The Forgotten Forts Multi-Cache
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The 4 stages to the final cache (Near Ouberg road) will take about an afternoon 2-3 hours by car and longer if done by MTB which is a nice winter option! You might encounter high bushes and steep terrain.
**PLEASE don't forget to take a long a pair of binoculars to see the forts on private land!
Back in 1899 during the Anglo-Boer war, when martial law was proclaimed in certain parts of the Cape Colony. Lieutenant Colonel Sidney of the Royal Field Artillery was the commandant in the Montagu - Robertson area. He had forts erected at strategic places to guard the roads that lead via Montagu and through Cogmanskloof to Robertson against "invading" forces of the Boer republics and rebel commandos. The most famous one being Fort Sidney (Old English Fort 1899 - Cache: GCGJTD) above the tunnel at Kalkoenkrans. The fort was built by William Robertson, a local stone mason from Robertson and manned by the Gordon Highlanders who survived the Battle of Magersfontein. There are said to have been a total of 6 forts around Montagu, 4 of them form this multi stage cache. The 6th fort is still lost.
1st Fort: 33°46.631' S 20°07.772' E 311m asl.
The fort is virtually destroyed and only its foundations are still visible. The micro cache hidden there contains the waypoint of the 2nd fort.
(I discovered the first one by virtually stumbling upon it while descending from "The Gallows" cache: GCT50Q)
2nd Fort: This one is in perfect condition but on private land, it can be reached via Cape Dry's "tractor-up-the-hill" tourist trip only. It can however be seen with binoculars from both the 1st and the 3rd Fort.
Hence Geocachers need to head ±960m South-South-West (±192deg) of the actual fort. There at 233m a.s.l. look between 3 young aloes and find the micro cache containing the waypoint for the 3rd fort.
3rd Fort: Situated at 300m asl, this fort is in bad but standing condition - here you find the waypoint for the final 4th Fort.
4th Fort: At 370m asl. In good condition, even the gun holes where plastered. Again its on private ground hence the cache is situated right next the small wired-up gate, at the obvious place to cross the fence for a walk up to the fort. Please respect the land owner and do not jump the fence but rather use binoculars to spot the fort.
If you drive a bit further along the road to get a feel what the Boer rebels lead by Gideon Scheepers must have seen back in 1899. It was here where the British encountered the Boer rebels and had their only battle to protect Montagu.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[These hints will help you find the cache stage for stage. The numbers stand for the caches]
1. Sbeg: Haqre jrfgreyl pbeare fgbar
2. Sbeg: Arne gur ragenapr jnyy bs Zbagnth
3. Sbeg: Arne FJ bhgfvqr pbeare ba gur jnyy snpvat gur qhzc
4. Yrsg bs gur tngr
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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