This is one of a series of 5.0 / 5.0 rated caches to be laid in Skipton and surrounding villages. All will involve a visit to the site indicated by the co-ordinates to retrieve information first, then a puzzle to solve before a slightly more difficult final location for the cache. That said, I haven't designed any of these to be overly-taxing as I doubt I could ever out-puzzle some of the local mystery cache solvers around these parts so you should all stand a good chance!
All caches have been set with access in mind, be it just off a footpath or bridleway, or with parking relatively nearby and my usual method of travel is by mountain bike so any cyclists out there should be ok... at least until getting the final!
As with all caches of this level, you are warned that the terrain is not going to be suitable for everyone and may include heights, water, enclosed spaces and big spiders and you should be suitably equipped for the location and aware you undertake this of your own volition. If you are at all unsure about your ability to reach the cache, please don't push yourself beyond your comfort levels. I'd much rather you wrote a note to call me whatever name you want for laying a cache there, than injured yourself attempting to get it... and if your note is colourful enough, who knows, I may just be persuaded to come out and help!
This cache encompasses the village of Embsay and it's fantastic reservoir with the crag standing proud over the entire vista. A fantastic view point on a clear day and shouldn't take too long to climb from the car park. And on your way back down there are a number of pubs to stop in for a bite to eat, or a refreshing drink... see, I think of everything! The co-ordinates must be visited to find some information to help with the puzzle below.
Unfortunately, there are no dogs allowed beyond the end of the reservoir, and no bikes either, though the cache site does allow dogs... but I wouldn't necessarily advise taking one!
I would recommend while you're up here, continuing on to the Fairies Chest cache as it's one of my favourite viewpoints and a rarely visited spot... I only came across it because of the cache!
At the listed co-ordinates are the name of a local livestock farmer, a date and his location. Subtract the four digit year from the listed co-ordinates Northings and Westings, then add the answers to the puzzle below to find the cache site.
"It is neither a conscious decision, nor the product of an external stimulus even, but rather an innate remnant of genetic code that would appear to drive us to search for that which is hidden in and of our environments. Do we strive to reach further, higher, faster purely of our own volition, like the sufi - venerated in their search for perfection, or is that desire merely a happenstance of birth, re-energising us each time we satisfy what is only a chemical reaction in our brains?"
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.