with sons to feed and chores to do it was about 4pm before we left home. Having recognised the need to park and walk (as opposed to our then unknown FTF challenger who sought not to walk and was thereby thwarted by the fence) we parked at an appropriate spot and gained access to GZ easily.

The cache hiding place called us and we ignored the deviation indicated on the GPSr - the indicated direction seemed hostile and improbable terrain. We duly set about the search but after only a few minutes Sharky cried "Wasps!" and fled. Penguin followed him swiftly. Then I noticed that there were scores of the blighters buzzing around my legs and I knew I was in trouble. I duly fled and was not pursued, but my relief was short lived as I felt a sting in my shin. A wasp had clearly found its way up my trousers. I rolled up my trouser leg but no wasp flew out so I whacked my leg repeatedly to squash the fiendish thing before it could sting me again. I then rolled up my trouser leg further until i found the corpse of the hapless insect and was able to scrape its entrails from my leg and trousers.

We widened our search, giving GZ a wide berth but it quickly became clear that there was no better or more likely hiding place than the one we had foresaken in our search due to the presence of the wasps' nest. A call to the owner confirmed that we had been looking in the right place, and moreover, the transcription error corrected, my GPSr would have us look nowhere else. There then followed a fruitless 20 minute search of the hiding location, avoiding the wasps' nest and the now very evident "flight path". A further call to the owner for the "spoiler" clue confirmed what we feared: I had to return into harms' way to retrieve the cache and had been seconds away from getting my hands on it when the warning cry came. A quick dash and grab to retrieve the cache and a brisk retreat sealed our First to Find.

We had wasps interfere with one of our caches too (The White Family were the FTF hunters forced to retreat), but all was well by November and the wasps have not returned in the 3 years since. This is one of those caches where the beautiful simplicity of the puzzle (but only if you understand it) restricts possible hiding places and aside from the wasps, the location has many merits, so I hope in due course it can be returned to where it was and then remain wasp-free.

By a twist of fate, if we had not needed to meet the owner at the start coordinates for his excellent "Off the Rails" cache (http://www.opencaching.org.uk/viewcache.php?cacheid=139) to return this cache to him, we would have found ourselves thwarted by the out of date TerraCache listing (its' alter ego) that I'd printed out. So we are actually indebted to the wasps for allowing us our second find!

Many thanks for the excellent puzzle and cache that won't easily be forgotten. Sandvika #987 (GC #913)

Wpis typu [Komentarz] skasowany.