Sadous – Underground — Geocache of the Week
One of the joys of geocaching is geographic diversity. From rural mountaintops to dense urban jungles, geocaching takes place all over the world. In this edition of Geocache of the Week, we head to an extreme and remote destination, the deserts of Saudi Arabia, for an underground journey of a lifetime!
Join us as we dive into the desert’s depths to find an elusive Multi-Cache: Sadous – Underground (GC1491F)!
Set within the massive Arabian Desert, the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, stands as a gleaming city amongst the sand. Could it be a mirage? Thankfully this stunning city is instead an oasis for residents and travelers alike. To begin this desert adventure, travel two hours northwest of the city to “The Hidden Cave.”
What’s up with this mysterious hole in the desert? It’s tempting to dive headlong into this vast darkness. But before you dive into this portal to another world, take heed of the cache description, which provides helpful guidance:
“The posted coordinates will take you above ground but don’t expect to find the cache there…it is below – many meters below. You need to find a way that takes you underground but where?” With this uncertainty, you descend the ladder and into the darkness below.
Once inside, the disorientation is noticeable! The desert sun becomes less than candlelight even at peak brightness, thanks to the narrow opening. Thanks to a handy flashlight, the depths become less frightening as you become more acquainted with your surroundings. Suddenly, you notice an extremely helpful diagram, as added by the cache owner, mhfares, that gives you a sense of where to head next.
Feeling around the cave, you can feel the temperature drop. Without sunlight and below ground level, the chill heightens your senses as you approach the GZ. About 270 feet (90 m) from the opening, you spot the cross-section shown within the cache owner’s map. Could this be the way toward the cache?
At long last, you approach a spot that looks too good to be true! A suspicious rock pile tickles your geo-senses and invites you to investigate further. There’s the cache! After a long journey from the surface, the sensation of the cache in hand is pure sweetness. Eagerly, you sign the log and replace it exactly where you found it.
Image by BnD Moritz.
Eager to return to the surface after an extended exploration, you can retrace your steps (or follow the light) to make your getaway. As you lift yourself back above ground level, the blinding light reminds you of where you began, the enchanting deserts of Saudi Arabia. Who could have known of this incredible adventure just below the ground? Geocachers, of course!
Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.
