This year, we’ve been highlighting a variety of amazing themed caches as part of our Cache Hiding Themes series. We’ll be honest: when it came to this geocache, we struggled a little. Do we feature it as a colorful cache, an extra-large cache container, or an extreme T5 cache? The only logical answer was that it needed to be a Geocache of the Week.

This adventure is one you surely won’t forget. Dive with us into our Geocache of the Week, ⛹ Bällebad ⛹ (GC8D4AR).

Take a look back at this childhood favorite: the ball pit. A colorful sea of plastic that most of us remember fondly. What could be hidden underneath these vibrant spheres? For some, the delight and curiosity of this experience carry through to adulthood, especially when a geocache is involved.

Cache owner Patchwork Thielen knows this well and decided to combine this nostalgia with the thrill of the hunt by making the world’s most extreme ball pit.

Divers can begin their journey on land between the towns of Sinspelt and Niedergeckler, a rural but relatively cache-heavy area. Upon arrival at the edge of the woods, cachers won’t be looking at the ground, but towards the sky.

Though the cache page doesn’t give away many details, the prepared cacher will have checked the cache page gallery and come equipped with their best climbing equipment. As stated on the cache page, this T5 is not recommended for solo finders and shouldn’t be searched for at night.

To be even more prepared, bring along an experienced Kletterbaumer, or tree climber.

After gearing up, geocachers can begin their ascent. The destination? A large plastic bin perched in the tree, over 12 m (40 ft) off the ground.

Don’t let the photos of geocachers victoriously splashing around in the ball pit deceive you, though. The work to get to this geocache is tiring, earning every bit of that terrain 5 rating. Inch by inch, you’ll hoist yourself up the towering tree, with the clear goal of the large geocache container in your sights, propelling you to keep moving.

Finally, with one last heave, you are above the large bin and ready to dive inside. Take this moment to look down (hopefully you’re not afraid of heights) and see how far you’ve come.

Now for the best part: finding the logbook. Like buried treasure, the logbook rests somewhere in the bin. As you dig through the brilliant array of orbs, you might feel as though you’ve been transported back to your childhood. This somehow feels familiar; minus the part where you’re 12 meters off the ground, of course…

With a victorious tug, the geocache container is unearthed and held up triumphantly, almost as colorful as the pit from which it emerged.

Although it may be tricky amid the climbing gear and plastic balls, it’s time to sign the logbook and leave evidence of your accomplishment. After all, not many can say that they’ve swam in a ball pit this high off the ground.

Last but not least, it’s time to snap your photos! Though this step is optional, who could turn down a celebratory photoshoot after all this effort?

Your climb may be over, but the story of this adventure will live on for many years to come.

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.