/ Adela B /

…wo hab Ich den Cache denn nochmal hingelegt??? (GC1DZ17) – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – December 27, 2012

Where to start …

Since 2008, this Geocache of the Week geocache owner has been asking himself “…wo hab Ich den Cache denn nochmal hingelegt???” (GC1DZ17). That is, “where did I place that cache again???” To answer his question, we head to Hamburg, Germany, where the difficulty 2, terrain 2 geocache has been named an absolute favorite among geocachers.

The geocache “wonders” within a small radius of the initial coordinates. Finding it requires a sixth sense, known as the geocaching instinct. You see, Mr.T has asked geocachers to hide the geocache in the same manner they found it, but place it in a slightly different location. In order to understand this request, we should probably explain that the geocache location is comprised of at least seven dozen flower pots.

Logging the find

The flower pots were placed in front of the Hamburg Constitutional Court about 10 years ago as an art project. The geocache moves from one flower pot to another, adding a little challenge to uncovering the hidden treasure. The cache coordinates will bring geocachers to the concrete block in front of the court house, but then it’s up to geocachers to find out which flower pot holds the small “wandering” cache container.

Flower pots on iron pillars

As the cache page suggests, “ist ja garnicht so einfach,” meaning “it’s not that easy,” when you have 90 iron pillars to search from in this fairly high muggle area, but nearly 2,000 geocachers have managed to log a smiley and awarded it 261 Favorite Points. The extensive logs capture a lot of fun and entertaining experiences.

One geocacher logging this find wrote, “What a great idea! I had this cache on my watch list for some time. It took us a little while to find it. At first there were some muggles around us and we didn’t want to look suspicious. It also took us a while to find it. It’s not as easy as it looks with so many flower pots. We checked some of them twice and then finally there it was! Funny how it’s always the one you never expected. We re-hid it in a different location as advised. Good luck to the next cachers. ”

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@groundspeak.com.

The cache container
/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching HQ Presents: The Geocacher of the Month

Click on the image to learn more about each Geocacher of the Month

NOMINATE A GEOCACHER OF THE MONTH

 

They don’t speak the same language and they don’t all live on the same continent, but all of these geocachers above have something in common: they’re all united through their love of geocaching and the community it creates. They’re all Geocachers of the Month.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered fill out this webform now.

Every nomination must include the following items and abide by the following guidelines:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • A picture of the nominee
  • Description explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month

Wonder who else has earned the Geocacher of the Month award? Check out this video below and click CC for subtitles.

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Subscribe to the Official Geocaching HQ YouTube channel for the latest tips and tricks in geocaching.

/ Adela B /

Occi – GCWGPH – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – December 20, 2012

Occi the village and Occi the Geocache

There are exactly three trails leading to the Geocache of the Week. One is from a camp site, the second is from a nearby chapel and the third is from a hotel. Whichever path you take, you will end up at a beautiful place called Occi (GCWGPH). Occi is not only a difficulty 1.5, terrain 2.5 traditional geocache, it is also an abandoned village with lots of history and beauty.

Occi, France is known for its beautiful ruins that overlook the deep, blue sea. In June 2006, it also became a fascinating an unique location for a highly “Favorited” geocache.  Tourists from all parts of the world visit this place to learn its history and embrace its beauty, but kardamom has given geocachers yet another reason to add this place to their “must see” list.

The village remains in ruins to this day. The nearby chapel was only recently restored for a number of local events and weddings. While no one owns the land, a local company is safeguarding the charming village but has no immediate plans to restore any of the buildings. Locals believe that reconstructing it may take away its charm and uniqueness, and prefers that the village remains untouched.

One of three paths leading to Occi
Even Smurfette visited Occi

Geocachers who made the trip to Occi have been enamored by the location and the existence of a geocache at this historically captivating place. Nearly 500 geocachers have claimed their smiley and awarded this great, secluded hide 67 Favorite Points. The 128 images that geocachers shared on the log say a thousand words, but the elaborate logs capture the overwhelming feelings they experienced when they visited the village and found the treasure.

A geocacher who recently embarked on an adventure to Occi writes, “We took the path least traveled (from the hotel) and all we can say is ‘magnifique!’ Not only the way to the village, but the breathtaking beauty when we arrived in the abandoned village. The ruins are old and beautiful… To think that there’s a cache here adds a whole new level of excitement for us. We honestly wouldn’t have known about this place if it weren’t for the cache… TFTC for an unforgettable visit!”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 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@groundspeak.com.

Geocachers may even meet some locals
/ Eric Schudiske /

Police Officer uses Geocaching to Save a Lost Hiker

Officer Tom Wenzl came out of the woods recently with a story he never expected. He used geocaching to find more than a cache.

Officer Wenzl used his Geocaching iPhone app to locate a lost hiker. The police officer in Washington State, USA is an active geocacher along with his wife. They use the geocaching username VonDeets.

Officer Wenzl reportedly used his Geocaching App to plot a Waymark based on coordinates recorded by the lost hiker’s 911 call. Police could not have used traditional maps. The area where the hiker was lost had not been mapped. After a short search, the hiker and her dog were found safe.

Check out the article to the right in the Mount Vernon Police Department newsletter for more details.

The story of Officer Wenzl’s creativity and determination has also been picked up by local media, including this local newspaper. His geocaching partner and wife, tells Geocaching a local TV news station is also planning to interview Officer Wenzl.

Thanks Officer Wenzel for being an excellent officer and geocacher!

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Global Geocaching on 12-12-12

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Join tens of thousands of geocachers on 12-12-12 as they tromp through snow,  brave chilling winds, or if they’re closer to equator or in the Southern Hemisphere – enjoy a nice sunny day on the beach. Geocachers united on 12-12-12 to celebrate caching, and record the last numerical alignment of day, month, and year this century. Geocaching.com and four geocaching vloggers recorded the day.

12-12-12 in Seattle, WA

Nearly 70,000 geocachers from around the world log a “Found it” or attended an event on 12-12-12. Every one of the geocachers, or geocaching teams earned a special digital souvenir for their efforts. Watch ‘Global Geocaching on 12-12-12’ to see the special sense of global community created by this geocaching event.

Subscribe to the Official Geocaching.com YouTube channel for the latest tips and tricks in geocaching. Watch the more than 50 videos produced by Geocaching.com on our video page.