Eye Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Spectacular views of mountains and coastal plains are a delight to the eye after walkers struggle to clamber through the “Eye of a Needle”, a narrow rock fissure that the track up to the Black Bluff area passes through.
The altitude of this cache is just over 1000 m and the container is situated at the geological boundary of the bluff escarpment. The track downhill of the cache passes through thick forest where your vision focuses on the immediate environment of trees, moss and lichen covered logs and rocks, an abundance of mud and negotiating the slippery steep track. The track above (and immediately below) the cache passes across vast expanses of alpine terrain where the eye focuses on either distant horizons, ethereal waterfalls, rolling slopes or impressive distant peaks; the change from the closed in forest to the expansive clear views is quite refreshing, even exhilarating. Below this cache the GPS reception was at best patchy and mobile coverage nonexistant while upwards from the cache GPS reception is accurate and at the cache site mobile service was very good.
The weather at the cache site can be quite torrid due to the icy winds blowing off the highlands or the warm coastal winds rushing up the mountain. The wind is funnelled through the Eye of the Needle so be prepared to be buffeted as you clamber through the crack.
The cache itself is located above the track on the Eastern side of the Eye, the steep drops and technical climb to the rock crevice will be a cause for considerable caution. The rock face is grippy with plenty of handholds but take note of any ice on the rock. The vista from the cache location is well worth the clamber and is a good place for a snack before continuing your journey up onto the highlands. The container itself is about 2 m from the edge of the drop into valley. We recommend studying the photo attached to give you an idea of where the cache is as there a number of hiding places and we would rather you focus on the impressive landscape than a cache hunt….
Getting there, the CarrollEyres have used both the Maxwell track and the Tramway track to reach the track the track that climbs steeply up the side of Winterbrook Falls that you can hear but cannot see as you climb. We prefer the Tramway track that passes TeamTiges cache POTS, A Load of Old Bullocks (GC132AA) as the occasional glimpses of Winterbrook falls and the escarpment are signs of encouraging progress and the remains of the ox drawn tramway are interesting reminders of the hard lifestyle of the districts pioneers. The approach to the cache from the PCT would not be as impressive as your eye would be used to the distant horizons. We take about three hours to walk there from either car parks but accomplished adult walkers should manage the trip in much shorter times, our children’s legs fatigue quickly….
Be careful, the dangers are apparent. My children love this spot but they are experienced walkers….
Enjoy the Eye.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Va ebpx perivpr pbirerq ol guerr ebpxf nobhg gjb z sebz gur qebc.
Treasures
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