Introduction
This is my first ever hide - and is based on a new 'traditional/puzzle combo' idea that I've not seen anywhere else. It is borne out of two minor frustrations I have encountered while searching for other caches:
- I have sometimes solved a puzzle cache that appears on the map to be near my home or in a convenient location for dog walking, only to find out that the true coordinates are several miles away, making a trip to GZ impractical.
- I have sometimes found myself struggling to find a traditional cache, and resorted to the hint, only to find that the hint is so specific that the location is completely given away and the challenge of searching evaporates instantly, or the hint is so vague that it doesn't help at all.
For this cache, I hope to fix both of these problems.
- The cache is located at the listed coordinates, and could be found by a determined traditional cacher simpy by searching at GZ. But, to prevent this from simply being a standard traditional cache, I have attempted to make the cache very difficult to find with no hints.
- Hints are 'unlockable' by solving puzzles/cryptic clues.
- You are free to stop puzzling whenever you think you've got enough information to make the find, meaning you're never left unable to find it with no more information available, or disappointed at the lack of challenge after receiving too much information by mistake.
- Hints must be solved in order, and the puzzles roughly increase in difficulty as the hints get more helpful (both 'spoiler clues' are significantly harder to solve). If you manage to solve all the clues, the final hint will make the cache very easy to find. If you don't attempt any, then it will be difficult...
My estimation of the difficulty score for this cache would be:
Please do not take photos of the cache as this may ruin it for others. If you want to see photos, solve all the clues!
You may find https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com to be a useful resource.
Good luck!
N.B. This cache is rated '1' for terrain as it is accessible from the main path. There is no requirement to climb over any fence to find the cache. The area to the north of the cache is a Local Nature Reserve.
I have enabled the "Takes less than one hour attribute", since if you've solved all the puzzles prior to reaching GZ, this would take moments to find/open, but if you have not... I've no way of knowing how long it would take. Do let me know if you attempt this as a 'pure traditional'!
[Congratulations to Sniffadogz for the (not wholy unexpected) FTF!]
Location History
Radyr Woods is an attractive area of ancient semi-natural wooded escarpment located on the southern edge of the village or Radyr, near Cardiff.
Covering an area of approximately 14 acres, and including a local nature reserve, Radyr Woods provide a wide variety of wildlife habitats and features, including ponds, springs, grassy glades and heathland. Over 50 species of wildflowers have been identified in the woods including Yellow Archangel, Pignut and Travellers Joy. Kingfishers are frequent visitors and moorhen frequently breed in both ponds. Now the larger "duck" pond has been cleared of scrub and opened out, ducks are attracted to breed there.
Apart from the local nature reserve (Hermit Wood) where access is controlled, pedestrian access to Radyr Woods in unrestricted. A network of well-maintained footpaths, boardwalks, steps and interpretation panels throughout the wood allows the visitor easy access to a mixed woodland with an intriguing history.
A small mound is all that remains of an Iron Age cooking hearth. Here hot pebbles would have been immersed in water until it boiled. The boiling water would then have been used for cooking. Discovered in 1911, it is evidence that the site has been inhabited from early times. A holy well dating from the 10th century is also reputed to exist on the site, and in medieval times, Radyr Woods would have formed a part of the walled deer park of Radyr Court, the historic home of the Mathew family.
The area was farmed and quarried up to the mid 20th century. Conglomerate stone from the Radyr Quarry was extensively used in the construction of both Llandaff Cathedral and Cardiff Castle.
The Marquis Estate now occupies the former rail marshalling yards. These were for many years a massive assembly point for assembling coal trains en-route from Rhondda, Cynon, and Taff Vale Valleys to Cardiff and Penarth Docks.
Improvement and maintenance work began in 1982 with the construction of bridges, fences and boardwalks. Today maintenance and improvement work is undertaken by a group of volunteer wardens and regularly includes tree planting, scrub clearance and construction work, and litter clearance. The efforts of all angencies involved in Radyr Woods have been recognised by the winning of both local and national conservation awards and have resulted in an attractive, accessible and well used local woodland.
Clues
C1: Inside the Hint
C2: Decrypt Me:
Yke eggjm is lob goyt.
Xjm coorilncziu tistei xnfkv E3 kan be hrnxkvvmd to a xkotz xjzee wowg pqkq, ypich djvctofga the fnusv nenn of a szfcgywhcl fini, gutori i wet Wjosj cmpber's dfb. Tte vgkitinl whky tqmm if ytx wctx vw solvj F4!
C3: Inside Waypoints
C4: Decrypt Me:
Jb zkepv ty 'maum gnf pzeu', jsu gblv pnbf hz kfxsvo mho vhz. Jh dapfpd lx 'fsvtks-htzie', fud roe une xwda uz frsgg k bbum hz ZA uysd bn mifk!
Mczdjyk bkvk, dpr lpzwhxtrg gts earlvz qhs N5 e myfexb nmp: HndRBj5eAFNG3c9X6
Zis qhmwswsgg sa hyftfe gzv C6 xhw: 3y4ipgd
C5: 100% spoiler of the 'location of cache'.
You can skip this if you think you know where it is, or want to search at GZ with the hints you've got already. C6 onwards gives nudges towards getting at the log, rather than finding the container.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
C6: bit.ly/XXXXXXX
C7: This cache shares characteristics with one of the top-level bullet points discovered in C6.
C8: The answer to this clue can only be generated using the relevant paragraph from C6 to pad things out, in the correct direction:
Pkkwecjhzy, cgvhcxz, fba owulwkivr yar pglhuawq gcyfvr nox yhlhb vvwe aoi qtuvuvc h djba jljl otaadd oe phq - bdl fnm xwna wr ofk ivdg xwwf.
Btnp uk gow pike qwr P9 - vlm oplmhw dasm sntgqgbwzv vgh hcel mge u kayc qcpux zqnq kmw! s6K2T8n19xhXzq5J6
C9: 100% spoiler of the cache. This is the final clue.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX