Well aware that I've been creeping towards the thousand-cache marker for a few months I had given a fair bit of thought about where to do it. The "epic gang" that I walk with occasionally, for their 10k and 12k+ caches, had even asked me if I'd got anything in mind back when we did Helvellyn in August.
As it was only 1,000 caches, and with the seasons and weather rolling along, I didn't fancy a long drive up to the Lakes so I looked around for a decent series more local and came up with Fairbrook Naze which starts near the Snake Inn on the A57 and heads up Kinder Scout. I chose this for a few reasons but I think the main one being that I've been caching up there 3 times previously and always enjoyed it. A smaller reason is that the GeoGeriatrics (who I only met once and confess I wouldn't recognise if I met them again) laid down two of the previous series I did up there so I have some respect for their walks and efforts in laying them down.
I now had a dilemma. Well maybe that's too strong a word but my first problem is my kids; they hate Geocaching and they hate walking - they don't appreciate the views, the exercise, the fresh air and the day out. So I've come to an arrangement with them where they have a 'lazy' Saturday and then on Sunday they walk with me. I have to do this as I work five days a week. Anyway this weekend I couldn't leave them with their mother, not that I ever want to do that, but I also didn't want to drag them up a mountain if it was throwing it down. So my problem was this: if I invite people, and they attend, I can hardly abandon the event when I get there and it's raining - I decided not to run the risk. I didn't invite anyone.
I ran my proposed walking route by Patrick, as I know he's done the series very recently, and it turned out that this series and the additional caches I'd planned were exactly as he'd done them - and what's more he'd like to join me to do them again.
So on a dull, yet dry Sunday Patrick picked us up in his van, with Dizzy the dog, and drove us to the A57 where we parked up and set off. I needed 13 to get my 1,000 and hadn't really given much thought to which one it would specifically be as long as it was a Fairbrook Naze one on the way back down.
It was hard work from the off as I'd not warmed up, but also because my rucksack was a whopping 17Kg in weight - yes I'd even weighed it because I had realised it was much heavier than normal, and no wonder...
* 2 litres of water
* 2 small bottles of pop
* 1 flask of tea
* 1 bottle of champagne (!!)
* 4 glasses
* sandwiches for 3
* flapjack, boost bars, crisps
* gloves, hats
* first aid kit
We started with three quick caches, nicely on level terrain, before starting a long gentle climb along the River Ashop towards a couple of points where we needed to gather clues for a mystery cache further up. One of these clue points was at the site of two plane crashes from 1953 where two fighters came down together - presumably after a mid-air collision? There's still debris scattered around and quite rightly a small tribute to the pilots.
All the caches were easy finds because Patrick has done them before and I was quite happy for him to show me where they were and thereby not spoil the flow of the walk. (Yes I'm more of a walker than a Geocacher.)
After about 3.5 miles, 90 minutes from the start, we stopped for a quick cup of tea before starting the hard ascent straight up Kinder with no path - this took us over 20 minutes to get up 130 metres and I was cursing the rucksack I can tell you. (Adam did helpfully keep offering to carry it but I'm determined as I've always seen it as an aid to fitness.)
We stopped and watched the jumbo jets fly overhead - they circle here on the way to Manchester and they looked amazingly close.
Walking along the edge of the plateau for about 1.5 miles, in the freezing wind, we got to the mystery cache and stopped for a lazy lunch sheltered from the wind before getting to our first (actually the last) of the Fairbrook Naze caches - this was number 11 as they're actually numbered ascending up the river for people starting at the bottom.
Adam tucking into his lunch
Patrick and Jade do the same
Laying down to (unsuccessfully) get out of the wind
Dizzy in glorious 3d
Another standalone cache before hitting the actual top of the stream and starting the descent proper. The caches were now numbered simply Fairbrook Naze 10 through 1 and all were simple finds with rather forgettable containers - having said that, these types of walks are more about the walk and the location rather than a fancy box.
My 1,000th cache was actually Fairbrook Naze #5 and we stopped for a couple of pictures and I cracked open the champagne - OK - overpriced sparkling wine. We relaxed over a couple of glasses each before continuing our descent all the way back to the small woods and back up to the car.
My 1,000th cache!
(and a glorious case of hat-hair!)
So that was that. We did about 8.3 miles and bagged 17 caches. Jade was quiet the entire time; in her own world of music. Adam alternated between music, chatting and complaining about the cold. Patrick just boosted ahead and made me suffer from carrying all the excess weight! Only kidding, it was great to have him there for the company, his help and to help me celebrate my 1,000th when I guess he's been there for a good few hundred of the previous ones on the journey here.
Final thanks must go to the GeoGeriatrics for their time and effort in placing the series.
Only 996 to go to the next major milestone!
