Dan Q

Kind: Checkins

Geohashing expedition 2024-10-22 51 -1

This checkin to geohash 2024-10-22 51 -1 reflects a geohashing expedition. See more of Dan's hash logs.

Location

Harcourt Hill Bridleway, between Cumnor and North Hinksey

Participants

Plans

I’m on sabbatical from work right now, so I’m hoping to be able to get out to this hashpoint while the kids are at school.

Expedition

After dropping the kids off at school, the geopup/hashhound and I set out for the hashpoint. Coming up the “short side” of the bridleway from Botley would be a shorter walk, but we opted to park in Cumnor and come up the “long side” of Harcourt Hill to avoid Oxford’s traffic (and the inevitable fee for parking on the city’s side of the hill).

Harcourt Hill (like my village of Stanton Harcourt) doubtless gets its name from the Harcourt Family, who supported William the Conqueror during his conquest of Great Britain back in 1066 and were ultimately granted huge swathes of land around this part of the world in recognition of their loyalty. To this day, you find “Harcourt” in a lot of place names in this neck of the woods.

The hashpoint was so easy to find, we almost walked right over it: it’s right in the centre of the footpath/bridleway. Even my dog, who often doesn’t like long walks or muddy paths, didn’t get a chance to complain before we got there. We arrived at 09:35 and took the requisite photos, which can be found below. We also kept a GPS tracklog and vlogged our experience, all of which you can see below.

I’ve not properly hashed in a long while, so it was great to get back out there!

Tracklog

My GPSr kept a tracklog.

Tracklog map showing a route from Stanton Harcourt through to Harcourt Hill (via Cumnor) and back, West of Oxford.

Video

Also available via YouTube.

Photos

A footpath becomes a zebra crossing despite there being no road to cross, just a lawn (probably there USED to be a road).
What’s the point of this crossing? Do rabbits pass very fast through this junction?
A French Bulldog stands derpily on a muddy footpath between fields, under blue-grey skies.
View East from the hashpoint (plus dog).
A footpath vanishes between fields, flanked by wild bushes.
View West from the hashpoint.
A GPS receiver shows "0 metres" to destination.
Right in the middle of the circle of uncertainty.
Dan crouches by his dog to take a selfie.
Silly grin/silly tongue-sticking-out.
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Dan Q undefined GC9GTV3 Drive Slowly; Fox Crossing

This checkin to GC9GTV3 Drive Slowly; Fox Crossing reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Noticed while on a dog walk that the container looked a little loose, so came by to tighten it up. Noticed that the logbook was missing – muggled? – so replaced that while I was here. Ready to go!

Dan, sitting in a car, holding a screwdriver and smiling.
A screwdriver isn’t a usual piece of CO toolkit.
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Dan Q found GC3WYMN Tactically Clever Placing

This checkin to GC3WYMN Tactically Clever Placing reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

I solved this puzzle ages ago but when I came to find it the GZ was so full of dubious and disgusting litter that I didn’t want to go poking around.

I decided to return today for a fresh search, figuring that the recent rains might’ve made it a more pleasant place to explore. I soon found the logbook, loose and damp, sitting alone on the floor. No sign of the cache container, whatever it once was. SL, and tried to return the book to a sheltered spot in its hiding place as well as possible but this is urgently in need of CO attention.

Damp geocaching log book,closed.

Damp geocaching log book,open.

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Dan Q found GC9XJDB WLMCP #2E Bridge The Gap

This checkin to GC9XJDB WLMCP #2E Bridge The Gap reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

A quick and easy cache-and-dash in-between errands. I’ve got gardening gloves; I’ve got supplies to make brunch… and I’ve got ten minutes spare, so I came to find this cache.

Container might enjoy some camo tape or something if it’s not to be mistaken for litter! TFTC.

Dan, sitting on a bridge edge near a wooded stream, waves to the camera.

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Dan Q found GC4MHJ0 Octo (MK Artwalks)

This checkin to GC4MHJ0 Octo (MK Artwalks) reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Today’s the last of three consecutive days that I’ve spent working in Milton Keynes. On each day I’ve taken a short walk while I’ve eaten my lunch to find a nearby geocache. This was today’s.

After admiring the sculpture I snapped a selfie while I waited for my GPS signal to settle. The coordinates and the hint made the location seem obvious, yet somehow I did three laps of the hiding place before I reached down to what by all accounts was, indeed, an obvious hiding place!

Muggles weren’t too multitudinous, so I soon had the cache hidden again back in its snug little spot. TFTC!

Dan poses for a selfie in front of a figure-8/moebius strip sculpture, on a sunny day.

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Dan Q found GC2GR3Z The Brass Bands of MK – Secklow Brass

This checkin to GC2GR3Z The Brass Bands of MK - Secklow Brass reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

I’ve been working in Milton Keynes the tail end of this week while my kids attend a ski camp at the X-scape centre. While eating my lunch today I came out for a walk to find this geocache.

Approaching from the direction of the car park was definitely the right route and I was soon standing at GZ alongside a likely host. I had to search for some time, though, before I found this surprisingly we’ll-concealed cache.

(I was hindered perhaps by my own eagerness to check the hint, which left me searching several feet lower down than the container eventually turned out to be!)

Right, back to work for me! TFTC.

Dan Q found GC4NX9Y Light Pyramid (MK Artwalks)

This checkin to GC4NX9Y Light Pyramid (MK Artwalks) reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Found the host easily, but had to wait for a gap in thir lunchtime dog walkers to be able to mount a good search. After checking in a few obvious places I picked something up and there was the cache!

Took a walk up to the Light Pyramid where I snapped the attached photo of me pointing towards the X-Scape centre, where I’ve been working today (my kids have ski lessons, so I’ve been sitting in the cafe with my laptop with the exception of this, my lunch break!).

On which note, I’d better go find myself a sandwich! Thanks for bringing me up here, and TFTC.

Dan, near a white pyramid-shaped sculpture, points at a distant hill-shaped building.

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Dan Q found GC4PYCF Thames Path – Floodproof

This checkin to GC4PYCF Thames Path - Floodproof reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Excellent cache, which I was pleased to observe has the largest conceivable container possible for its hiding place: nice one! I love a good treetop cache!

Once I’d free the right tree, getting up was relatively easy: the limb next over from the one mentioned in the hint provided a good launching-off point and a short scramble later I was sat at height with the container in hand. Getting down, though, proved more challenging as I slipped on a low bough and plummeted to the ground!

Dan, up a tree, holds a geocache secured high up the trunk.

Aside from my pride, the biggest injury was to my thumb, which nicked some kind of fierce plant on the way down and is bleeding as I type this. Still 100% a worthwhile effort to find a great cache, so an FP awarded.

A hand with a small chunk torn out of the back of the thumb, exposing bright red flesh beneath.

Now I’ve gotta start jogging again if I’m to have any chance of catching up to my partner Ruth, who I’ve joined in this leg of her effort to walk the entire Thames Path (I swear I didn’t just agree to tag along for the caching opportunities!).

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Dan Q wrote note for GC4QAED Leonard

This checkin to GC4QAED Leonard reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Skipped this one as I’m still playing catchup to the rest of my group and wasn’t interested in a long search. Many previous finders note that the coordinates are significantly off but I couldn’t see anybody posting alternates. Maybe next time I’m down here!

Dan Q found GC4QAE6 Bernadette

This checkin to GC4QAE6 Bernadette reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

After a brief overshoot – too excited to finally be catching up to Ruth and the rest of my squad! – doubled back to find this easy location. Cache was lying on the floor which I assume isn’t the right hiding place, so I returned it to the V. While running from the last cache I’ve dropped my writing implement somewhere, so have photographed the (almost pristine!) logbook as proof that I actually found it. This has been my favourite of this mini-series so far; FP awarded for the enjoyable container theming if nothing else!

A replacement geocache logbook with only a single entry.

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Dan Q did not find GC4QADB Sheldon

This checkin to GC4QADB Sheldon reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

No luck here. Couldn’t spare more than a little while to hunt without Ruth and the rest of the Thames Path Source-to-Mouth party getting too far ahead but spent that time getting thoroughly nettled. They’re fierce around here! Maybe another time.