TL;DR: Before coming all the way here to this cache, please read the description to the end.
Reverse Wherigo caches are by far the most common type of Wherigo. Until recently there was a single such cache in Israel, and its recent archival seems like a good time to introduce a second one.
Wherigo Caches
- Wherigo caches are a type of geocache that uses a GPS-enabled device and special software (a Wherigo cartridge) to guide you on an adventure.
- Instead of simply finding a hidden container, you might first have to solve puzzles, interact with virtual characters, and make choices that guide you to the final location.
- Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure game combined with geocaching.
Find more details on the Geocaching website where you can also find links to recommended apps for running Wherigo cartridges on your phone.
Reverse Wherigo Caches
- Once you download and run the Reverse Wherigo cartridge, you'll be asked to plug in three numbers which are usually found in the cache listing, e.g. "314159, 265358, 979323". These numbers are unique to the specific cache.
- You're then given the distance to the final location of the cache from your current location, but not the direction in which you have to travel.
- Every time you push the button in the cartridge, you're told how far away you are from the cache. As you move around, you get closer or further away depending on which way you moved. Your goal is to eventually get close enough to the cache to make the find.
Link to download the cartridge
To make this cache a little more interesting and to mitigate armchair caching, you must visit the published coordinates to find the 3 numbers.
Once you reach the spot, you'll find a sign describing 5 local plants and listing their flowering seasons. Green = flowering, Grey = not flowering.
From top to bottom, note the month when each plant starts flowering and stops flowering.
A = the month when plant #1 starts flowering
B = the month when plant #1 stops flowering
C, D = same for plant #2
E, F = #3
G, H = #4
J, K = #5
Punch the numbers you found into the following equation to get the 3 numbers needed to run the Reverse Wherigo cartridge.
X = (B)0(A)(G+H)1
Y = (E*J)0(D*F+1)(E)
Z = A(A+B)(D)(C)(J*K)
To verify that your numbers are correct, your initial distance (assuming you're still standing at the published location) should be somewhere between 50 m and 1 km. Anything else means there's a mistake.
Once you've reached the final location, you still need to retreive the cache from its hiding position.
The hiding technique used here is known around the world by many names: Fishing Rod Cache, Biltema Cache, Angelcache and more.
As of today, it's the only one of its kind in Israel, at least that I'm aware of (so it probably is). A Patient Zero, perhaps?
In certain areas around the world this hiding technique is so common that some think it deserves its own attribute:
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Pole required |
As this doesn't exist (yet), you can generally recognize these hides by the combination "special tool required" and "no tree climbing required".
Come prepared. If you were lured here unprepared, please refer your complaints to your host.
Happy hunting!