Logic Puzzles

Sunday 03/07/2011

Upon leaving the house at 11:40, on a hastily planned venture, the first thing that struck me was the sun. I'd packed my coat, as had both the kids for a change, but it's was pretty obvious they wouldn't be needed.

I drove off to Ridgeway with a promise to the kids that included a short walk and a pub; they're easily bribed with a homemade pie or a chicken tikka masala.

By the time we arrived you could tell it was going to be a heatwave.

As I said at the start this was a hastily planned trip and I'd simply printed out the logic-puzzle grid and the given clues. I'd had a quick mental scan of the area and knew that there were other caches near to the series but I hadn't really given it much thought or preparation. I never was a boy scout nor would I ever have made one.

PetalPower has set up this series, called Logicache, of 7 caches using a logic grid where you are given clues of the type "Andrew is not the youngest" and "The person who likes Green was not Bob" - except the clues were all about Geocaching. A very novel idea.

So after parking as recommended, and pointing out the pub to motivate the kids, we followed the arrow and headed off towards "Logicache #1" through a small cul-de-sac and onto a public footpath and instant countryside.

I encouraged the kids even further by teasing them that they'd have to find at least one cache each or I wouldn't buy them their lunch.

As we walked along a path towards the brow of a hill I put on my silly South-West-type accent and pointed in a foolish and exaggerated manner "Look children, see the view over yonder brow" - and instantly walked into a gang of teenage girls eating a picnic. Not bad, I thought inside my beetroot coloured head, I've only been out of the house for 10 minutes and I'm making a fool of myself.

We quickly bore down upon the first cache hidden only 20 metres away but thankfully obscured from said picniccers by a bump and a dip. It was easily found (by me, that's my dinner sorted!) and the first clue was noted.

Scanning the GPS I could see that between Logicache #1 and #2 there was an unrelated cache so we set off for that. It turned out to be in a lovely little spot near a tiny wooden bridge over a stream. It took a few minutes to find and ended up with Jade earning her dinner.

Now going for Logicache #2 I had to follow the standard routine I have in situations like this of prolonging torment by saying things like "So we've found two caches haven't we? I've found one and you've found one haven't you Jade so how many has Adam found, err, done two take away mine, that's one, and take away Jade's that's err two minus one minus another... oh that's zero, so Adam you've found zero ooh I bet you're hungry." He knows the game but he still wasn't impressed.

By the time we got to #3 it was 12:30 and the heat dial was turned up all the way to eleven, the kids had taken off their layers and had them tied around their waists, and I was beginning to worry a little about sunburn. Ironically this particular cache was subtitled 'Sludge Central' but of course there was no sign of any today.

This one again took a few minutes of hunting and then I noticed Adam suspiciously moving away from the search area. With food on offer I doubted he was just 'stretching his back' and after an inquiring gaze I realised his trick; attempted revenge for the teasing! I have to blame myself - he's learned from a master.

The clue was noted, we caught up on some fluids and then, after consulting the GPS, headed off to another random cache.

After this cache I made a bit of a mess of my routing... not having a good overview of the unfamiliar area, or the layout of caches in my head, it was hard to figure which caches were on/off route or acceptable detours. So inwardly cursing my lack of preparation we set off for another random.

We delayed at this cache, under the pretext of resting in the shade whilst some doggles passed us by, and then set off for Logicache #3 having realised my diversion was a little askew and we'd be passing Logicache #4 first. Being pretty sure that #5 would be 'after' #3 and #4 I temporarily ignored #4 (and the passing muggles) and went for #3 first.

Another easy find (thankfully, I do like easy finds) and the clues quickly noted, we headed off back in open sun towards #4 which obligingly was in some woods.

Another find for Adam, I signed the log book and then made to take down the clues. Oh oh. Where's my paper? My puzzle? My clues? Pockets emptied, backpack searched, even the kids questioned, it was gone. Despite the heat Adam then reverse-bribed me by offering to go back to #3 if I would buy him his favourite drink in the pub. I didn't hesitate and off he jogged, returning (walking) 10 minutes later papers in hand. Just as he passed them to me a walker said he'd just seen them, read them and then thrown them away. I had to appreciate how fortunate we were that in just those 10 minutes they could have so easily been lost for good in a pocket or over a hedge.

Clues safely tucked deep in my pocket we then headed through the woods, out the other side and down a country lane. Logicache #5 was found too easily, and hidden a little better, and we continued down the lane back towards some random houses.

We then hit a wall of steps leading a narrow hedged path up a steep bank. It shouldn't have been hard work but with the sun beating upon us we all certainly had a little grumble and were thankful of the bench near the top that the next cache was hidden underneath. That was Logicache #6 found and now it was a simple third of a mile back to the pub to order food and drinks and to try to solve the puzzle.

Thankfully the pub was quiet so we were quickly served, easily seated and ready to puzzle solve. Adam and Jade chatted away as I crossed and ticked and cross-referenced and puzzled and got stumped and thought and got inspired and slowly filled the grid until... calamity... I'd got a cross in a box I needed to put a tick in. Somewhere I'd made a mistake and my own logic disagreed with itself.

With my sheet now being a mostly completed waste of space, and mindful of the imminent food, I decided to leave the puzzle. There are plenty of other caches in the area so I vowed to re-work the puzzle at home and return to the area another day.

The food was nice, the kids were happy (and seemed to like the deal for future weekends!) and we'd had a lovely 3.5 mile walk in the countryside under the sun.

Not a bad outing at all!