Permission to hide crap, sir?

Did you know that some organisations actually give permission for geocaches to be hidden on their property?

Some of them are well-known charities, or local councils who are supposedly working in the public's interest; they are guardians of historic properties, archeologically important areas, areas of special scientific interest, wildlife preservations areas....

Most of the landowners have been persuaded to agree to this after assurances from certain geocachers that all other geocachers will follow certain rules.
How they will enforce this is not clear.

The list of organisations includes: (ref here )
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Milton Keynes Parks Trust
National Trust
Denbighshire County Council
Countryside Council of Wales
Amesbury Town Council, Wiltshire
Swindon Ranger Service
North Wiltshire District
South East England Forestry Commission
Wiltshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Cheshire County Council
Warwickshire County Council
The Woodland Trust
New Forest - Forestry Commission

Some details:

Warwickshire County Council
Sally Silk
Country Parks Visitor Manager
Countryside Recreation
Tel: 01827 872660; Fax: 01827 875161
sallysilk@warwickshire.gov.uk

Wiltshire County Council
"blanket approval provided that cachers follow the GAGB guidelines..."
mentioned specifically are: Woodhenge, Figsbury Rings, Westbury White Horse, Ridgeway

Shropshire Wildlife Trust

"...trial trial basis only, starting from 1st September 2004.

Jan Mckelvey
Conservation Manager
Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Tel 01743 284280
Fax 01743 284281
www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
janmckelvey@shropshirewt.cix.co.uk"

Three easy caches today

On my travels today I went for a couple of detours to find a group of three caches.
Two of these I have actually taken before, one was in exactly the same place so was really easy.

Cachers usually try to rationalise the disappearance of caches, blaming over-zealous farmers or innocent tourists. Well they're right in thinking it's someone collecting rubbish...

One missing cache can be brushed aside as an accident or fluke... but two? Or three all together at once...?

These are lovely things to find in the countryside, are they not:

Autumn summary

Most of the summer I have been travelling far and near, and taking cache information with me whenever I have the opportunity.

I've lost count of the number of caches I have taken; it must be close to 15 since May. All have been in a shocking condition - I will never understand the attraction of these people whose main aim is to seek out these disgusting things for their own sake. It just reinforces my opinion that if geocaching as a hobby must exist, surely virtual caches are the way to go.

In all instances the contents have been mouldy, sweaty, rusty, cracked, faded, perished, unhealthy, SMELLY, unattractive pieces of rubbish.

How appropriate (not to mention convenient) that often caches come wrapped in bin bags.

Some of my pics:
Peeping out of the undergrowth, this was one of a series of caches:


From under a rock:


A quick one (hardly worth it!):

German Standing Stone Toppled by Geocachers

This piece of news came to my attention on the Modern Antiquarian website during a conversation about the pros and cons of using GPS

Post by PeterH

I'll see if I can find any more information...

Northumbrian historical site - hidden trash

This cache was found in an area of recognised archeological importance. It was hidden inside what perhaps used to be a boundary wall, most of which were built hundreds of years ago.

The contents were wet and of so poor value that after photographing, the whole thing went straight in the bin.

eBay

It was suggested to me that it would be a great idea to post some geotrashing trophies on eBay.

What a fab idea! Give people a chance to own what rightfully should be in the bin.

Sould I put them all together in one Lot or seperately? With stooges or just metal bits? I shall do some eBay research....

More New Blood!

Me and my trusty apprentice had a very successful trashing trip today.

I have left my GPS at home, not having intended to do any trashing on this trip. But as Geotrasher2 was keen to bag his first, I took him to a place I knew there was one. I hadn't been to this place before, but I knew there was a cache hereabouts. I had read the posts for a couple of years and was sure we could find it.

I parked the car and we tried on this side of the river, in a likely spot... nothing. Then again, perhaps it was on the little path that lead away from the river. Nothing.

"I wonder if those poeple are looking for the same thing?"
"No they seem to be looking at the river. But they are watching us... "

Hmmm maybe it was on the other side? Beside the trees? Inside the wall? What about in that pile of twigs? Nothing....

We were about to give up. After all we had overshot the 30 minutes about three times over by now !!! The couple that looked like geotrashers had gone away now.

Back to the car... but "hold on" says Geotrasher2... "that girl looks like she's holding a GPS... and they have a map..." I wonder...

So, we followed them. A group of 4 people and a dog. And us behind, sniggering like schoolkids. Up a lane behind some houses. Keep back, so they can't see us.

They stop... then spread out... "FOUND IT!!" the cry went out.

We pretended to be taking photographs of the view. We were, but also of them!!

We carried on up the lane, to pretend we were carrying on.

They hung around for ages! We were waiting in the wings, trying to stay warm in the biting wind, watching them until they finally decided to go away.

Then... raced to see the cache site, to see if we could find it... after all it took them ages... "IS THAT IT??" - "what - that very obvious badly-hidden bag with a stone on top of it that doesn't look remotely natural?" "yup..."

Bagged. Hurrah!!

Update on trashed caches part 3

Checked the status of the last trashed caches today; another one has been logged although I know I removed it very recently. Again, either they are lying or it has been replaced.

But – result for the new local one. An Easter trip proved less than fruitful for one cacher.

Update on trashed caches part 3

Checked the status of the last trashed caches today; another one has been logged although I know I removed it very recently. Again, either they are lying or it has been replaced.

But – result for the new local one. An Easter trip proved less than fruitful for one cacher.

Update on trashed caches part 2

One of the first caches I trashed on this blog has been logged as found - now this could mean two things - either it has been replaced already or they are lying!!!!

Hmmm might plan in a quick visit to check next weekend...

New Blood!

browsing through the geocache website yesterday.... a new one, not far away! Fantastic... up early on Saturday, thought I knew where it was... hmmmm not there!

OK gave up and walked away telling myself to bring a map next time!!

Checked the log later in the day - someone had found it OK... right! Back on Sunday morning, lovely day lots of dogwalkers about. Waited until Mrs Tweed and her two spanils had gone off in search of fresh water and Bingo!!!!! Ahh gotcha. Bagged. Fresh too! Got a travel Bug also.

Ironically, this was right next to a very major river which would have been seriously affected but floods this year. Maybe the water washed it away...

Update on trashed caches part 1

After my flurry of recent cache visits, I checked their website and apparently of those four I did they haven't been visited yet so they still have no idea they have gone.

Another one nearby that I haven't visited yet was reportedly lost in the floods...

One that I took some time in January was visited on the 26th Jan, Feb 9th, 6th March before they finally decided it had gone !!

I also noticed a new one very nearby!! woohoo! Maybe I'll be the first one there.... or maybe I should wait until there's a Travel Bug in it... anyway I know exactly where it is, never had one as close as that before !!!

One I took about 18 months ago has been turned into a "virtual".

Worrying News Links

These stories are a gift for me, thanks - and even more reasons why geocaches are a BAD IDEA

Hightech hobby sets off security turmoil

Geocache mistaken for a pipe bomb

From here, quote:

One particular cache hidden next to Hill Air Force Base caused a bomb scare when someone found the red toolbox cache beneath a bridge.

From Megalithic Portal, quote:

Submit details of locations near you, or where you travel to. Take their photo. Research more about them. It's a lot of fun tracking these things down. Have a purpose to your walks or adventures. Instead of going after a plastic box full of junk (geocache) how about doing something positive to help our environment.

From BBC Cumbria Website, quote:(I also particularly like the "bring a spade" comment... )

The article says Geocaches should not be placed in an historic, archaeological or environmentally sensitive area, yet also says there is a cache at Long Meg. Why does this rule exist, and is Long Meg an explainable exception, or do Geocachers ignore their own rules?

From Megalithic Portal again, quote:

Archaeologists had to climb 45 minutes twice a day to excavate a Bronze Age burial mound on the highest point in Carmarthenshire. It was being taken apart by walkers building a cairn around a “geocache’ box.

Carlisle Cache Trashing

I was staying with friends last night, and a bit too much indulging went on ;-) so I decided to get some fresh air by taking a trip to bag some geocaches. The first was in a place I was familiar with and had visited years ago, the Edward Monument on Burgh Marshes.
The comments by previous geocachers had included comments such as "very boggy" .... IT'S A MARSH!!! GET OVER IT!!
Came armed an prepared with wellies etc (kept having to pull my socks up though!), and found the parking place easily - next to some hungry sheep and lambs. I had left my GPS at home but was fairly confindent of being able to find it with the clues.
When I arrived on the marshland, the detritus left by the recent stormy weather was evident so I was a bit worried that the cache will have been damaged already... thankfully not!!
I took a photo of the location before removing it. Also visited the monument which now was surrounded by an inpenetrable fence, it was never like that in the past!!
Back to the car and a quick nod to the farmer who had come to feed the livestock. Off now to my next quarry....

Carlisle airport.... This was a micro-cache container, first of a three-parter, easily found near the only gatepost in the area. However, the clue to the next cache was in latitude & longitude, not OS coordinates; so I'll have to come back to finish that one. Meanwhile no-one else can get it.

I next headed to Langholm, and the Monument which I'd also visited before. A good brisk walk, with panoramic views as the reward. This one took a little while to find, but got there in the end. It was completely sodden and the log book ruined - straight in the bin with that one!

Then onward to a microcache which had been placed in a dead tree. Really easy, didn't even switch off the car engine!

Then back home for lunch.

The collection of items was photographed before disposal.

A very successful day - four caches trashed

Previous Trashing Exploits

Main areas included the Central Belt of Scotland, Northumberland and Yorkshire.

I must have trashed at least 25 in the last 2 years.

Some were repeat trashes... well - the fools replaced them.

GLOSSARY & INFO

I have been trashing caches for a few years now. When I first started I had no GPS and to be honest, I prefer it that way. Something to do with the thought of being confused with a "real" geocacher. For more info on what geocaching is, and for a scary sight, visit http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/united_kingdom.shtml

Why I trash geocaches

• I find the hunt exciting and interesting, and the game takes me to places I perhaps wouldn't otherwise know about. This is the same reason given as geocachers as to why they take part in the traditional geocaching game (I refuse to call it a sport).
• Most geocaches are hidden boxes of shite, often placed in areas which are either beautiful, popular for tourism, or interesting for some other reason.
• Most geocaches I have found have been damaged in some way, either by wild animals chewing part of it, or by the elements; sometimes there will be leaky batteries, rusting metal objects, soggy notebooks, disgusting scraps of tat.
• I resent the arrogance of these people who think that it's popular therefore it's right.
• People encourage their children to find these things... There are more rewarding ways to enjoy the countryside than having a goal at the end that encourages greed, negative competition and selfishness.
• I want to keep geocachers busy, both but wasting their time in seeking a cache, and also wasting the time of the cache owners who have to fret over what happened and then often decide to give the benefit of the doubt and replace with another cache, only this time I know the hiding place already. Go on, do it again. Hey - move it, make it interesting.
• I want to make more people aware of the alternative game.
• My aim - to make all geocaches "virtual". There is no reason why the countryside has to be filled with rubbish to encourage people out of doors.

Principles of geotrashing

1. Use the same armory as Geotrashers. Websites, forums etc. and scan previous logs carefully for helpful hints especially photos.
2. Use http://www.multimap.com/uk where you have no OS map. Enter the code in the format XX111111 this will require you to delete the spaces and extra digits provided on http://www.geocaching.com.
3. Learn to THINK like a geocacher. They like to hide caches where normal people can't see them... if the cache is sited at an interesting place, e.g. a monument, it won't be placed right there... it'll be a short distance away, preferably in a position that allows a visit out of the gaze of other mortals.
4. Extra satisfaction can be gained by collecting Travel Bugs or Geocoins. This really pisses them off.

Glossary

• micro cache = usually a 35mm film canister
• travel bug = a "dog tag" style trophy usually attached to an particular piece of tat, in order to distiguish it from the other normal pieces of tat found in a cache.