Goldhanger Meet and Cache Trail Launch (West) Event Cache

You can download an A5 leaflet about the event/trail here.

We'll meet at the Chequers pub in Goldhanger from 9 am. There will bacon butties and non-alcoholic drinks available to purchase. The main purpose is to swap cache tales and TBs with fellow cachers over breakfast.

Optionally, attendees may wish to tackle a cache trail competition.

The trail details will be available from 10:00 am. The trail is about 8 miles long and is scheduled to include 25 new caches - three will be multi-caches in Chigborough Nature Reserve (awaiting approval).

Except for the Nature Reserve, all the caches will be traditional i.e. the published listings will contain full details of the cache locations.

But ... for the launch competition only the first cache location will be disclosed.

At the first cache there will be a number on the log sheet. This number will tell you - from a separate list - where (descriptively) the second cache can be found. The second cache will also contain a number and the same procedure must be followed for the next and subsequent caches.

On the numbered list there will be a descriptions something like this:
1) Continue for 0.23 miles and look in the tree on the left.
2) After the cache turn left and follow the footpath across the field. Stop at the bridge.
3) Follow the sea wall for 675 metres and then head for the gate on the left.
etc.

There will be a set of sealed "panic" envelopes that you will receive when you start the cache trail. These will contain the exact coordinates of each cache if you can't find it from the numbered descriptions.

Competitors will start at intervals in order of least number of finds recorded on geocaching.com.

There will be prizes for the best performances on the trail. Your performance index will be computed by (this may be adjusted on the day subject to number of caches and competitors):

Your total time in minutes, less 5 marks for each cache found, less 5 marks for each unopened "panic" envelope, plus 20 marks for each additional cacher above one in your team.

So, if there were three members of your team, the cache trail took you 3 hours (180 minutes), and you found 20 caches (subtract 20 x 5 = 100 minutes), 15 of them without opening the "panic" envelope (subtract 15 x 5 = 75 minutes),  your penalty marks would be 40 + 180 - 100 - 75 = 45 marks.

Positions for the cache trail will be in order of fewest penalty marks.

You will pass close to four established caches on route. Details of these will be provided with your start documentation.

Please register your intention to take part at the earliest opportunity with a "Will Attend" log.

Subject to attendance, we hope to run a similar event and trail launch in late summer - Goldhanger Meet and Cache Trail Launch (East).

Note: The original intention was to run the East and West trails together (totalling 20 miles), but we felt this would be too much to roll out in one session for the cachers and the organisers.