Puzzle Solving 101: Lesson 1 - Intro/Ciphers Mystery Cache
Puzzle Solving 101: Lesson 1 - Intro/Ciphers
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? ? ? ? ? This cache is not at the posted coordinates ? ? ? ? ?
Be sure to record the code for the Final Exam / Bonus Cache. It is written inside the cap and on the log.
Intro to the Puzzle Solving Series
Puzzle Solving 101 is intended to be a VERY BASIC series of 10 lessons on how to approach typical Mystery (Puzzle)Caches. This is intended to be very easy and fun for experienced cachers, and helpful for those just starting geocaching.
If you are an experienced Geocacher, these should be super simple, except for the Final/Bonus. If you are really new to Geocaching, these should help you get started with basic puzzles.
Each “lesson” is a different type of puzzle. There will be an explanation, an example with the solution, and then a puzzle to solve for the coordinates for the geocache. The last cache in the series is the "Final Exam", which is a Bonus Cache. You will need to collect the clues from each of the 10 puzzle caches when you find them.
Basics:
Cache Types:
An excellent resource on all cache types, including Mystery Caches / Puzzles can be found here .
Puzzle caches are NOT located at the posted coordinates, but involve figuring out final coordinates.
The solution to the puzzle is the actual location of the physical cache. Therefore the cacher is trying to "find" the coordinates for the physical cache, BEFORE actually going to find the physical cache.
There are some exceptions, such as puzzles marked "Solve on Site", where the clues are at posted coordinates.
Number of digits:
A main key to figuring out the puzzle is to determine how many digits of the coordinates for which you may be solving.
The coordinates typically look like those on this page, near the top:
N 45° 04.141 W 092° 52.674.
These can be represented, for problem solving purposes as:
N AB CD.EFG W HIJ KL.MNO
You might be solving for 15 digits (A-O), or 10 digits (CDEFG,KLMNO) or 6 digits (EFG, MNO). Carefully observing the puzzle set up will help determine this. If you are solving for 15 or 10 digits, this can help with the solution, as AB C and HIJ K are unlikely to change since newer puzzles have to be less than 2 miles between posted and physical coordinates.
Key Items to Observe that may yield clues:
- Title
- Cache Attributes
- Links
- Unusual sentences of formatting
- Groups of anything that correspond to the number of digits to solve
- Images
Now, the first lesson of the series:
Lesson 1 - Ciphers
The first puzzle type is a Cipher. There are very many ciphers, which are methods to encrypt the plain text, or coordinates, into a common looking phrase, or meaningless phrase. Caesar Cipher or ROT13 is one of the simplest, and is used by Geocaching to encrypt the hint on a cache page. Simply, the plain text is rotated 13 places to become encrypted. eg. A=N, B=O, etc. Many ciphers can be decrypted on various web sites such as geocachingtoolbox.com
Example
The hint for this cache is in ROT13 and appears as follows:
Chmmyr: EBG13 naq EBG6
Uvqr: Cbfg
If you decipher that, it reads:
Puzzle: ROT13 and ROT6
Hide: Post
Use the Decryption Key at the bottom of this page, or an online tool.
Of course, the text can be rotated any number of places and the puzzle below is in two different rotations, per this hint.
The Puzzle
Decode the following to find the coordinates for the cache.
Abegusbeglsvirmrebsbhecbvagfvkfrirabar Ckyztotkzezculolzeznxkkvuotzlobktotkkomnz
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Chmmyr: EBG13 naq EBG6
Uvqr: Cbfg