This is a cache in the Explorer Challenge series, originally conceived by PetersfieldPoodlePosse, and based upon British Ordnance Survey grid squares as depicted on Explorer maps.
Please read this page fully and verify that you qualify BEFORE you set out to find the cache. I will delete any "Found" logs for people who don't qualify.
The cache is at the published location, but please check the logging requirements below before going to collect it. It isn't on the road - it's underneath. Park at the given location and walk around the lakeside. Note you can only enter the parking when travelling from west to east.
To complete the challenge you need to find (or have found) a total of 192 different caches. I expect a fair number of you will already qualify - so who will be the first to the cache ?
What is Explorer 192 - The Big Cow Challenge ?
The cache is called the Explorer 192 Challenge because each of the 192 different caches you need to have found to qualify must be in a different British Ordnance Survey grid square as depicted on the Explorer 192 Buckingham & Milton Keynes map.
It's called the Big Cow Challenge because it's in Milton Keynes, why else ?
The caches can be of any type, previous finds qualify (including those finds now archived and events attended (even if you were the host)), in fact just about any cache other than those you have placed yourself can be counted.
The map is printed on both sides, and both are included in the challenge, to give as much area as possible.
The western half of the grid on the map "starts" in the north west corner near Whitfield, Northamptonshire at SP 60000 40000 and "finishes" near Oving, Bucks at SP 80000 20000.
The eastern half of the grid on the map "starts" in the north west corner near Cosgrove, Northamptonshire at SP 80000 43000 and "finishes" south of Totternhoe, Bedfordshire at SP 99000 20000.
This gives a possible 860 squares in total (400 on the western half and 460 on the eastern), of which a little under half contain an active cache at the time of release. You will need to find a cache in 192 of these to qualify.
For the purposes of this challenge the published co-ordinates of all caches, including Unknown/Mystery and Multi caches are those that are to be used when determining which square a cache counts towards.
So how do I know which of the 860 grid squares on the OS map my cache find is in ?
Well, the British OS Grid reference is given at the top of each cache page just below the main co-ordinates, as circled in red below. Or if you click on the streetmap.co.uk link in the "For online maps..." section of the cache page, this will show the location of the cache in its grid square on an OS map.
For those of you that want automated help to plan (or prove) your finds a GSAK Macro has been written which produces a web page of your finds and any unfound caches in your current GSAK database selection that count toward this cache.
When you have found the 192 caches, you need to provide proof of that fact to be eligible to claim a find on the cache; this can be via one of any number of different methods you may have available:
- List the 192 cache codes and names and the corresponding grid reference in your found log. e.g.
- GC2VVZN Round the Bend: Ouzel Valley SP 88000 37000
- GC2FQCG Tyne Tunnel SP 84000 34000
- GC3AEX1 Stowe: Hello! SP 68000 35000
- Create a public bookmark list and include your name and this cache in it
- Create a Spreadsheet grid of your finds and attach an image of it to your log.
- Attach the GSAK Macro generated image to your log, add it to your profile, or email it to me
- Carve the positions of your finds onto a large rock and send it to me through the post (actually don't try this one, it won't fit through my letterbox)
Any finds without proof of qualification may of course be deleted.
The Cow Pin Badge is a gift for the FTF. There are finisher certificates in the box for everyone. Just help yourself to the one with the lowest number on it.
Have fun!
Thanks to PetersfieldPoodlePosse for graciously allowing me to re-use his excellent Explorer Challenge concept and for producing the GSAK Macro.
Here's a picture of some Concrete Cows.
