Tag Archives: dnf

solo

Rayleigh & Hullbridge

Trad: 5 Puzzle: 1
Walked: 3.6 miles

I have been looking at the map and noticed several orphans around Rayleigh and Hullbridge, so today I set out to turn them into smileys. I had mixed success. This sad little box was found, out in the open, but no log or other bits. I re-hid it with some more camo, but I fear GZ may have been irrevocably compromised, since there was lots of rubbish strewn around the area.

A Sorry Little Box
A Sorry Little Box

The next target was a DNF – I’m pretty sure I found the right place but no cache. The only evidence was this bit of camo ribbon wrapped around a branch.

Vanished
Vanished

Oh well, Hullbridge was a bit more productive, and I saw a lovely sunset as well, so worth staying out for!

At Least There Was A Nice Sunset!
At Least There Was A Nice Sunset!
solo

Wickford Trio

Trad: 3
Walked: 2.5 miles

Today’s outing was to Wickford. There were a couple of DNFs including this one which just appeared to have the lid left but no pot!

I Think Its Gone!
I Think Its Gone!

There were also a couple I wasn’t able to look for due to muggle activities, but I still managed to find three around the town, so not all bad. The sunset was great too.

Sunset Over The Fields
Sunset Over The Fields
solo

Day #398 – Dusk Desperation!

Trad: 1
Walked: 3 miles

It was the Geek Steam BBQ in Colney Heath today, so I set off a little earlier and tried two different options for a cache before I arrived. But it was a DNF at both! Very frustrating.

Eventually, after the festivities had ended and friends were heading to the pub at dusk, I managed to locate Quackers #5 along  an old railway line, now a cycle track. Phew. This streak is still stressful! I’m glad I have decided to give up when I reach Day 400 – only two days to go!

solo

Day #386 – Fyfield Flyby

Trad: 1 Multi: 1
Walked: 1 mile

A handful of new caches have been published around Fyfield and Moreton recently, so I thought I would head over there to see if I could find any of them.

My first stop was a multi based around The Free Church. Dusk was approaching and the required information was pretty hard to read, but I manged it in the end and went on to find the pot easily enough.

I then spent ages messing about with Stumped! 56 which is a field puzzle and so far has no finders – in fact, nobody else had even attempted it, and it’s been published since 27th July!

Still Stumped By Stumped 56!
Still Stumped By Stumped 56!

Sadly, I was still stumped by it, and had the dubious honour of being the first to DNF. Despite knowing what to do with the numbers I found, I just could not locate the pot – I was searching by torchlight in the end.

So I gave up and went for the Church Micro in Moreton instead – where I was just in time to witness a spectacular sunset! And I found the cache. Double win.

Lovely Sunset At Moreton Church
Lovely Sunset At Moreton Church
solo

Day #325 – Along Catharine Bourne

Trad: 1 Multi: 1
Walked: 4.7 miles

This evening after work, I searched out a trio of hides along another section of the Hertfordshire Way which ran alongside Catharine Bourne near Rabley Park. Success at In The Line Of Duty!

In The Line Of Duty
In The Line Of Duty

There were some lovely views as I headed East to look for the final of the multi, 9.12.

Lovely Views
Lovely Views

I walked on further East towards another hide close to the M25 under the bridge, but although I was pretty sure what I should be looking for, the little rat remained elusive!

Heading For A DNF!
Heading For A DNF!
solo

Day #289 – A Quartet Required

Trad: 4
Walked: 5.0 miles

I left work a bit later than planned this evening, with a target of finding four caches. This would bring my aggregate finds for all 10ths of the month to 100, which would finally qualify me for a Challenge Cache I’d been working on for a while. Sounds simple, yes?

I chose a circuit of caches between North Mimms and Brookman’s Park – the BP Stroll – as the hides seemed reasonably close together and the weather was looking threatening.

With two down, things were going well. But then I hit a brick wall! The next FOUR were all DNF!! Argh! How can I be so rubbish?

Sneaky Metal Sneaker
Sneaky Metal Sneaker

In my defence, the light was pretty poor and they were tricky hides – I wasn’t the only one to DNF some of them in their history. The hints were rather cryptic too, so I just plodded on and finally reached three finds as I was heading back towards the car. Enough of this series!

Grazing Near My DNF
Grazing Near My First DNF

My final find of the evening was closer to North Mimms, a straightforward film pot, Coal Post 32, so it was a relief to finally meet my target at 21:08 – by which time I was searching by torchlight!

with friends

Day #214 – Thundersley Common

Trad: 6
Walked: 2.5 miles

I was caching with just Kitty!! today as Mr Crow wasn’t available. We chose a lovely little circuit around Thundersley Common to tackle and it turned out to be a great set of caches. There were some really inventive hides, but we were pleased to be able to find all six in the end.

Casper the ghost was guarding one cache which was quite a way up a tree, but we found the tool nearby and he was quickly in hand.

A Friendly Ghost
A Friendly Ghost

This yappy little dog wouldn’t shut up while we signed the log at one cache, but fled into the distance when I approached it for a photo.

Small, Yapping Rat
Small, Yapping Rat

The last find of the day was cleverly hidden in this Tribble! Kitty was being a particularly girlie wuss at this one, so I had to do the retrieval while she stood to one side, shuddering with horror!

Cache Camo or Tribble?
Cache Camo or Tribble?

Sadly, our last attempt was a DNF, but it was at a high DT cache in Whitmore Park. We went “tooled up” but sadly, not quite tooled up enough. We will have to return with better equipment!

Adventures Up A Tree
Adventures Up A Tree