The High Lane East to Mapperley walk (hence HiLEM) - 5½ miles in total, with 21 caches.
It is mainly a rural walk, so at times you can expect mud. Both cattle and horses are sometimes kept in the fields you will be passing through; there are not normally any problems, but if you have a dog with you please be more attentive.
Because the countryside part of the walk is not circular, the route finishes by coming along the main High Lane – a very busy road, the A609, but four micros have been placed along this section to keep you occupied on the way back.
You are advised to park at Straw’s Bridge car park (see parking coordinates on #1), but obviously you may choose not to, or you might do the walk over a number of visits.
There are five stiles in the walk, but it is possible to avoid three of them after #10 by going to #11 via #12 (but you will then have to retrace your steps and will therefore walk further).
All of the caches have been “placed to find” – there may be the odd trickier one, but nothing too complicated for those who are not new at the game. Most of the caches have a hint but there’s the odd one where you’re on your own!
You will NEED a pen, and you are also likely to NEED tweezers. If you can’t find a cache, please log a DNF or let me know – I don’t want any throw-downs along the route please.
There is a bit of a walk to get to this first one in the series, due to other caches in the area, and a nature reserve. There are even a couple of choices as to the route to get there too – I will leave that up to you. But the off-road way is to go to the left of the first lake, turn left along the side of the second lake, and then bear left and to up a slight hill (which can be very muddy).