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The Darkness Beckons Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 9/28/2010
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Inspired by the cave-diving book "The Darkness Beckons" by Martyn Farr, the cache is hidden half-way through a 180m long irrigation tunnel. While not requiring diving equipment it will be a physical and mental challenge to most - do not attempt this cache if you are claustrophobic - the roof drops to within inches of the water in places. Oh, and did I mention the bats.......


Olifantskrans lies on the Breede River. Over the millennia, the river has carved a cliff face in the mountainside, exposing the folded and contorted rocks. The name Olifantskrans is thought to derive from the Elephants that were once hunted here.





The cache is on the opposite side of the river to the Olifantskrans River Cabins.

The cache is hidden within the irrigation tunnel that passes through the Olifantskrans cliffs, and can be reached from either end. The co-ordinates given are for the actual cache location (I was able to get +/-3m accuracy). If your GPSr is not waterproof, it is not strictly necessary to take it into the water - in fact it would be a bad idea!! The location of the cache should be fairly obvious.

The canal was built to provide additional irrigation to the farms in the valley. The tunnel was excavated in 1906 after previous attempts to bypass Olifantskrans with a wooden aqueduct built on top of 7m pillars next to the cliffs proved unsuccessful.

If approaching from the road, park at S33 53.857 E20 00.832  (on left when approaching from Robertson). Cross over the road and climb over the safety barrier. There is a distinct trail from S33 53.825 E020 00.849 to the downstream (southern) end of the tunnel at S33 53.833 E020 00.808 If you are unsure of the strength of the water flow, enter from the downstream end!!! 

The North (upstream) end of the tunnel can also be reached from the road, but the trail is indistinct - make your way to the irrigation canal at S33 53.767 E020 00.924 (next to a disused sluice), from there it is a short distance to the tunnel.Watch out for "Duwweltjie" thorns underfoot!

If approaching from the river, the North end of the tunnel is the most easily accessible. From the upstream (northern) end of the cliffs, scramble up the slope to the irrigation canal and walk along the concrete wall to the tunnel entrance at S33 53.770 E020 00.905

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Whzc bhg gur jvaqbj!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)