Caching, Challenges, Munzees and Caches

877 + 1

Caching

It was good to get back on the bikes this weekend and it gave us a chance to continue with Paneke's Bilsthorpe Southwell Trail caches. Although we still didn't complete the series we are kind of glad that we haven't. The caches found so far have all been different and a lot of thought has been put in to them. It is a shame that one of them has been made too easy because of a spoiler that has been posted on the internet. The series starts with this one http://coord.info/GC2Q9J1 which we did a while ago along with number two. On our last attempt we got to No. 3 and failed miserably! Guess what, we got to No. 3 again http://coord.info/GC2Q9JJ and again failed. We spent an hour on it and got nowhere. We were stung, we were scratched, we were hot, bothered and thirsty, but we didn't find out.

Frustrated we carried on and found a few more of the series plus another series that Paneke had put out in the area. Without giving too much away, (I DON'T LIKE SPOILERS) the other series was animal related and had some interesting containers. Towards the end of the day we were determined to go back and find number 3, and having seen some of the others in the series now, we had more of an idea. Sure enough, after a little while and with a lot more determination we had the rascal in hand and finally managed to sign the log. The arch enemy cache of the moment was finally beaten.

I'm sorry that there are no photos this week, I didn't have the camera with me, that in fact is a total lie, I did have the camera with me, what I didn't do is have the memory card with me, I had left it in the computer back at home.

As you will see my cache count at the top has a + 1 on it, which leads me nicely on to talk more about,

Challenges

Wow, what a furore these have caused over the last week. It seems that most loathe them at the moment, I don't, and I do think that as things develop they will have their place in the caching community. I don't think things were helped with the fact that Groundspeak set the first challenge, a photo challenge to Kiss A Frog. Basically what you had to do, was find a frog, real or not and kiss it. That was it, challenge over. Upload the photo and say that you had completed it.

Obviously Groundspeak needed to set the first challenge to try to explain what it was all about, and yes, as you can see, I completed the challenge.

This put a lot of people off, and they put walls up. However, I think that given time and some thought some interesting and valuable challenges can be set. I set up my first challenge Kiss A Lion http://coord.info/CX102 in a similar vain and now really wish that I hadn't. Not the best way, again of setting a challenge. Then after thinking for a while I set my second, The Hemlock Stone and I set this one in such a way that people couldn't easily fake it using Photoshop, which has been one of the main criticisms as far as I can see. The Hemlock Stone http://coord.info/CX69D guides people to an historical area of Nottingham and I have also mentioned in the challenge that while people are there they could also complete Northking's Earthcache The Hemlock Stone - Fact Or Fiction http://coord.info/GC20EW1

It will be interesting to see how Challenges do develop, but do think that as with anything time needs to be given to them rather than just writing them off completely. The same goes for

Munzees
When the game first started I was really in to it. The game has really taken off and a lot of people are putting time and effort in to developing it which I think is great. However, it has lost its appeal to me. I'm not letting it go completely but we aren't  actively going out to find them. We check the phone when we are out at a cache and if there is one near we might go and find it. I am sure that it will develop further and can see that it has potential, but at the moment the initial pull has gone for me.

Caches

I have had four new caches published in the last couple of weeks including a 5/5 cache which I am really pleased with.

They are all a little different and hopefully people will enjoy them.

Middle Of The Road http://coord.info/GC326E2 was the first of the new ones published, followed by Trent Approach http://coord.info/GC32C01 and then Up By The Trent http://coord.info/GC32HHM and finally last night Cold War Cache http://coord.info/GC32REK

I am really pleased with these four caches and the reactions that they are getting. There are two more to go, one of which is the Nottingham (UK) TB Hotel. Then I think it is time to give it a rest for a while with placing new caches.

I did say that I would give more details about the North West Mega in this blog, but I haven't got all the information together yet as to what to tell you.

The exciting news that I told you about, well we are looking at forming a committee to put a bid in for the 2013 Mega here in the Midlands. Obviously that is in the very early stages so there isn't really much more that I can say about that just yet.

For now, have a good week, and happy caching.