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Against all the odds of there being virtually no stone or tree left cacheless and certainly no parish without one, Jersey has just reached its hundredth cache.
Local residents are beaming with pride at this recent breakthrough, leaving no doubt that they are now leading the way in the Channel Islands caching scene. Guernsey residents are now facing the embarrassment of having only five caches, with Sark a humiliating two. Herm and Alderney are not even attempting to compete in this marathon caching blitz.
It all started five years ago on 15th December 2002 when Tony, Steve, Dawn and Joy set Jersey Number One (GCB662). They have not been seen or heard from since starting this epidemic, however, despite changing their identity, traces have been found of them in England and evidence suggests they are still partaking in this somewhat strange sport.
Nothing happened for nearly two years until October 2004 when Clive and Helen set about placing Shooting The Devil (GCKQQF), not really sure if there would be any response to this challenge.
Again the caching scene went quiet with many despairing that it would never succeed in Jersey and that maybe the residents were just too posh to climb until local cachers, Jakobs Team, joined in and set Race to the Castle (GCP0RK) on 22nd May 2005.
Despite the lack of sponsorship and promotion, the sport was catching on when Gribbin placed Le Crapaud (GCQ657) with military precision on 17th August 2005. In fact this is when the caching scene started to take off in what can only be described as a caching frenzy with a grand total of four placed that year!
Locals had now caught on and things in Jersey were certainly hotting up and by the end of 2006 a further 29 had been placed, with the remaining caches being set in 2007.
Despite the setbacks the sport has gone from strength to strength with residents and visitors joining forces to create a vast array of challenging and exciting caches, from night caches to earth caches, multis to puzzles, letterboxes to traditional – Jersey certainly has it all.
Even the kidnapping of Gribbins cache last year didn’t stop the residents from carrying on with this underground behaviour. When his cache was kidnapped and thrown into the sea, left for dead, the caching scene was looking bleak. While Gribbin was being comforted by friends and family, little did he know that his cache was about to be rescued by some passers-by in Devon, England, who just happened to be cachers and were able to return it safely to him. It is this coincidence that has caused many to suggest it was just a publicity stunt.
And cachers still continued despite the recent spate of puzzle caches with many grumbling "that they don’t like puzzle caches”, although they have proved that even without a puzzle to solve some caches just prove too difficult to find first time with many having to visit the scene and lurk around trying to look inconspicuous, like Pesky Squirrels and Le Sentier Des Moulins where there have been reported citings of a man repeatedly visiting the area and a lady with curly hair seen loitering in the bushes with ladders. If anyone knows who these people are please contact the BBC.
Concluding today’s bulletin is the results of the BBC Caching Awards.
After a glamorous event where the ladies turned up in stylish Jimmy Choo Hiking Boots and the men looked dashing in their Burberrys, the following winners were announced:
Bravest cache in adversity - goes to Gribbin for Lizard Quarry
Most caches set and most first to finds - goes to Jersey Royals for their annoying habit of getting there just in the nick of time
Most jinxed cache and most perseverance - goes to Iwuzere for Pond Life
Most difficult puzzle caches - goes to Touchwood for their ingenious and clever puzzles that have left many cachers begging, stealing and borrowing clues
Most caches set in one day - goes to the Mundys for their On The Tourist Trail series
Lifetime achievement award - goes to Jakobs Team for their contribution to Jersey caching
We have just had breaking news with an unconfirmed report that to mark this occasion the Jersey Royals have placed a Bloomin’ Big Cache at the above coordinates, although more exact details cannot be provided. Sources say that all items are of a substantial size and they have asked that anyone visiting the scene bring similar such items.
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