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Altitude Sickness — a Madness Cache! Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Team FMA: After some nosing around and a call to the parks folks, it turn out that some poor parks employee with a bolt cutter made his (or her) way up the tree and removed the cache because of the hazards it posed (more likely, fear of liability). Makes us wonder if they know about the other AltSick cache! Ah, well. It's not Team FMA policy to place a cache on public lands without prior permission, and we'd adopted this one because we did it and thought it was great! Guess it's time to let it go ...

More
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This is utter madness in the extreme... Please make peace with your loved ones and your insurance adjuster before attempting this cache. As always, Team FMA is not responsible for any injury or loss of life, limb, dignity, etc. suffered by anyone mad enough to attempt this cache. It's not like we're forcing you to attempt this, you know!

Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. It commonly occurs above 2,400 meters (approximately 8,000 feet). Acute mountain sickness can progress to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). While highly unlikely you will suffer from altitude sickness during the retrieval of this cache, you may experience exhaustion, depression, anxiety, fear, nervousness, frustration, disappointment, frostbite, hypothermia, immersion, or a whole host of other problems. Don't say we didn't warn you.



Here are the ground rules:

  • The container is attached semi-permanently. A determined person could easily cut the cord and bring it down, but that would destroy the cache. Surely, you don't want to do, that, right?
  • Only the person who goes to get the cache can sign the log, because the log book is tethered to the cache container. Evil? Yes. Impossible? No!
  • In order to keep with the spirit of this cache, please retrieve the cache yourself, rather than allowing others to sign the log for you. We would greatly appreciate if you keep with the spirit of the hide and not stand around the base of... well, where the cache is hidden, while one person does all the physical labor. What kind of madness is that?
  • There are no items inside the cache container. No swag, no trackables, nothing. Please do not leave any items, as they will be in danger of going for a swim or will be visiting for a long, long time.
  • If you have any questions, please email Team FMA before you attempt this cache!
  • If there is ice, DO NOT WALK ON THE ICE, as it is NOT strong enough to support your weight, unless you are a bunny.
  • If you find you are on the wrong side of the stream, backtrack and cross the bridge to reach it from the correct side of the water.
  • Please, please, please do not cut the cache from its loop. Plan accordingly — you may very likely require some gear to retrieve this cache. DO NOT expect the cache loop to hold your body weight.

We realize that this is a very different cache than most people have attempted, even amongst all the other Madness caches. If you doubt your ability to retrieve it, please do NOT attempt this cache. We will delete notes that are rambling and not appropriate; we will also delete found logs of those who found the cache by sight but did not actually sign the log book.

Thanks, good luck, and don't lose yourself in the madness. At least, not too much!

Team FMA thanks Cleanjeep & Danger Girl for the fun when they themselves found Altitude Sickness and also for the opportunity to add Altitude Sickness to their Madness series of challenging caches!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qvq jr zragvba oevat n sevraq? Sevraqf pna pngpu lbh jura lbh snyy. Gurl pna nyfb svfu bhg jnyyrgf naq xrlf gung snyy va gur fgernz.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)