Down the Local Multi-cache
Write and Mane: On checking today, we can confirm that the cache has been taken. As this seems an unlikely location for a chance find, we suspect deliberate vandalism. Because of this and the continued absence of one of the VC's, we regretfully archiving the cache.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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First released for the Geocaching Event at Parc Cwm Darran on 29/04/06 as a nine stage multicache, this now has three stages. Bird clues will take you “Down the Local” and on to the final regular cache, in a large plastic container. Apart from a little scramble at the end, the route is mainly on good surfaces. Expect to walk no more than about a quarter of a mile.
THE REFERENCE COORDINATES FOR THE CACHE LISTING ARE AT THE ORIGINAL STARTING POINT FOR THE CACHE, NOT THE PRESENT START (VC1) WHICH IS ABOUT 300 METRES AWAY (BUT MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE WAYPOINTED CAR PARK).
Parc Cwm Darran extends over about 3 miles of the Nant Bargod Rhymni Valley and was created when the sites of the Ogilvie and Groesfaen Collieries were reclaimed about 25 years ago. The transformation of this valley from a despoiled industrial landscape to a quiet rural oasis is impressive. The park has a large lake, waymarked walks, extensive surfaced paths, an adventure playground and barbecue sites. It is dog friendly and there is plenty of parking. The Visitor Centre, at the northern end of the park, has a coffee shop that does light lunches and has disabled access and toilets.
This multicache has three stages, but it should be possible to complete all of these in about half an hour. The first stage is a virtual cache, where the coordinates for the next stage can be found in a bird name and will take you “Down the Local” where the second virtual cache (VC) provides the last number required to find the final regular cache (RC). Waypoints for one of the car parks at the Visitor Centre and the three stages are tabled below.
VC1 is at N51 43.399 W003 17.133
At VC1, one bird is pictured. Convert the letters of the bird’s name in Welsh into a set of 13 numbers using a mobile telephone keypad. For example, if the bird was heron, you would get the five number set 43766. Using the derived set of numbers:
A = the mean of the seventh and eighth numbers in the set
B = the fourth number in the set
C = the fifth number in the set
D = the tenth number in the set
E = the difference between the second and tenth numbers in the set
F = the twelfth number minus the sum of the first and eleventh numbers
VC2 is at N51 43.ABC W003 1D.EFF
At VC2, H = number of types of bird named “Down the Local” (the same bird in different languages only counts once!) and G = A - H
RC3 is at N51 43.GAH W003 1D.HDB
The birds that feature in this cache are among the 200 or so that have been spotted at the park, so keep your eyes skinned and binoculars at the ready. If you want to know more about recent sightings, check at the Visitor Centre. If you see any unusual birds, the rangers would be pleased to hear about it.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)