Year: 2014

/ Derek H

When a geocache is more like a theme park. — Dead Men Tell No Tales (GC46ZT4) — Geocache of the Week

[vsw id=”nvq5RYtVjGA” source=”youtube” width=”853″ height=”480″ autoplay=”no”]

This geocache even has a trailer.

Geocache Name:

Dead Men Tell No Tales (GC46ZT4)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

5/5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Some geocaches are great because of the container. Some are loved because of the location. Some geocaches get their favorite points for the adventure they provide. And some—like this one—combine all of those things together to create something that is almost unimaginably cool. This geocache includes head-scratching puzzles, epic T5 tree climbing and loads of adventure—all of which is completed at night. To top it off, everything is wrapped in a great pirate-themed storyline and is maintained by an incredibly dedicated team. While we can’t give away any spoilers, it’s safe to say this geocache is on another level. On Geocaching HQ’er had the opportunity to complete this geocache during a recent trip and couldn’t stop raving about the adventure. If you have the chance, set out to find Davey Jones’ heart!

# of Finds:

203

# of Favorite Points:

179

What the geocache creators, Capt. Kidd, Blackbeard and Henry Morgan, have to say:

Editor’s note: The geocache creators elected to stay anonymous and only use their pirate names. Their reasoning: “The cache is more important than us and should stand for itself.”

Regarding the inspiration: “I would say that some geocaches we found inspired us to build a cache of that size. Our main idea was to build a cache we would like to find. So we collected the best ideas for stages we saw and solved during our caching tours…The whole cache should be as balanced as possible. From fun to action to physical stages to tricky riddles…As you can see the whole cache is a pirate theme. So our main influence was of course the Disney attraction ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean.'”

Time and effort in this geocache: “I would like to say that planning the cache took us about a year. The whole budget is over 1000 EUR now as we have operating costs. It took us 4 month to build the stages, building and collecting props. And another 6 weeks to install everything in the woods…As we want to provide each team the exact same cache experience it is crucial that we check the whole cache one or two days before a team arrives.”

Regarding all of the positive logs: “I would lie if we are not happy to read those logs. Especially we are very happy that, in the first logs, people pick up the story that well and write their own pirate adventures.”

To the geocaching community: “People work hard to provide you an adventure or lifetime experience. Please handle everything you find with care! Think first! If you destroy a stage you destroy the experience for others…”

What geocachers are saying:

(all translated from German)

“In order to experience something great, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on a theme park; you have a theme park right outside your front door.  Once again, thank you so much.” – water & sun

“See this great experience for yourself. There’s an eye-opening effect at every stage. Thank you to the owner for your efforts in this area and this cache.” – wanderhapf

“A beautiful story with me and my team through the night. There were great and imaginative stations I was able to admire and as a reward I was able to free the heart of Davy Jones! A great adventure and a good story were crafted in this treasure.” – Ritter Kunibert

Read More Logs

Photos:

Just a little T5 caching in the middle of the night, NBD. Photo courtesy of Geocaching HQ'er Lebbetter
Just a little T5 caching in the middle of the night, NBD. Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin

 

There it is! Davey Jones' heart! Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin
There it is! Davey Jones’ heart! Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin
This geocache brings out amazing creativity in logs. Photo by geocacher Logan Silver
This geocache brings out amazing creativity in logs. Photo by geocacher Logan Silver

What’s the most epic adventure you’ve had while geocaching? Post the story and the photos in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

/ Derek H /

I <3 Geocaching Inspiration

I heart blog-header

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UM8zWMifpE]

Get ready for a test of a new way to explore through geocaching on February 3. It’s an experiment and we’d love to hear what you think once you’ve played or created a new I <3 Geocaching Lab Cache. Whether you create a trek through nature, a romantic quest or even a trip guided by robots, the I <3 Geocaching beta-test is a new way for Geocaching Premium members to experiment with what might be part of the future of geocaching.

Beginning February 3, Geocaching Premium members can take part in the beta-test by using the Lab Cache creator  to craft a one-of-a-kind adventure for someone special. (Hint: It can even be indoors.) Each I <3 Geocaching Lab Cache will be a personalized, temporary Lab Cache meant for just one person.

This new test is different than normal geocaching and is open to all sorts of creative interpretations. To help get you started in creating a cool adventure, here are a few ideas we put together:

 

1. Say thanks to your favorite geocaching buddy.

It’s no secret that geocaching is better with friends, so why not use this opportunity to say thanks to your favorite partner-in-find. This could work by having your Lab Cache lead them to the outside of their favorite movie theater. In the description, you can leave a clue like, “Check under the bench outside.”  You could hide a typical geocache that contains two tickets to that movie they’ve been wanting to see. And don’t forget to include the find code inside, too. When they enter that in the web app, they’ll see a picture and your thank you. Who knows, maybe they’ll even have an a Lab Cache created to say thanks to you, too!

 

2. Make it really special.

Just like any other day, your loved one wakes up and heads to the coffee maker for their morning pick-me-up. Except this morning, there’s the URL to your Lab Cache with the words, “I can’t wait to see you!” When they open the Lab Cache on their phone, it leads them to the park where you two first met. Upon arriving, they see you sitting there with a delightful picnic waiting for them. And if you want to make it really special, maybe the find code is “MARRYME?” (No pressure.)

 

3. Create an all-day adventure.

We all know someone who thrives on adventure. For them, you could create something like a multi-stage puzzle cache. It begins by leading them to their favorite rock climbing crag and has the clue “Head to the top.” Once there, they find another clue: “It’s time to go for a hike, visit the top of the hiking trail we enjoy.” After safely rappelling from the rock climbing route, they’ll head to your favorite hiking spot and make their way to the top of you favorite trail, only to find another clue: “Now it’s time to get wet. Grab your kayak and paddle out to that spot we swim in the summer.” Your friend will paddle out to the floating platform to find a fluffy bunny, some balloons and of course, the find code to your Lab Cache. Epic!

Ready to begin? Click on this Premium Member link to start your limited time, single use Lab Cache: http://www.geocaching.com/iheartgeocaching/

An I <3 Geocaching Lab Cache is easy to create. You’re only bound by your imagination, a Find Code and, of course, local laws, regulations and just common sense. Need more info? Check out the I <3 Geocaching FAQ.

Tell us your creative ideas in comments below.  You might help inspire a once-in-a-lifetime experience for another geocacher.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Announcing the 2014 CITO Weekend and Souvenir

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Get ready for a classic win-win situation from the geocaching playbook: lend a hand to improve the geocaching game board (a local park, trail, or geocaching-friendly location) and earn the 2014 CITO souvenir. It’s easy and rewarding.

It all happens during the 2014 CITO Weekend on April 26 and 27. Everyone who logs an “Attended” at a Cache In Trash Out (CITO) Event earns this year’s CITO souvenir for their Geocaching profile. So start planning your event now!

During a CITO Event, geocachers search parks, trails and forests to earn a smiley—but they’re not looking for geocaches. They’re clearing litter and trash from geocaching-friendly areas around the world. On CITO weekend, thousands of geocachers will walk away from their events with bags of trash and a sense of pride. They’re preserving the natural beauty of our world. It’s often more than litter clean up. Some CITO events remove invasive species, plant trees or build trails.

Join the geocaching community movement. CITO events are held all year long, but you’ll have plenty of events to choose from on April 26 and 27.  Last year, over 13,000 geocachers from more than 30 countries combined in the annual worldwide environmental effort, which is tied closely with Earth Day.

Share this CITO video, create a CITO event near you and gear up with CITO trash bags, trackables and more at Shop Geocaching. See you in April for the 2014 CITO Weekend!

 

/ Derek H /

It’s okay to chase this waterfall. — White Water (GC6B6A) — Geocache of the Week

Whitewater running through a brick city.
Whitewater running through the city. Photo by Peter Lindmark @peterlindmark on Instagram

Geocache Name:

White Water (GC6B6A)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3.5/3.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Did you see the picture? It looks like it’s photoshopped, but we can assure you it’s not. This photo actually came to us via the Geocaching Instagram (@GoGeocaching) and we couldn’t pass up on posting it for the whole world to see. The waterfalls than wind through parts of Mölndal, Sweden were once used to power industrial mills. Now, the water that rushes through the city is more of a tourist attraction. And for geocachers, the waterfalls present a challenge for those who want to earn their smiley on this geocache. You’ll have to summon your bravery to safely find your way to ground zero and back. Good luck!

# of Finds:

296

# of Favorite Points:

73

What geocachers are saying:

(translated from Swedish) “I’ve thought about picking this up several time during the spring, since the water is friendly enough to keep a low level in the rapids. This evening I finally proposed to one of the kids to go on a evening walk, so we snuck down here and were amazed at what was hidden. Thanks!” – Asfalga

(translated from Swedish) “Fun and adventurous cache! A rope made it easier.” – King of Diamond

“What a fantastic place, one of the best cache experience I’ve had so far…Very big thanks for this nice cache, one favvo point for sure!” – cattivikkio

Read More Logs

 

Photos:

 

A happy geocacher by the white water. Photo by geocacher jetoma.
A happy geocacher by the white water. Photo by geocacher jetoma.
The waterfalls through the city. Photo by geocacher clasf.

 

A look from ground zero. Photo by geocacher Benedictus Schwartze.

 

See More Photos

What’s the best photograph you’ve taken while geocaching? Post it with the story in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

/ Paige Edmiston /

Worlds Apart, Geocaching Connects a Father and Son

fatherandsonworldsapart
Geocaching helps keep this father and son team together. Left: Relativly Simlpe grabs his 900th find. Right: FlyingFawks spends the afternoon geocaching.

When you ask geocachers why they love geocaching, they will usually say they love geocaching because it gets them outside or brings a sense of adventure to their daily lives or connects them with a wonderfully warm and inclusive community or even gives them an activity to share with friends and family. For Roger Collins (Username: Relativly Simlpe)  and his son Joshua (Username: FlyingFawks), geocaching is more than all that. It’s just a way to spend a fun afternoon together. It is the way this father and son can stay connected even when they are oceans apart.

Roger lives in Oregon. Joshua lives in Florida, but his career takes him even further away from his dad. He serves in the U.S. Navy. He says, “My first deployment was in 2010, and I have been serving for over six years now. I have been given the opportunity to travel all over the world – Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America.” Through the Navy, Joshua has also been able to geocache all over the world. Some of his favorite geocache finds have taken him tromping through Japan, Italy, and El Salvador. He adds, “I have had the privilege to be First to Find for three geocaches on two different continents.”

wing
Just another day at work for FlyingFawks.

Through geocaching, Joshua’s father also gets to have adventures of his own. Roger describes his first ever geocaching experience, “It was a normal Oregon winter day, rainy and cold. I worked my way to the geocache, dove into a small cedar tree, and found the container. I was all wet with the smell of cedar on my coat. I sat on a we bench nearby, opened the container, and said, ‘AH MAN! Look at all this stuff!’ I was having the time of my life and I was hooked.”

Although they take place on opposite sides of the country, or even world, these experiences give Roger and Joshua endless opportunities to connect. Joshua says, “Geocaching gives us an extra excuse to talk to each other – as if being father and son wasn’t enough. When we come across a cool trackable or a geocache worth of a favorite point, we usually call or text the GC code so that the other can check it out.”

When Joshua is deployed, geocaching can even, at times, give Roger the comfort of knowing that his son is somewhere having a great adventure. He says, “We are geo-friends and I watch to see which geocaches he has logged, no matter where he may be.”

Whether your family lives in your house, down the street, or on the other side of the world, sharing your  adventures can truly bring you closer together – one geocache at a time. Take it from Roger, “It’s important to share the experience. Whether geocaching together or apart, the stories that we share with each other are priceless.”