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Kepier Wood and Belmont Viaduct Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

dougienisbet: The cache has gone. It had 17 years though. Not a bad run.

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Hidden : 6/2/2006
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This is all about the walk. And scramble. This will take you from Durham along the River Wear to Kepier Wood (with a slight detour). The cache itself is close to the unexpected grandeur of Belmont Viaduct.

It's all about the walk. Don't be in a hurry.

The co-ordinates given above are for a suggested starting point on Orchard Drive with on-street pay and display parking. Now PaybyPhone. This is about 10 minutes walk from the town centre.

This is a scenic cache starting close to the site of the old Kepier Hospital and passing very close to Belmont Viaduct. You can see the viaduct from the cache site.

This is a multi with a bit of a comfort blanket. You need to get 6 numbers to find the final cache co-ordinates. The cache is at: N54°47.ABC W001°32.DEF

Since you're about to embark on a long walk (about 5 miles) it's nice to know you've got the clues correct. So each clue that you find is followed by a 'check' clue that allows you to confirm that you're on the right track. Although a bit of a puzzle this cache isn't meant to be difficult. It is meant to be findable and I hope I've provided enough clues so that you're not facing disappointment at the end of a long walk. I'd hate for you to have a DNF.

If you start from Orchard Drive and do the clues in order you can do a rough anti-clockwise walk to the cache, returning fairly directly along the riverside footpath. The distance is just under 5 miles. I have given another parking spot (free) that you could use (just of the A690) but I’ve not given much thought on how you’d go about choosing a route from here. If you're absolutely determined to start here you could try doing the clues in order 5->4->1->2->3->6 then return to your car back by clue 5. The distance probably works out about the same.

If you're looking for a nice day out and a nice walk, then I'd suggest starting from The Sands. It's a nicer walk in my view. I’ve erred on the cautious side and given this cache fairly high difficulty and terrain scores. However all the clues are on or very near to paths (including the cache itself, despite how it might initially appear), and you shouldn’t have to scramble or cling on to things (unless you really want to).

It's pretty straightforward up to Clue 6, but then some of the paths will get muddy, slippy and pretty heavy going after wet weather.

The trees add a lot of fun. There will be times when you have no satellite reception. You will have to use a mixture of hunches, extrapolation, deduction, guesswork and luck. Things may not always appear as they seem, (or at all).

The final cache location is amongst trees and your GPS may not get a fix. And if it does, it might not help you much. So I've supplied lots of clues. I've added them to the end of the description rather than decrypting them all as hints.

At the final cache location you will be: Next (downriver) to a large square boulder about B-2 metres along each side. As you look downhill to the path you will be about D to A paces from it. When you look at the river you'll see a distinctive forked mature sycamore about 45 degrees to your right. You are about E paces upriver from it. There are two young ash and sycamore trees either side of the cache with very faded ribbons. It's worth browsing the photos from the cache site.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Pyhr 6: Vs lbh'er fher lbh'er va gur evtug ybpngvba, gura gehfg jung lbh frr, be qba'g frr. Qba'g jbeel vs lbh pna'g trg vg. Gur pb-beqvangrf lbh unir fb sne jvyy trg lbh pybfr rabhtu gb gur pnpur gb svaq vg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)