This checkin to GC7R0HB The Fairy Elevator reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Dropped by to perform routine maintenance to discover that this cache has been partially muggled: the lifting mechanism has been cut and the pencils have been removed. However the cache itself is otherwise functional. As a stop-gap the cache is temporarily hidden BEHIND the tree (rather the hoisted up it); I’ll look into a proper fix as soon as I’m able.
For the final week of his 52 Reflect series and as a way to see off the year, Robin and I spent the last weekend of the year near Fort William to facilitate a quick ascent of Ben Nevis. My previous expedition to Britain’s highest point was an excuse for some ice climbing but I hadn’t actually come up the “path” route since an aborted expedition in 2009.
Somehow in the intervening years I’ve gotten way out of practice and even more out of shape because our expedition was hard. Partly that was our fault for choosing to climb on one of the shortest days of the year, requiring that we maintain a better-than-par pace throughout to allow us to get up and down before the sun set (which we actually managed with further time in-hand), but mostly it’s the fact that I’ve neglected my climbing: just about the only routine exercise I get these days is cycling, and with changes in my work/life balance I’m now only doing that for about 40 miles in a typical week.
For the longest time my primary mountaineering-buddy was my dad, who was – prior to his death during a hillwalking accident – a bigger climber and hiker than I’ll ever be. Indeed, I’ve been “pushed on” by trying to keep up with my father enough times that fighting to keep up with Robin at the weekend was second nature. If I want to get back to the point where I’m fit enough for ice climbing again I probably need to start by finding the excuse for getting up a hill once in a while more-often than I do, first, too. Perhaps I can lay some of the blame for my being out of practice in the flat, gentle plains of Oxfordshire?
In any case, it was a worthwhile and enjoyable treat to be able to be part of Robin’s final reflection as well as to end the year somewhat-literally “on a high” by seeing off 2018 in the Scottish Highlands. If you’ve not read his blog about his adventures of the last 52 weekends, you should: whether taking a Boris Bike from Brixton to Brighton (within the rental window) or hitching a ride on an aeroplane, he’s provided a year’s worth of fantastic stories accompanied by some great photography.
And now: time for 2019.
This checkin to GCG6XD Britain's highest Geocache reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Found today at 11:30 with Robin, whose ascent marked his final expedition this year as part of his 52reflect.com project. I’ve been up here many, many times before since this cache was placed (and some before) but only this time taken the effort to find and sign. TFTC!
This checkin to OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Wandered out of my office and around the corner to this cache, which has long been on my to-do list, this afternoon. Waved at the new camera!
Note to future visitors: looks like the “lag time” is about 45 seconds, so you’re likely to have to stand around a bit. I’ve attached a picture showing the window where the camera now sits so you can position yourself appropriately. Good luck!
This checkin to OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Looks like the webcam is now back up, but the URL on this page needs revising to https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/webcams/ and/or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh48dJYojmE.
Going to try to get out there when I can.
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
At community suggestion, replaced containers at waypoints #1 and #2 with smaller, more-discreet variants to help reduce risk of future muggling. A geocacher still shouldn’t struggle to find these containers, though: they’re pretty obvious once you’re looking in the right place!
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Ran the trail myself, all looks good now!
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Visited GZ as part of maintenance; all well here, although the “obvious” path to the cache continues to become increasingly overgrown – a fallen tree in the way almost but not quite justifies putting the terrain rating up half a point.
Two bicycles seem to have been abandoned near the GZ. One belongs to hire scheme Ofo and has been reported to them. Making a note here so that if one or both are seen to still be there in the New Year they can be reported as having been “abandoned for several weeks” as per council recommendations: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20060/street_cleaning/168/report_an_abandoned_bicycle
Cache container and contents remain in perfect condition. Go find it!
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Replaced Waypoint 2. Trail should be followable again.
This checkin to OK045A Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Replaced Waypoint #2 and checked on final stage. All well and ready to go!
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
User Sapphirites advises that Waypoint #2 is missing. I plan to perform maintenance later today to bring this series back into working order.
This checkin to GC1H3PK Keep On Mooving reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Some fellow volunteers and I were staying at nearby Wroxall Abbey following our Christmas party this weekend and I took the opportunity to walk out here between breakfast and check-out to hunt for this cache. Passing GC5RZB4 (and a herd of cows) on the way I was soon able to spot the tell-tale signs of a cache hiding place and soon had the container in my hand.
I love to see a good location with a week maintained cache; nice work CO, and TFTC!
This checkin to GC5RZB4 #10..CHEWBACCA reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Staying in nearby Wroxall Abbey for a Christmas party with a nonprofit I volunteer with, I took the opportunity to wander out to find this cache and nearby and GC1H3PK this morning between breakfast and check-out. I was watched suspiciously by herd of cows nearby. TFTC.
This checkin to GC1TYZW Gordano services Motorway Mayhem M5 J19 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Stopped on the way back from Penzance to Oxford after a weekend in geocaching and geocaching-like activities, including introducing my partner’s brother to the sport while putting him through an adventure weekend I called Challenge Robin II. After the interminable A30 and a miserably rainy M5 I was pleased for the excuse to stop she stretch my legs, and doubly pleased when I discovered that there was a geocache in the vicinity.
No litter on the path, which was nice. Close to the GZ I soon spotted a geotrail and quickly had the container in my hand. TFTC!
This checkin to GC43B36 HR2 - Round the Bend reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Funny: I’ve manufactured a cache container similar to this once, too, but for a very-different (and distinctly more-urban) environment (GC54F7V): seems like a bit of a strange design for a rural setting! My geo-sense spotted the hiding place right away but Robin struggled for a bit with this unusual container: he was determined to get “inside” it in some other way than the correct way, e.g. by poking, swinging, bashing, or blowing. It’s my fault, really: some of the Challenge Robin puzzle boxes were pretty devious and involved exactly that kind of manipulation to get at their contents, yesterday.
Soon, I suggested the correct way to open the container and all was well. Great location; TFTC.