June 1, 2013 / Eric Schudiske /

Geocacher of the Month Nominees for May 2013 – Add Your Comments

The nominees for the May Geocacher of the Month deliver geocaches that wow geocachers on three continents. From Canada to Europe to Australia they deliver creative geocaches based on Snow White, Reindeer and some that even require batteries. Each geocacher named below is already a winner. They will receive a prize package from Geocaching HQ. A panel of folks from Geocaching HQ will then use your comments to help guide the decision of which geocacher is awarded the Geocacher of the Month honor.

Each Featured Geocacher of the Month will receive an exclusive special edition Featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, hat and profile icon. They’ll also get a certificate acknowledging their contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.

MulderNScully - April 2013 Geocacher of the Month — MulderNScully – April 2013 Geocachers of the Month

In April, MulderNScully were named the Featured Geocachers of the Month. MulderNScully have been geocaching since 2008. They’re known for challenging geocachers with inventive Puzzle Geocaches. One geocacher who commented about MulderNScully wrote, “They have been mentors to many new cachers and are always willing to give a helping hand to a fellow cacher and some of my most memorable caching adventures are because of them. They aren’t about the numbers, they are about the places geocaching takes us to.”

Now it’s your turn to help us select the next Featured Geocacher of the Month. Write a supportive comment at the bottom of this blog for the geocacher you feel should be awarded the title.

Here are your nominees for the May Featured Geocacher of the Month. Some testimonials have been edited for length.

Pele53

Göran “McBack” Back nominated Esko Aspholm alias “Pele53.” Pele53 has won several awards for best geocaches, and hosted regular Event Caches throughout 2012 and into 2013. McBack says one series in Finland demonstrates Pele53’s geocaching ingenuity. McBack says, “He has made many caches with a lot of work behind them. He had 4 nightcaches, with a lot of work behind, with the theme Snowwhite and the seven dwarfs.

The first of them is the house where they live, where Sleepy and Snowwhite is, the second was The hunters cabin, the third The princes castle and the last was the mine where the rest of the dwarfs where. The whole trail was tracked by “diamonds” in the forest, just in case Snowwhite had to find them. The first of these actually won the Ostrobothnian best other cache 2011.

One of the latest mystery “Eihän tässä ole mitään järkeä!” (translated like “After all, this makes no sense!”) that was voted the best cache of 2012 in Finland. This has also been mentioned in magazines and even the local radio station. It needs something special to be opened, that many of us has with us when geocaching. But with about 20 geocachers at site for the First to Find hunt, they needed to call help to get it opened. =D So many of his caches are made with lot of work, and he still have many ideas to new caches.”

OHMIC

Josh Bernier (username Stonagal) nominates OHMIC. He says, “With close to 15,000 finds, Jacques, OHMIC has found more geocaches than any other geocacher in the Canadian province of Manitoba. He has more than 130 published caches, over six cache types. But the biggest reason I think he should be the Geocacher of the Month is because of the great work he has done in providing quality events for local geocachers. OHMIC is an interpreter at the Oak Hammock Marsh. For the past seven years, he has hosted an event in May called “Cache the Marsh“. Geocachers split into teams and explore the Interpretive Centre’s numerous exhibits to get clues as to the locations of several caches. It’s a mad race for some new FTFs, and along the way cachers learn about wetlands ecosystems and wildlife. It’s a great family-friendly competitive event that ends with a barbecue. This was the seventh year OHMIC has planned and hosted the event, and it lived up to the great things I had heard other cachers say about it. OHMIC is also a Platinum-level Earthcache Master, and the owner of a local favourite series of caches named for Santa’s reindeer.”

roymerc

Peter Dose, TeamDose nominated, roymerc. He says, “Roymerc may be the best “cache placer” in Western Australia. We have travelled from the far North down to the deep South of WA, and when we came across Roy’s cache’s in the Denmark area, we knew we had found something special. He puts an exceptional amount of time and effort into the design and creation of these cache masterpieces – and as a result has attracted a large number of favourite points. There is not one of Roy’s active caches which do not have at least 1 favourite point – fairly unique we would think in the caching world.

Each cache is unique and special in its own way. Some of the caches involve electricity, other of the caches involve complex machinery. Roy’s “Bring Your Own Battery” series is also unique, and has inspired copies further afield in places like Perth.

Denmark is a very beautiful part of Australia, and with Roy living there it is also extra special for all geocachers. We think roymerc is awesome, and so do many other cachers judging by the number of favourite points he has accumulated in such a remote part of the world! For these reasons, we believe he deserves to be recognised as a cacher of the month!”

Comment below to tell us who you think should be the May Featured Geocacher of the Month. We will be accepting comments through June, 17.

If your nominee wasn’t recognized here, please submit your nominations again next month. We’re always looking for the next Geocacher of the Month. To nominate a geocacher, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com and include the following information:

Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
A picture of the nominee
Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Featured Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you have submitted them for the award. Nominations for the next Featured Geocacher of the Month should be received by June 14. Once Geocaching HQ has received the nominations, we will choose the top candidates and post them on the blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so that we might learn from each other.

May 29, 2013 / Derek H /

One geocache to rule them all — Helms Klamm (GC2WGRR) — Geocache of the Week

When one ring threatened to destroy the realm, only one creature could be trusted to venture into the unknown and return it to the fiery depths of Mount Doom—a geocacher. Or at least, that’s how this version of the story goes. Create your fellowship and follow the hobbit footprints to this week’s Geocache of the Week: Helms Klamm (GC2WGRR).

Defend the castle! Photo by geocacher Doncacheo

Unlike the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this adventure takes place in Germany, not Middle Earth. And unlike Mordor, one can simply walk to this difficulty 1, terrain 2 geocache. The geocache creator, Caturus, modified the famous J.R.R. Tolkien storyline to fit in with a geocaching adventure. As you make your way to ground zero, feel free to take on the roles of Frodo, Sam, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, or my personal favorite, Gandalf. While many geocaches are all about the journey, this geocache truly shines at the destination.

A brave geocacher earning her smiley. Photo by geocacher vivilewi

When you arrive at this geocache, don’t expect another ammo can or bison tube. You’ll be at the doorstep to a castle, complete with characters from the Lord of the Rings story (watch out for Gollum!). The castle has been found over 2,300 times and geocachers have awarded this creative geocache over 900 favorite points. The positive logs continue to roll in; geocacher Schatzfinder said, (translated from German) “Far and wide no orcs, no Nazgul or Ringwraiths. The fortress is obviously protected by magical powers that defy the dark forces of wild boars, mice and other animals. Well worth seeing!”

You might have to look through some camouflage to find this geocache. Photo by geocacher orina66.

Geocacher Mario112 said, (translated from German) “WOW. This is something you won’t find every day. Due to all of the favorite points, we already expected something extraordinary. Our expectations were surpassed when we caught sight of Helm’s Klamm after a march through the wintry woods. Thank you for this well-designed cache, this is of course a favorite point!”

Seeing great geocache containers with amazing stories always leaves me inspired to create a spectacular geocache. What about you? If your next, or first, geocache hide will have a theme or story, what will it be? Tell us 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 or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

May 22, 2013 / Derek H /

Started from the bottom, now we’re here. — Roof of the World (GC9A9E) — Geocache of the Week

The month of May is the most popular time of year for climbing the tallest mountain on Earth, Mt. Everest. While there is an Earthcache at the very top, most of us won’t have the time or money (guide services can cost thousands) to make the summit. In fact, many of us (me included), will have to just visit this amazing place through photographs and videos. However, for those who do make it to Tibet, a stop to find this week’s Geocache of the Week, Roof of the World (GC9A9E), is a must.

Everest from the geocache. Photo by geocacher EMC2+2

A rare Himalayan model, aka Geocacher Saurons_Bass, relaxes after finding the geocache.

While this geocache is rated 4 for difficulty and 2 for terrain, some might think it deserves a few more stars. The geocache description says that the 4 stars for difficulty is just for getting into Tibet. With strict controls on tourism by the Chinese government, geocachers outside of the area may have to jump through a few hoops to even have the opportunity to access the geocache. And while the physical terrain is right in line with a 2-star rating, don’t forget—the altitude is around 16,700 ft (5100m). If you aren’t acclimated to the thinner air, even a leisurely stroll can seem like a strenuous hike.

One of Tibet’s many goatcachers. Photo by geocacher rihuo.

Despite the difficulty of entering Tibet and the thin mountain air, an exclusive club of about 40 geocachers have made the journey, earned their smiley and left great logs that inspire the rest of us to reach our geocaching “peak”. “This cache is for sure amongst the more difficult ones to reach (permits, roads, coldness and over all the altitude sickness, which not a few people have up here) and therefore there is a little adventure in every find…To see the Everest was on my list since I was a child and we came on a perfect day with no one else in the base camp except us. The weather was bitterly cold, but due to only little wind and the strong sun we were able to stay there more than two hours to enjoy. The searching for the cache was something new for our guide and he was filled with enthusiasm, maybe he will be the owner of some of the first caches in Lhasa? :)” said geocacher Saurons_Bass.

She said yes! Congratulations to geocachers Frank&Vanessa.

This geocache has even helped with a bit of high-altitude romance: “Wow, what a stunning view! Thank you very much for placing this wonderful cache. It provided a much needed rest in this high altitude walk and gave me (Frank) the opportunity to make last preparations for my marriage proposal to Vanessa. SHE SAID YES!!!!” said geocachers Frank&Vanessa.

Mountain summits make for some of the most scenic and beautiful geocache sites. What is the highest altitude you’ve earned a smiley at? Tell us your 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 or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

May 20, 2013 / Eric Schudiske /

Announcing the April 2013 Geocacher of the Month

The April Featured Geocacher of the Month nominees contribute to their local geocaching communities and inspire geocachers around the world. They not only hide quality geocaches, but make sure those searching can contact them to make the find, if necessary.

Thank you to all those who supported the nominees. Those not chosen as the Featured Geocacher of the Month will receive a gift of appreciation from Geocaching HQ.

The Featured Geocacher of the Month is named by Geocaching HQ after reviewing community input and blog comments. We all won seeing such great examples of how the geocaching community works together. After tallying the sentiment, MulderNScully have been named the Featured Geocachers of the Month for April 2013.

MulderNScully have been geocaching since 2008. They’re known for challenging geocachers with inventive Puzzle Geocaches. They support their local geocaching community by organizing events. One geocacher who commented about MulderNScully wrote, “My vote is for Mulder and Scully. They have been mentors to many new cachers and are always willing to give a helping hand to a fellow cacher and some of my most memorable caching adventures are because of them. They aren’t about the numbers, they are about the places geocaching takes us to.”

MulderNScully will receive collector’s edition Featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoins, along with Featured Geocacher of the Month hats and a certificate acknowledging their contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com. See a list of all the Featured Geocachers of the Month here.

Featured Geocacher of the Month Icon

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com. Every nomination must follow these requirements. Please include:

Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
A picture of the nominee
Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Featured Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you have submitted them for the award. Nominations for Featured Geocacher of the Month are accepted at any time.

Congratulations again to MulderNScully for being recognized as the Featured Geocacher of the Month for April.

May 19, 2013 / Eric Schudiske /

The Most Found Geocache in the World

Prague bridges geocache (left) Terekza geocache (right) both found more than 12,400 times — Prague bridges geocache (left) Terezka geocache (right) both have been found more than 12,400 times

The ‘most found traditional geocache’ in the world is a distinction that’s currently neck and neck. Two traditional geocaches both have more than 12,400 finds. That’s more than twice as many finds as the Geocaching HQ geocache in Seattle and more than any other traditional geocache in the world.

Prague bridge 1 - Karlov most — Prague bridge 1 – Karlov most

The most found geocaches are both hidden in the capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague. In fact, they’re just across the famous Charles Bridge from one another. The geocaches each rack up about five “Found it” logs during the work week and about 15 “Found it” logs each weekend. As of this writing, Prague bridges 1 – Karluv most is currently a few finds ahead of Terezka.

Prague bridges find count Both of these geocaches have several similarities. Both offer tourists a chance to discover more than the average traveler and they’re both micro caches with interesting camouflage. While each of these geocaches has unique qualities that make them incredible finds, there are certain traits that help boost them to the top of the find count. If you’re looking to hide the next most-found geocache, take note:

1) They’re placed in inspiring locations that are well-traveled by tourists.

2) The geocache pages tell an interesting story in more than one language and include pictures.

3) They geocaches are not too hard to find. They have clear hints and easy-to-find spoilers.

4) The geocaches are well maintained.

Geocacher Benjo5 owns and maintains Prague bridge 1 – Karluv most. And while this is the most popular of his 26 geocaches, it was his very first hide. He says, “When I wanted to make my first cache, I have seen that Charles bridge, one of the top monuments of Prague and whole Czech Republic is without a cache. It is the oldest bridge in Prague, so I made a cache about it. And as I felt to make just one cache about the most famous bridge a bit unfair thing to the other bridges, I started to make a Prague bridges series, publishing every month one cache about a bridge. The series is numbered chronologically, as the bridges were built.

Charles bridge was my first cache and I wanted it to make it easy for everyone, so it is totally non-problematic 1/1 geocache. But not even in my dreams would I imagine in the day of placing, that it will be once the top visited of those 2.000.000+ geocaches [in the world]”

The owner of Tereka, termiter.cz, owns just two geocaches.

While the find counts for each of these geocaches is incredible, it’s not all about the numbers. Each geocache that’s hidden has a different purpose. Some geocaches are designed to be so difficult and rewarding they’re found just a handful of times a year (if that many). It’s all part of the allure of geocaching. You’re able to choose your own adventure.

Thank you from Geocaching HQ to both geocache creators for providing memories for thousands of geocachers.

See below for the most found traditional geocaches in the top 5 geocaching countries.

Germany – Alexanderplatz more than 9,850 finds

United States – Original Stash Tribute Plaque more than 6,700 finds

Sweden – OTTT #2 – Changing of the Guard more than 4,600 finds

United Kingdom – From a Swan to the Canary: Tower – Save me! more than 4,500 finds

Canada – Banff Micro Cache more than 2,500 finds

What do you think make the elements of a geocache that draws in thousands of finds? Add your comments below.

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