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 Log entries The Secret Waterfall    {{found}} 10x {{not_found}} 2x {{log_note}} 0x Photo 1x Gallery  

4308 2017-12-05 09:00 Balrogslayer's Mum (user activity1) - Found it

Wow!   What a beautiful location!

The CO had released photos of this very special double waterfall prior to the cache being published and from those alone I knew it was somewhere that I absolutely had to visit.  It looked to be a tranquil place with a magical feel - like somewhere in Tolkein’s Middle Earth - and as such I wished to visit it solo.   Patiently I waited and then the notification email came, telling me where to find this unique and wondrous place.    Oh, it’s a Letterbox cache - so off I went to purchase an ink pad ... I already owned an appropriate stamp for myself, reflecting my caching name.  A careful read of the cache page warned me of tricky terrain and I contacted the CO for more details.   Knowing my infirmities he advised me to go with company but it burnt deep within me to be alone ... at one with the river ... I have a passion for rivers!   He compared part of the route with a cache location in Somerset that we had explored together and that I had struggled with.  That was yesterday evening, I awoke this morning and still the desire to come here was burning into my soul ... at least I would have a look.

Parked at the suggested parking and followed the helpfully waypointed route via the two junctions and then began my descent.   I expect some who follow will read this and wonder what all my fuss is about but for me this was a challenge.   Steep, muddy, leaf-strewn and slippery  - I took it one step at a time - slowly but surely I closed on my target ... all the time the dominant sound was the rushing of the waters below - music to my ears!   Nearly at GZ the note changed and the drop but not the waterfall became apparent.   Pausing to take photos and videos I drank in the intoxicating atmosphere, revelling in the unimaginable beauty of the place!

Finally turning my attention to locating the cache I looked in the right place first time but not hard enough!  Then I checked my GPSr, which stubbornly told me “You’re under trees, are you expecting accuracy?” ... #rude!   A read of the letterbox directions took me straight back to my first search zone so I persevered and sure enough there it was.   This was the only time on my journey that I did not stay on my feet but chose to kneel down while I added the cache’s stamp to my notebook and my own stamp and signature to the log book - very happy to see that I was first.   With all the admin completed the cache was returned and I stood up but ... where was my pen?  Time for more genuflection and retrieval of the errant writing implement from within the cache!

Just one more task was required for my trip to be complete - I had to get as close as possible to the position from which those enticing photos had been taken.  This was by far the squishiest part of my journey - at one point I watched as I placed one foot and the fluidity of the mud caused it to gently rise up the side of my walking boot threatening to engulf it.   Once down by the water’s edge I ate my breakfast banana then more photos and videos were taken to record my visit - very probably the only time I shall make this pilgrimage but hopefully not.   Time to leave as I can feel that I’m weakening now that the adrenaline rush has subsided.

My ascent was as painstakingly careful as my descent only now I also needed to rest to catch my breath.   Each time I stopped, I realised that the distinctive waterfall sound was increasingly getting lost in the general river noise until I could no longer distinguish it from the ambient.

What a wonderful place, thank you so much heartradio for placing  a cache here to tempt me to visit.   I came away much uplifted and wish I could bestow many more than the one permitted Favourite Point.   Back at my car, where it took over an hour for me to stop shaking from the adrenaline overdose [:o)] and with reception restored, I discovered that a triumvirate of caching pals now knowing where I had gone - alone - were anxious to hear news of my return to civilisation ... thank you guys and I’m sorry I gave you cause for alarm.   - TFTC