Me Da's white stone Traditional Cache
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
There is a F.T.F key ring and a scratch card as a treat for the
first cacher to find this cache.(ibluewills was F.T.F.)
Me Da's White Stone
OK, don’t waste this one on a bad day, the views from the stone are worth the climb. It’s no cache and dash. Allow at least an hour and a half return time, plus whatever time you spend on the top. Wear walking boots and suitable clothing for the weather conditions (if the mountain’s wet, a pair of gaiters would be a good addition). Bring light refreshments. A pair of binoculars and a map would add to the experience of the views.
The cache is a medium sized tab lock box, with the usual contents, placed in a cammo’d bag. Please tuck the cache well in after you find it, Spelhoagh gets the worst of the weather.
The coordinates on the listing are those of the cache location. I have included additional waypoints to best direct you over the mountain. Go direct to GZ if you wish, but I would advise following the additional waypoints. It’s your choice.
Suggested Irish Speal Chuach - scythe of the cup. Possibly refers to the cup or gap between Spealhoagh and Craigagh Hill and its curved shape.
At the parking coords (additional waypoint) please park on the grass, do not block access to the lane especially so during the turf season.
"LONDONDERRY CORPn BNDRY" Tablet 1
From the parking place enter the coords for the first reference point, “LONDONDERRY CORPn BNDRY” Tablet 1(LCB1)(additional waypoint), head up the mountain and take the lane as it forks right. This will take you up to the turf banks on the top of Craigagh Hill.
Once here, bear right and drop down into Spelhoagh Gap heading for L.C.B. Tablet 1, keep the water lying in the gap to your left (the ground IS soft to the left, I know, I went up to my waist a few years back). Arriving here, at the first tablet, enter the coords for the second reference point, “LONDONDERRY CORPn BNDRY” Tablet 2(LCB2). (Additional waypoint)
From the first tablet follow the fence line up, yes up, and keep the fence to your right. As you head up, you will notice the old rusted remnants of the original Corporation Boundary fence; watch these don’t trip you up. Arriving at the second tablet enter the coords for the third reference point, FENCE TENSIONER POST (FENTEN) (additional waypoint)
From the second tablet, again keep the fence to your right, you will eventually meet a fence running perpendicular to the left, cross over this and head on to the tensioner post, it’s a well rusted post with ratchets either side (still keeping the original fence to your right). Arriving at the tensioner post enter in the cache coords.
From the tensioner post bear left and you will eventually find an eroded turf bank running across the edge of Spelhoagh, follow this edge, and with 100 feet or so to go drop down to your left to find Me Da’s White Stone. Be careful of your footing, underfoot the ground is grass or heather, but it’s a kind of steep. Don't fret, the stone is only visible within the last 20 feet or so. Now after processing the cache, rest awhile (if it’s warm) and take in the views.
Return to the car via the same route using the waypoints in reverse, or enter the car park coords and pick your own route.
Why call it Me Da's white stone?
When my father was a child he would spend a lot of time visiting his Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Katie Hegarty on their farm outside Moneyneana and one summer when he was 8 or 9 yrs old, my Great Uncle Lawrence told him that he would take him up to visit the white stone that he had spied from the farm. So fast forward nearly 50 years later, my father eventually got up to the white stone and accomplished a childhood dream. So there!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qrcraqvat ba gur jrngure, jurgure be abg, lbhe abfr vf abj, ehaavat jvgu fabg, gbc yrsg unaq fvqr, snpvat gur fgbar, gur pnpur vf ghpxrq hc, nyy nybar. Erghea gur pbagnvare, qrrc vafvqr, fb gung sebz bhe ybiryl jrngure, gur urngure znl uvqr!
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures