Snow! In the Alps!??

Walking in the Sud Tirol series links: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Monday 19th Sept 2011 - Sud Tirol walking day 1

The first proper day of my walking holiday in the Sud Tirol in Northern Italy; a strange mix of a region where 70% of the inhabitants speak German, 25% of them Austrian and 5% of them Ladin (a remote form of Italian/Latin). Consequently, despite being in Italy no-one speaks Italian.

I was stopping in St. Peter (See map and San Pietro here) which is a long way up the valley - the end of which is a dead-end bowl surrounded on three sides by Austria. The entire valley is bordered by the Alps, some of them peaking at over 3,200m (well over 10,000 feet.)

To put this into perspective, the recent walk I did up Helvellyn, the second highest mountain in England, peaked at a height of 950m (3,117 ft).

Of course for each of the walks I accomplished this week, 5 days, we were not starting from sea level so the actual elevation never approached anything remotely like these figures - but even so the altitude, the mountains, the sun and the snow all added to the sense of achievement and the glow of health we were rewarded with each day.

Today we arose to pretty foul weather just as it had been when we'd arrived late the evening before. It hadn't rained in the region for 5 weeks and we were blamed for bringing it with us. Each days walks and excursions (for the non-walking holidaymakers with us) had been swapped around to make the Dolomite & Venice daytrips occur further along in the week away from the bad weather, so todays walk was altered to a museum visit at the bottom of the valley in Brunico. (View previous map and look a little south.) I was gutted - I was here for a walking holiday and pouring rain wouldn't put me off but of course there were others to consider.

We took the coach down to Brunico and our walking guide, the excellent Kristina, showed us around albeit slightly out of her comfort zone I think. Whilst in the museum snow started to fall and she was shocked - it was far too early in the year for this to be happening!

After a couple of hours in the museum we stopped for a coffee and the weather started to clear a little so we headed off back to Brunico central and then started to walk north along the main road out of the town towards our hotel. It's about 20 miles away so we weren't planning to walk the whole distance (especially as it's only our first day and it was already 1pm) but we had a lovely walk in the damp mist and all started to get to know each other.

For the record there was 8 of us: Cindy and John, Jenny and Ron, Aveline, Nancy, myself and Kristina the guide. I was the youngest and was completely spoiled all week by people looking after me (lip balm, forgotten shampoo etc). Truly a great set of people and I was chuffed to bits with meeting and getting to know all of them. Thanks all xxx

I'd treated myself to a new camera for the holiday with having set myself a target of taking a photo good enough to be in next years holiday brochure at work. Like I said I took 250+ pictures over the 5 days but sadly I only think that about 15 of them are what I would term excellent pictures. Even so, fingers crossed I achieve my self-quest!

Over the next 5 blogs you'll see some of these and others besides.

[edit: 21/10/2011 - Hurrah! There's a new walking brochure going to the printers today and it includes FIVE of my pictures - including the front cover! I'm very pleased with myself.]

These mist covered mountains...

So what about Geocaching? Well given that I was on a guided walking holiday it was never going to be easy to bag any caches - I'd loaded the nearest 700 onto my GPS and then had to cross my fingers that we'd pass by some by accident. I wasn't desperate to get any although of course getting at least one would be nice as it would be my first in Italy.

My first day of photography

Well blow me down with a straw if not even a mile away from Brunico we didn't pass within a foot of one hidden under a bench on the main road! Not having to worry about there being Muggles in the group (they're hardly likely to return to the area!) I quickly found the cache and introduced them all to the hobby. I'd mentioned it to a couple already, to typical comments of derision, geekiness and feigned interest but once a cache was in hand I think a few of them found it quite exciting - if not particularly their cup of tea.

Everywhere you looked there was a photo waiting to be taken

Our route. We actually walked almost due North but I've rotated the map slightly to view the route better. (Also note that the snowline is entirely wrong on this Google image.)

Overall a great start to the week after a disappointing start - 7.2 miles on the flat to ease into things. Refreshed I retired to the shower, and then restaurant and bar, and looked forward to the rest of the week where, as it turns out, things would get even better...

Helvellyn 10,000

Sunday 07/08/11 - 5am

Woken up from a fitful nights sleep by my phone alarm clock I set about making final preparations for the long day ahead. Four litres of water were stored in the backpack, sandwiches retrieved from the fridge, crisps, chocolate, celery and carrots added to the mix. I have to note that I'd already packed the suncream four days earlier after my last two long walks ended in sunburn.

I set off to meet StevieP near to where I work for 6am.

"Why the early start?" I hear you ask, "especially as you're typically a lazy sod on Sunday mornings."

"Well", says I, rising to defend myself and to stop this silly third-person speaking...

In similar style to the epic outing in March to Coniston, today we were all hoping to join StevieP as he bags his 10,000th cache atop Helvellyn in the Lake District. No small feat for him (over 9000 caches in front of me) and no small feat for me as Helvellyn is the second or third highest peak in England after Scafell Pike and Scafell - depending on your Marilyns and Hewitts. (See Wikipedia page on Helvellyn, also see Highest mountains in England.) It is approximately 500m taller than Coniston Old Man but more telling is it's prominence of 712m as opposed to 416m - this is a more accurate guide of how much work you have to put in to ascend to the summit.

6am
Pick up StevieP and drive up the M1 to Overton to meet MikeG. Get into his car and drive through Huddersfield to the M62 and pick up Paul 'Penfolio' at 7am.

7am-9am.
The long drive up to the Lake District was an enjoyable one swapping stories with the guys who I've not seen for a few months. We also picked up a couple of driveby caches on the motorway and then the A591 so that Steve had some leeway should we get any DNFs later in the day - it's a tricky business trying to ensure that your 10,000th cache is a specific one! As we then hit the smaller roads we also picked up another couple of caches on the A592 close to our destination - Glenridding which is on the south end of Ullswater.

9:30am - 160 metres - our starting altitude
Having now met up with Mr Truffles, KevW, and his two children 'The Penguin Boys', we set off west and I was soon wheezing away and feeling as though my heart wanted to go home already. The short steep climb to the first cache would originally have been a bad omen but I've now become used to the fact that each day my walking starts with tired legs, a pounding heart and lungs that seem painfully inadequate yet I know that this eases away after about 45 minutes as my body loosens up. My rucksack is extra heavy today with 2 litres of extra water (i.e. 2kg extra weight) and also enough food for two stops rather than the typical one. Thankfully I'm assisted by the cool damp weather. Incidently there had been terrible rain the day before and we were on rain alert today too - looks like I'm carrying the suncream for no reason!

The first cache was found quickly by main man StevieP but we notice that the puzzle coordinates inside are missing. Fortunately the cache these refer to is located after his planned 10,000th so missing it won't affect him.

We then headed along the hillside on a gentle climb before a quick 20m rise at the end (to 250m) to find another cache - Glenridding Saunter 1 - a puzzle nicely worked out the day before by KevW. A simple hide that stumped both Mr Truffles and StevieP before I walked up and instantly put my hand on it - just one of those strange random things but I was pleased I did as I think it was my only find of the day.

A long gentle walk up a track to arrive at Glenridding Saunter 2 (again pre-solved by KevW) for 10:30 at an altitude of 340m. This was the last cache of the day in any series - all the rest were unrelated standalone caches.

Following a path further up we stopped for another cache just where Red Tarn Beck joins with Glenridding Beck at about 420m before all splitting up while each planning a route across the stream so we could ascend Raise - our first major summit of the day.

I'd wandered off with MikeG and we found a good place to cross but I still managed to dunk my right leg in the water. A cold shock but in hindsight I think it was 95% temperature drop and only 5% water leakage over the top of my boots - thankfully. I'm no expert but I suspect wet feet would make for an highly unpleasant walk and blisters.

From the stream level of 400m we had a short, sharp and tough scramble up to 440m before joining a track and then a steady walk to 500m over the next 15 minutes and then the climb started in earnest.

Scrambling up the hillside in the absence of a path

11:30am
Over the next 45 minutes I zigzagged a walking mile up the hill, rising to a whopping 810m; I just put my head down and simply placed one foot in front of the other, keeping to my own pace, only stopping momentarily to drink water and to root out some celery from my backpack. I was feeling pretty good and 'all systems normal' so I made good time. StevieP and I then diverted off the path to head north towards the actual peak and another cache at 870m in a howling cold wind which we had become exposed to as we reached the summit edge.

Halfway up the tough path. If you look carefully you can see a car near the reservoir wall. Helvellyn is off to the right shrouded in mist.

Even further up (but still not the top) - the car is now a black dot

I was warm enough just wearing my usual t-shirt and walking coat except where I was exposed to the wind; it really was biting cold so I fastened my walking pole to my backpack, pulled my hands into my sleeves, pulled my hood on tight and gritted my teeth.

We then headed southwest for half a mile descending to 820m and re-ascending to 850m to the top of White Side where we regrouped with most members except MikeG who was determined to reach the Raise summit as it was one of the few he'd not visited previously.

12:30pm
Heading due south (briefly in light rain driven by the wind) we descended back down to a 'lowly' 780m and stopped for lunch under the shelter of a rock outcrop before climbing steadily back up to the summit of Helvellyn Lower Man at 900m (the fifth highest in England) and another cache entitled 'Wainwright's Missing Mountain?' Scrambling around the damp rocks here, still in howling wind, I was decidedly uneasy about my footing and was thankful when StevieP located it above me - I carefully extricated myself and wrapped up again before continuing.

A lunchtime photo. If you look just above-left from centre you can make out the snaking path we all complained about earlier.

Along the edge here and then a gentle climb up to the trig point at the top of Helvellyn, which is also a virtual cache, at a whopping altitude of 950m. A couple of pictures but no real time to stop as StevieP is excited... he's on 9,999 caches and the next one is something of a milestone!

A very brief walk, perhaps 200 feet, and we all stopped in a sheltered rest area - a stone wall in the shape of a cross, probably has a name I'm unaware of - to rest, assemble the flag and to leave Steve to find the next cache himself.

Still bitterly cold, Mr Truffles and I joined him to help in what turned out to be a really tricky hide amongst a cairn pile surrounding the monument to Charles Gough - an artist who had died there in 1805 and was found three months later still being guarded by his dog.

1:00pm
Cache finally in hand we all congratulated Steve on his epic milestone - much hand-shaking and back-slapping as we were all so chuffed for him. Finally we settled down for some photos before moving on to try and find somewhere warmer!

StevieP signing his 10,000th log!

Steve stood by the monument with his 10k cache

Group photo with the Yorkshire flag: The Penguin Boys, Penfolio, Mr Truffles, StevieP, KevW and MikeG

We headed south descending steadily to 890m to the peak of Nethermost Pike, a quick down and up to High Crag and further south, slowly descending to Dollywaggon Pike around 820m.

I'm not too hot on geography (I have to look at maps to get the names for my blog) but at some point I took some pictures of the staggering views. It was hard to get the exposure right - too much sky caused the furthest mountains to white-out of my picture - but honestly I thought to myself 'Here are the English Alps.'

Epic!

It was around this time I was also starting to feel the energy desert me. I poured away a litre of water because my lower back was aching (strange because that doesn't usually happen) and I also deliberately lost a little of my pace. Then things got tough...

Over the next 30 minutes we descended 270m down to 550m using crudely made stone steps (placed there to cut down erosion) and this damn near killed me. The steps made hard work with their random layout and random tread sizes but with my legs now tired the struggle against gravity was much harder than the ascent. I slowly got left behind with MikeG and Penfolio as none of us liked the descent.

15:25pm
We met up with the group at Grisedale Tarn and then continued the still long but less steep descent over the next 3 miles down to 200m.

Catching up with the group again we discussed our final leg to the car park. Opting to skip a planned cache we took another route to an 'easier' cache - it's all relative and 'easier' at this stage meant 'almost impossible' for me. I'm out of energy. I'm not running on reserves, I'm not using my spare tank, I'm not even running on fumes, I'm empty.

Still 1.5 miles to go to pick up a couple of roadside caches, the first of which I suspected (accurately it transpired) was my 900th cache. A bit of a shame because in all honesty it was a crap cache in a crap location.

The last one was much better, albeit tricky to find, and then it was back to the car park to change shoes, drop off backpacks and to head to the pub for a celebratory round of drinks proudly bought by the hero of the day Steve.

Not much else to report after this... drive blah blah blah and home for 9pm but I must give thanks and my appreciation to MikeG for driving the majority of the distance there and back.

Overall a fantastic day, enjoyed by all. We saw some incredible views even with the variable weather but once again camera pictures simply cannot do them justice.

Using my GPS I've got my walking total pegged in at 14.8 miles and I bagged 19 caches. We'd gone from an altitude of 170m to 950m but I estimate total walking ascent to be approximately 1,005m. I got this by simply adding up all the big UPs and not subtracting any DOWNs - that's just over one kilometre of vertical ascent!

Profile of our ascent mapping metres against miles

Most of all though it was a great day for us all and of course especially for StevieP - well done Steve!

A Google Earth image of our route. We started on the right (the green dot) and headed anti-clockwise. North is approximately at 2 o'clock.

Crookstone and Grinds Brook

24/07/2011

A little disappointed with myself because I'd not managed to do the second walk yesterday owing to lack of water, energy and suncream, I toyed with the idea of going back to do it today.

But then I thought to myself... I've no kids this weekend, why not a) do something they wouldn't want to do and b) why don't I push myself a bit?

Crookstone Knoll came to mind; this was a walk up Kinder Scout I'd planned several months previously which took a relatively easy route (by Kinder standards) to the plateau and then all the way along to pick up some of my neighbour's caches (Yorkypudding and Aginghippy aka Sarah and Kevin) leading back down into Edale.

So, in no rush, I was up at nine packing lunch and preparing again for another full day walking. I arrived at Edale for 11:10am, parked up, readied myself, quickly found an urban cache and then set off along the B-road back towards Hope.

My plan here was to walk the couple of miles along the road whilst my legs eased up from yesterday. The sun was out, it was another glorious day and I set off with a strong pace.

This didn't look good. My legs were really aching and arriving at the second cache "Crookstone Knoll 1", after 1.5 miles along a flat road, I was thinking to myself that the day would be a disaster. Spending five minutes looking for and signing this cache I then set off again and after a minute or so I noticed that my legs were feeling fine; either it was 'just that time' or maybe the five minute break had given my legs chance to clear out some lactic acid.

Two miles into the walk I left the road and started a very gentle climb up the moorland fields to an easy find for Crookstone #2. From here the going got tougher until I dipped back down across a stream and back up the other side. Really simple finds for Crookstone caches #3, #4 and #5 and something struck me; my right arm was starting to hurt.

OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE, THE IDIOT HAS FORGOTTEN HIS SUNCREAM FOR THE SECOND DAY RUNNING!

The sun was beating down on one side of me and being fair-skinned I was worried that this was going to be too much. A plan. Fortunately I'd packed my normal lightweight walking coat in case it rained, and also a baseball cap. I put both of these on and wore the cap backwards, feeling like a 'chav' in an attempt to protect my neck. Foolish man, all this and it's only 12:40.

Continuing up to Crookstone #6 and then #7 I stopped under the first shade I'd seen in an hour for lunch - two trees, and briefly helped three lads with a group photo. Taking my coat off so the sweat can evaporate (euw) and enjoying my corned beef salad and mustard I then had to fend off a couple of sheep that were either after my food or the shade - I couldn't decide which. A healthy tomato and celery sticks, all bonus fluids, I saved half my sandwiches so I wasn't too full for this final push to the top.

A tricky magnetic nano on a gatepost for Crookstone #9 then up and up to #10 before struggling with a really tough Crookstone #11 near the summit. I finally found it some distance from where I'd been looking and it taught me to rely on GPS coordinates more than geocaching instinct sometimes! This was the end of the 'Geo-geriatrics' series and a very good one it was too.

A very short distance to the summit and head off NE to get a cache at the high peak of Crookstone Knoll. A good sized well-hidden bonus cache, found, signed, replaced and then...

It was strange.

I'd gone out on my own, braved the 'real world', walked solo to the top of a bloody big hill and found 12 caches on the way. I genuinely shouted "I've done it" across the valley while triumphantly waving my walking pole, and then a euphoria came over me - a feeling partially, no doubt, due to the endorphins kicking in while I'm stopped, and partially the sense of achievement but also a sense of freedom, a sense of escape, the great outdoors, the views, the wind, the sun, the world.

The strangest thing indeed; I could honestly have sat down and cried and even now writing this blog the feelings return.

Deep breath.

Still feeling very moved I started my long journey along the plateau, heading E/SE for almost two miles until I reached Ringing Roger (no I've no idea why either) - an outcrop of rocks overlooking Edale. Still burning up in the sun (with my coat on) I was surprised as I reached these to be suddenly plunged into a gust of wind, nay a gale, that took my cap away and in an amazing ninja-like movement I actually caught it about two feet above my head.

I spent 15 minutes here carefully climbing down the rocks looking for a well hidden cache which I have since awarded a 'favourite' point on the website. A lovely spot although a little hairy in the wind.

I then headed north looking for a path down the mountain that was on my Ordnance Survey map but which I couldn't locate. I could see one that I knew headed south but that went away from where I wanted to be, somewhat west.

I decided to head further north and then head west along the ridge keeping an eye open for another path I knew headed south down the mountain. I never found that one either, so after talking to a knowledgeable lady I decided that as there was no rush I'd head all the way to the top of Grindsbrook a mile or so further west and then take that path down to Edale. I'd not been there before and it would be an adventure.

An adventure, it turns out, that I'd not planned for considering that I'd already done 8.5 miles when I arrived there and I had also run out of water. My t-shirt was sodden and although my arms were safe inside my coat sleeves my neck and face were suffering from the sun.

So Grindsbrook stream, the map claims, has a path. Well I can safely inform you that this particular path does not exist, per se, but after spotting others doing the same you realise it is basically a climb down a stream down a mountain; a rocky and potentially dangerous, steep descent. From my tracks I can see that I descended 80 metres in the first 1/6 of a mile and then a further 140 metres over the next 9/10 mile. It was leg breaking, muscle wobbling stuff and I was utterly fatigued.

Some 150 metres below Ringing Roger I finally got to my desired destination and picked up a cache by Sarah and Kevin - Grindsbrook Silver. I cursed them verbally when I saw it was a small climb back up the hillside and decided to stop and have 'second lunch' (it's actually 16:20) while I plucked up the strength and motivation. Another photo service provided for a father and young child sat by the lovely stream here.

Descending further to Grindsbrook Gold and performing maintenance on it for Sarah (taking old logs to give her and replacing with a new one) I knew I was on the last leg of my epic weekend and indeed another agonising 4/5 of a mile later and I was ordering a much needed pint of lemonade at the pub. I sat drinking it slowly for 20 minutes pondering on the day's adventures and my aching legs before heading off on the last half a mile back to the car.

Total for the fantastic day was 11.6 miles, 17 caches and a burnt neck and ears which thankfully do not hurt even though they look pretty bad.

I did take a dozen pictures today but distance and height do not come out very well and they all look the same, even to me, so I'm not going to upload any except for one and one warning...

Top of Grinds Brook

The neck of an idiot

A Quarry Caper

Saturday 23/07/2011

I'd been studying my Geocaching maps recently and it struck me that of all the caches I've discovered I have seriously neglected the south-west direction from where I live. This is partially because it's headed towards Sheffield (and I don't enjoy urban caches) but also because that means there's a fair bit of travelling to get to any caches down that way ie. Derbyshire.

Specifically trying to amend this I came up with a plan to do a series called 'A Quarry Caper' around Stoney Middleton - a place I've never heard of. The owners of this series have another nearby called 'A Stoney Stroll' and I half thought to maybe get them both done in one day. (This didn't happen.)

I'd had my usual heavy Friday night out so I didn't rush as I made my pack-up and prepared for the walk. A steady drive behind plenty of Sunday morning drivers out 22 hours early and I was ready to start walking at 1pm.

It was a hot day, I was starting this walk already pretty dehydrated and I was soon to realise I'd not even thought about suncream. As the American's would say - My bad.

Starting to figure why this place is called Stoney Middleton.

This series is 13 caches, plus a bonus, but also recommends that you start with an unrelated one en-route.

Only ten minutes into the walk up the hill from the main road. A beautiful place.

My muscles still waking up and my breath highly laboured, as it always is at the start of a new walking day, I soon got to the first unrelated cache and signed that and moved on and out onto a path across a farmer's fields. It took me an age to find the next cache, the first of the series proper, and even after two phone-a-friend's I was no better off. Finally stepping back and re-evaluating the area I soon saw a clue and had it in hand.

Walking further across the fields, only stopping to let a farmer pass by making large circular bales and us both watching one slowly roll a long way down the field, I realised I was heading into some woodland and was already thankful of the approaching shade. The sun was seriously beating down and with no suncream or hat I knew I was running a risk. Still struggling to rehydrate too I was working through my water and it was only 13:45.

Waiting for Doggles to pass I soon found the second in the series but then got scared. A small fist-sized stone covering the cache rolled down the hill and suddenly it, and then I, were surrounded by 20-30 very angry sounding wasps. I'm not scared of insects or creepy-crawlies (except for being terrified of spiders, go figure) but I was seriously unnerved and I could sense this turning really nasty. I picked up the cache and moved a good distance away until the noise died down. I signed the log, took a Geocoin, and sealed it all back up before tentatively heading back to the cache location. Fortunately the area was clear and replacing the cache, along with a new stone, I was thankful things hadn't taken a turn for the worse.

Now into the woods I struggled at #3 (of this series), walked up a lane and passed by a group of hiker's who took a different route to me as I walked back out onto farm/moorland. A gentle climb up a hill to #4 and #5 and then up a track which passes by a large quarry to reach #6.

A long walk past the quarry to #7 and then out onto a B-Road for a drive-by #8 before turning over a stile and past a farm. This field looked down onto what I guess is a man-made lake on an old quarry judging by the colour of the water.

Not drinking water I hope!

I stopped at the bottom of this field for my late lunch (it's 15:30) and took an age to find #9 in all the overgrown undergrowth (overgrowth?) From here it was a short roll to the bottom of the hill before another long steady climb up a track, the sun beating down on me still. A quick find for #10 before travelling further along the track to #11. Unfortunately I spent 20 minutes here to no avail. I used my torch to look in all the nooks and crannies but didn't see a hint of anything. I guess it's still there but it's certainly beaten me and my worry now is that I might have missed a number required for the final.

A long long steady descent passing by another quarry to bag #12 before hitting the main road and then getting near to cache #13 called 'Elevation'

The quarry at #12

Goodness me, elevation indeed. The trail here was little more than a ghost of a path leading near vertical up the side of a steep woodland. It looks like it's never used, it's overgrown with plants including brambles and nettles and it's a lung killer. There's little wonder it looks hardly used.

Up and up I struggled, then along a level bit with rope handrails to some steep wooden steps, up those then along again and then out into an overgrown field before my GPS finally catches up with my location (having struggled with reception under heavy tree cover) and decides to helpfully inform me that the cache is 80 feet behind me. And 70 feet down. Sigh. Back down the track to a thankfully simple find whilst being eaten alive by flies and then up the hill again. Looking at my track logs I can see this section from road to top is an elevation of 70 metres!

The view from near #13

Thankfully I can now see that I do indeed have all the clues required for the final cache so I enter them into the GPS and follow another ghost path around another quarry. This path, between a wire fence and a stone wall was practically invisible and had to be walked with arms raised to avoid nettles - I was wary of tripping so took my time but in actuality was soon upon the final bonus cache, a nice big ammo can full of junk. (Why do cachers have the urge to leave such crap?) Anyway the cache itself was a fitting end to a fantastic series.

All that remained was the half mile walk back down a long steep road, killing the backs of my legs. I'd walked 7.9 miles in total but with all the hills it felt like 10. I'd run out of water having drunk my entire 2 litres ages before the end but thankfully I didn't feel too dehydrated.

All in all a fabulous day out; I'd thrown myself out into the big-wide-world and I had triumphed, the sun was still shining, I was hot and sweaty and my face felt sandblasted from all the quarry dust and pollen but I felt fabulous and to prove that fact to the world I sang along to Marillion the entire drive home :)

[edit to add: 14 caches total]

Elemental my dear Odysseus

Tuesday 19/07/2011

(For a small change today I'm going to put times into my blog so I can reflect back on the evening more accurately.)

Working with computers. Playing with computers. Working with computers. Playing with computers. Working with computers. Playing with computers. Working with computers. Playing with computers.

It's taken me longer to spot that pattern than it has you dear Reader.

Feeling stressed from work I decided to get out and do an evening cache. I'd solved another of Patrick's excellent puzzles the day before called 'Elemental'. This turned out to be in the approximate vicinity of two caches at Roche Abbey, a place I visited last year to do a series. The two new 'Tales of brave Odysseus' caches fit neatly alongside the original 'Roche Abbey' series.

17:45
I got home from work, got changed and set off straight out with a plan to drive-by Patrick's puzzle and to then park at the abbey and get the two others. No such luck. After tootling down a tiny B-road for a while I got to the cache to find a farmer parked next to it surveying his land and animals; he looked like he was there for a while so I decided to skip it and go straight to Roche Abbey.

Driving a mile or so up the scariest B-Road I've ever seen (not one single passing spot) I got to the Abbey and parked on the main road, donned my rucksack and set off into the wild blue evening.

18:18
Taking a different route to the one I took last year, which I think was a big error back then, I walked around the abbey and towards a tumultuous noise.

Approaching the abbey

The other side of the abbey

...and again

I hadn't realised at the time (but have confirmed since) that it had been raining heavily most of the afternoon and this was the cause of the noise:

Despite its size this is possibly the noisiest waterfall I've ever heard

18:34
Crossing the stepping stones at the top (one of which was submerged) I headed off towards the first cache and carefully slid down a slope to what was quite a scary spot. The river at this point was a couple of feet deep, very turbulent, and the bank was of course slippy mud. With no path I took great care and got down to the presumed spot and my heart sank - the obvious location for the cache looked like it involved stepping into 20" of water. (Having not been here before I presumed the water was not normally this deep here).

I did a quick search around and then decided to back up, cross over the bridge/path and come down the other side. An easier route here and after a few more minutes looking I was despondent - I couldn't even phone-a-friend as I had no signal. There were fewer possible locations here so I crossed back over and around and after carefully sliding down the bank again I got out my torch and started examining all the nooks and crannies on the off chance that the cache wasn't where I'd first expected it to be.

Hurrah! Found the sneak hiding away and joyously signed the dry log book before scrambling back up the bank, pausing only to take another snap for the diary.

I can't swim but given the reasonably shallow depth I was more afraid for my iPhone!

18:49
Gathering my bearings I then headed off deep into the woods towards #2. A beautiful walk through a damp woods with a long gentle incline until you come out at some farmers crops.

18:59
Along the field edge, past a couple of old caches, and arriving at the cache site - a bench overlooking a valley.

View from the bench

Reverse view from almost the same spot
(Note dynamic 'I'm trying to be a photographer' angle)

19:15
So now what should I do? I'm about one and a half miles from the car with no caches to do except Patrick's and I'm in no rush to get home. A plan... Rather than walk to the car and drive to the cache why not do the opposite? It's a cirular route (a wonky triangle if you want to be more accurate) and the extra distance will do me good.

So for the first time in my Geocaching life I cut across a farmer's field that didn't have a public footpath. Feeling a little guilty I only let myself do this as there were two distinct tracks directly across the field where the tractor tyres had prevented seeds from being sown and I'm pleased to be able to truthfully say I didn't damage a single ear of barley/wheat/whatever.

The rest of the walk was pretty uneventful. I kept up a good pace along the road and arrived at Patrick's puzzle at 19:46, signed the log and quickly moved on. I followed a track across a field and around some woods before joining another track and then coming out onto the road at 20:10 which leads back to the Abbey, finally arriving back at the car at 20:20.

The back of the abbey again, this time taken from the road

Total distance covered tonight was 5.3 miles in two hours with about 35 minutes stop time (caching, writing and taking pictures.) Not bad going and do you know I felt great.

Underbank Reservoir

Sunday 17/07/2011 part 2

On the way home from doing The Puzzle of Long Thwaite Wood I rang my Dad to see if he was going to be in after lunch. He wouldn't be but I could visit in the morning so a plan quickly formulated... a quick visit while he was in, then the nearby caches I had never got around to doing and then the pub again at Bolsterstone to appease the kids.

And so it was that about 12:15 we left the car on Cross Lane at Stocksbridge, where I'd lived for a few years aged 16-22-ish, and we walked up Clay Pits Lane towards 'Adam's Treasure #1' (Coincidentally my son's name.)

I'd had lovely weather in the morning as I'd left Long Thwaites Wood, and also Treeton, but as we'd ventured up the M1 we'd hit terrible rain although thankfully by the time we'd arrived at Stocksbridge it was down to an intermittant drizzle.

After finding #1 the kids were fortunate that the remaining two caches (#2 and #3) were under tree cover. Of course I'd got my waterproof coat but despite being told to bring theirs neither of them had bothered.

We walked past the sailing club and onto Underbank Reservoir, a simple and uneventful two mile drizzly circular walk totalling three easy finds which I'm glad to have ticked off my list at last.

And then up to The Castle for the second time in two weekends. I spoil them.

The Puzzle of Long Thwaite Wood

Sunday 17/07/2011 - waking up at 8:15 I lazed in bed and checked my emails. Noticing a new cache had been published nearby I loaded up the page to read the details; it was a puzzle cache created by my good friend Patrick. It claimed it wasn't too difficult and included a checker page so I thought I'd have a look.

Scratching my head and looking through bleary eyes I studied it for a couple of minutes before inspiration struck; I checked the coords I'd come up with. Nope. Wrong.

Another idea. Check. Wrong.

Paging back and forth between Internet pages on the iPhone, and not having a pen and paper to hand, I was relying on memory as I solved from one page and re-entered the coordinates on the checker page. I noticed I'd mistyped (or mis-remembered) a number so re-tried - success!

Why not I thought? Sunday morning, may as well make an effort and leave the kids playing on their computers for an hour. Up, dressed, teeth, hair, pint of water, boots, GPS, pen, goodbye and out.

Patrick has set this up as not only a puzzle but also a feeder cache; the solved coordinates take you to a mini-cache in which you find the coordinates for the actual cache hopefully somewhere nearby.

I parked as recommended and was looking for the feeder cache by 9:05.

By 9:25 I was utterly frustrated!

The clue indicated the cache was in the middle of an ivy tree. I knew exactly what type and colour container I was looking for (a green waterproof match holder, sort of like a plastic test tube but fatter) and I knew it would be tricky but I couldn't believe I couldn't find it. No exaggeration - my hands and fingertips were cut, stabbed and spotted with blood. My lower right arm was pretty much the same and I'd also stabbed the top of my head. Damned hobby!

I knew there was a small chance of being the first-to-find and had it not been for this then I would have rung Patrick for another clue but as it was I didn't want to 'cheat' for the possible FTF.

I was just at the point of giving up when bingo! got the little bugger - I'd been in the right place all along but it was just eluding me.

I entered the new coordinates into the GPS, dropped my jacket in the car and set off walking to the main cache about half a mile away. A lovely Sunday morning stroll through a field or two and into some woods where the cache was quickly located and I had the joy of seeing an empty log book - I'd got the FTF and also the bonus of a free travelbug that Patrick had kindly left there as a prize.

A gentle stroll back to the car, a text and a chat with Patrick to thank him for the puzzle and the prize, and then back home for 10:15 - still an early day!

[1.4 miles and just the one cache with the bonus of FTF]

Addendum: Patrick never wanted the feeder to be so tough so has actually been back and covered it in white tape to make it easier to find!