Monthly Archives: December 2015

with alistair

Day #158 – Ding Dong Merrily On High

Trad: 1 Multi: 2
Walked: 6.3 miles

I needed just three cache finds today to reach 3999 to be ready for 4000 tomorrow. So we went to Brentwood and mopped up a couple of hides which I had recently DNF’d and the long multi, Brentwood Town Trail.

Ding Dong!
Ding Dong!

The first one we managed to find was the doorbell multi, Ding Dong – the batteries were rather flat but we got there in the end. The Town Trail took quite a while so we stopped off for some lunch after finding that, and then set off for Scouting Out Merrymead, which was an easy find this time. No idea why I missed it last time!

with alistair

Day #157 – Endurance Puzzles

Multi: 1
Walked: 3.4 miles

What Do We Have Here?
What Do We Have Here?

Today we went for quality rather than quantity and tackled barbie6803’s brilliant multi Endurance Puzzles near Capel St. Mary in Suffolk.

There were five field puzzle stages in all, each ingenious in their own right. We weren’t 100% sure we got the right numbers at a couple of stages, but we ploughed on anyway only to find we were correct!

Time For T
Time For T
Breaking Eggs
Breaking Eggs
You Get Nothing For Buttons
You Get Nothing For Buttons

It was with great satisfaction that we reached the end successfully and found the final hide. I would have given each stage a fave if I could – a cache well worthy of the D5 rating.

Twirly Twirly!
Twirly Twirly!
with alistair

Day #156 – Heybridge Pair

Trad: 2
Walked: 4.9 miles

Today’s location was Heybridge and I have my caching buddy Alistair staying for a few days, so we set off to find a few boxes in the area. The first two were ones I hadn’t found before, starting with Stumped #8 and then Draper’s Field 1. Both were easy enough hides, although one had a very soggy log.

Soggy Log At Stumped #8
Soggy Log At Stumped #8
Frog, Skip & Jump!
Frog, Skip & Jump!

I’m still counting down to 4000 finds on 1st January, and don’t want to peak too early, so that was my “ration” done for today.

We took a longer walk to find another three hides around the marshes which I had already picked up. The fun one was mel-ray’s Frog, Skip & Jump! which made him jump, and me – even though I was expecting it!

The light was fading but after Alistair found Punt Gunners (another mel-ray hide, and one I had retrieved back in 2010 as my 800th find!), we were treated to a lovely sunset over the Blackwater looking towards Maldon Hythe. A nice end to the day – and neither of us slid over in the mud! Result…

Sunset Over Maldon
Sunset Over Maldon
solo

Day #155 – Needs Must

Trad: 1
Walked: 2.6 miles

Today’s outing was to Rettenden for the Essex Boys – Rettenden Murder hide.

Rettenden Sign
Rettenden Sign

It was straightforward enough, but to be honest, this one has been on my ignore list for some time as I’m not particularly happy about a cache which was placed somewhere where murder victims’ bodies were dumped… I never found the original hide and was a little bit surprised when it was reinstated. But I’m beginning to run out of single hides close by, so needs must, eh?

The Hide
The Hide
solo

Day #154 – Murky In Walton

Trad: 2
Walked: 1.5 miles

27th December 2015
27th December 2015
All Saints Church, Walton
All Saints Church, Walton

One of the Church Micros I need for a Challenge Cache is in Walton-on-the-Naze, so I took a ride over there this morning to see if I could find it.

It was located without a problem and I also managed to bag the nearby Side Tracked hide at the station while I was there.

Pity about the murky weather today, but at least the rain held off until I was on my way home.

solo

Day #152 – A Christmas Bimble

Trad: 1
Walked: 3.2 miles

25th December 2015
25th December 2015

I thought I might not be capable of having walk after munching Christmas dinner, so set off just after breakfast for a festive cache hunt. My chosen target was a D4 – my reasoning was that if it was going to take a bit of searching, it would be best to do it on a day when hardly anyone was about.

Well Camo'd Christmas Cache
Well Camo’d Christmas Cache

However, I struck lucky and almost tripped over the cache on arrival at GZ. It was well camouflaged but I was glad to have found it so quickly. Now home to my parents’ to stuff myself with Christmas fodder!

solo

Day #151 – Festive Trio

Trad: 1 Multi: 1 Letterbox: 1
Walked: 4.5 miles

24th December 2015
24th December 2015

I managed a trio of finds today on my way to Mum & Dad’s for Christmas. The first two were were another couple of Church Micros – Aldham and Ardleigh – which I needed towards a Challenge cache qualification.

Aldham Church Porch
Aldham Church Porch

Aldham was a straightforward find just as the sun came out (it had been pelting with rain this morning).

Ardleigh was a little more involved – and turned out not to be a micro at all! But a good old Ammo box hidden at the edge of a field. Another find under my belt, this time looking over a lovely sunset and listening to the peel of bells from the Church tower calling the parish to the Christmas service.

Sunset Over Ardleigh
Sunset Over Ardleigh

There was a Letterbox hide nearby too, and I’m always partial to a Letterbox. Dusk was beginning to fall but I managed to find the box after grabbing the information. Now onto the folks’ for the Christmas hols!

The Sundial - Useless Today!
The Sundial – Useless Today!
solo

Day #150 – Westcliff Duo

Trad: 2
Walked: 2.2 miles

23rd December 2015
23rd December 2015
Reflections Near The Cache
Reflections Near The Cache

I had to run an errand to Southend again today and thought I would stop off in Westcliff on the way to pick up a couple of Church Micros I needed for a Challenge Cache. It requires finds in every numbered 100 between CM001 and CM5000 – I have a few gaps but these two filled the 4001-4100 and 4801-4900 slots. The remaining can hopefully be picked up around Colchester when I next visit, and a couple in Kent.

puzzles, solo

Day #149 – Stumped No More!

Puzzle: 1
Walked: 1.8 miles

22nd December 2015
22nd December 2015

I solved Fenners 1984′s cricket-themed puzzle Stumped On A Sticky Wicket a while ago and thought I should revisit his hide today, since the CO had been kind enough to check it was still there after my recent DNF. Sure enough, I put my hand straight on it today – how come I missed it last time? Must be sheer incompetence! Argh!

The Welcoming Window
The Welcoming Window

I spent a little time wandering around Great Waltham afterwards, to make some pictures.