GC1HFF7 Winter (Hill) Solstice (Event Cache) in North West England, United Kingdom created by Foinavon

This cache has been archived.

Foinavon: The Sun has set on the solstice!

GC1HFF7 ▼

A cache by Foinavon Message this owner

Hidden : Saturday, January 10, 2009

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

07/01/2009 The More The Merrier

I never expected to get this many people and whilst it's cracking that so many people wish to join us (I did think at the start I risked doing this on my own!) it gives a small logistics problem in terms of parking and timing. I make it 20 cars as we stand. It will be possible for everyone to park but some may end up parking further away than I expected at first. If you add this with the logistics of everyone (currently 26) getting booted,wrapped up, greeting other cachers and posing for a group photo I would like to stress the importance of getting there on time. Please aim for 5.30am. We have to be off by 6.00am at the latest in order to see sunrise somewhere on the top (preferably at the mast). If anyone comes later than that then I have provided some more detailed route information (and waypoints) below, this should enable you to catch us up with no bother.

07/01/2009 More Detailed Route Info

1 )Start of Walk (N 53° 36.744 W 2° 27.934) This takes you through a footpath alongside Haslams farm. Its quite badly eroded and was very muddy in November (should be better now with frozen mud!). At the left of the path there is a little stream. Stay to the far left as you can without going in the steam!

2) Cross Roads (N 53° 36.996 W 2° 28.374) Once you get here the rest of the navigation is easy. This is a cross road of paths, the left of which starts the ascent of Dean Ditch which gives you a Bulls Eye to Winter Hill and Counting Hill. One thing to emphasise is the terrain is high for a reason. This path is seldom used and is overgrown (its the best path for watching the sunrise though!). You need to stay on the right hand side of Dean Ditch or you may well end up in it. (I did when planning the route). Once you get on the approach to Counting Hill however its much easier with a nice path all the way to Winter Hill!

05/01/2009 (parking)

A quick note about parking. Those of you who have read the cache page will know that the car park is closed overnight and to park on the road. When I drove on scout road over christmas I saw that some of this road is coned off. There are quite a few of us now so I will give some more specific parking instructions. The bit to park on is the bit of the road between the car park (which has a waypoint) and the East end of Scout Road (facing belmont). So if you come from Horwich (Bob Smithy)/Smithills park after the car park, if you come from Belmont park before the car park. If you come up from Belmont you will pass a quarry, just at the entrance to this quarry there is another small car park which is open 24 hours.

The Background

On New Years eve 2007 over a few too many pints some muggle friends and I concocted the idea of going for a walk before day break. Our idea was to watch daybreak over Round Loaf . I casually mentioned this on the North West forum and was surprised by how many nutters wished to join us. In the end 7 cachers and 2 muggles had a unforgettable morning as we timed it perfectly for a dawn over Round Loaf. Afterwards many people said they would have loved to have joined us if only they knew. So here we are again, this time its an event, and this time its Winter Hill.

The Plan

Please Check the Event page for changes to times and routes. Thank you!
The aim is to reach the published coordinates (Winter Hill Mast) between Nautical and Civil twilight. On this date that will be 6.56- 7.41am. To do this we will
1) Meet at Horrocks Fold Car Park (53 36.767 -2 27.853) at 5.30am with the aim of setting of before 6.00am Please Note This car park is locked overnight and this will be unavailable. HOWEVER there is ample parking by the roadside and the path to the top starts from here so its a still a great focal point to meet.
2) Ascend Winter Hill via Dean Ditch. Dean Ditch is a seldom trod path up Winter Hill as most people go from Horwich or Belmont. The main advantage of going via Dean Ditch is that it ascends East to West so we will have the sunrise behind us and we will see it no matter what our progress up the hill is. Even if our timing is not quite right we are garunteed to see day break.

Cache Route

Counting Hill
Winter (Hill) Solstice (i.e this cache!)
Winter Hill
Where Angles Fly
Seek The Dead Scotsman
Hole In The Wall
Power To The People
A Bonnie Lass
Will Yo' Come O' Sunday Morning?
April Showers

There is also the option of bagging Lomax's wifes trig point (in addition to the Winter Hill trig point). Lomax's wife is on private land so we would have to knock at the farm and ask nicely!

Some Astronomical Information

Winter Solstice

Although this cache is called Winter Hill Solstice. That's really just a play on words. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. In 2008 it will actually be on the 21st December. The day chosen for this walk is the Saturday nearest to the latest sunrise of the year. (Or in actual fact the nearest Saturday that I don't have prior commitments!) It may seem strange that the shortest day does not correspond with the latest sunrise. For an explanation of why this is see here

Twilight and Sunrise

Whilst people often refer to "being up before sunrise" at actual sunrise it will have been day light for a good while. The defintions of twilight are
Astronomical Twilight - The fainter celestial objects start to dissapear - on the day of the walk this will start at 6-13am
Nautical Twilight - The horizon becomes visible so sailors are able to navigate using well known stars. On 10th January this will be at 6-56 am.
Civil Twilight - This is what we refer to as dawn. By law its the time you are allowed to switch of your headlamps! As stated this will be 7.41am
Official Sunrise - (i.e. when you can see the Sun's disk) will be at 8.21.

Winter Hill

Winter Hill seems to stand out from all over the North West. I can see it from my bedroom window and I can see it from my office window in Runcorn. It really is an icon of the North West. There is so much history ,ecology and technological information about it that you can't put it all on one page. What I will recommend is that you download (for free!) the excellent Winter Hill Scrapbook by Dave Lane. Its got everything in here.
History of the Transmitter
Mining
Prehistoric remains
Flora and Forna
UFO activity
Plane crashes
There's even a section about the local geocaches!

And Finally

I am sure you don't need me to tell you this but I will anyway. It will be dark (doh!) and cold. Please wrap up and bring a torch, preferably a headtorch.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Frg lbhe nynez pybpx

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)