CapeDoc

Nice to see you again D'bob! I hope you enjoyed the hikes and a few of TM's secrets.

Hi All I have had a fire in my house. Long story about how it happened that I don't feel like sharing. We are having to rebuild. This is very time consuming. I love placing caches, but I don't feel TMNP has a favorable relationship with geocaching and so have decided not to place caches on the mountain. I have lost interest in finding urban caches (how many parks, churches and post offices do you need to visit??). What I am trying to say is that my interest in geocaching has waned. Not disappeared, just waned. For now. I am finding I am neglecting my caches that need maintaining. I have wanted to topple Padawan as the number 1 fav point earner in the country but I have failed dismally! Well done Padawan!! Anyone want to adopt my cache's? Particularly those needing maintenance. There are a lot of Fav Points up for grabs (including the most fav cach in the country and some caches that seasoned caches have told me are the most challenging in the country) I reserve the right to be completely biased in my choice of who gets the caches. CapeDoc

Anyone got a drone to carry a Gopro? Want to help with making a short promo video?

For cachers with at least 250 finds (all of Africa): Highest average Elevation: 1. Trapsuutjie 329 finds 1572.23 m 2. TeamSpags 523 finds 1534.27 m 3. Thundastruck 314 finds 1511.33 m 4. BigMacZA 273 finds 1510.58 m 5. MRM1 1192 finds 1508.74 m 6. Mlungu 380 finds 1507.84 m 7. Knight&hisLady 678 finds 1506.72 m 8. CacheIsKing3 361 finds 1503.19 m 9. Fier 683 finds 1502.46 m 10. Team Botoks 352 finds 1502.43 m Highest average Difficulty: 1. EinHäufchenSand 273 finds 2.43 2. claudiodinarte 640 finds 2.32 3. Dreas1812 312 finds 2.32 4. realspurtle 312 finds 2.32 5. Farrico&Andreia 649 finds 2.31 6. escorcios 918 finds 2.30 7. TaniAndrade 456 finds 2.30 8. cicerocastro 1065 finds 2.30 9. JMRodriguez 479 finds 2.29 10. @cer 266 finds 2.29 Highest average Terrain: 1. super666 319 finds 2.85 2. magnema 342 finds 2.82 3. EinHäufchenSand 273 finds 2.78 4. JoLiRa 268 finds 2.65 5. Marmotte 258 finds 2.65 6. Scorpio61 307 finds 2.57 7. escorcios 918 finds 2.56 8. Lucia&Nelson 643 finds 2.56 9. Igel&Co 253 finds 2.56 10. cicerocastro 1065 finds 2.55 Thanks Danie .....but you shifted the goalposts a little. Can we see it just for South Africa? Thank you so much for your work! Not sue how you wizard up answers for us!

Which cacher has highest average terrain rating? Obviously the higher the number of finds, the lower the terrain ave will tend to be. So, maybe highest ave terrain with > 500 / 1000 / 2000 finds?

Well I came to KZN! Thank you to tarisma for guiding me on two GREAT caches. We did 340 degrees and the Icebox. Really nice caches that are the type of caches I live to do. Tried to meet Noddy ("Just pop in") but didn't look like he was home. Spotted some geocaches doing a drunken bee dance while driving past a park, so topped and met erfsurfers from Gauteng. Did a few in the forest near Umghlanga (nice forest trail). Went zip lining but was having a blast and taking photos so didn't find the caches! Found "babbling brook" nearby. Quite a fun cache especially while supervising 7 year olds in the climb. Tried "hole in the wall", nice spot but DNF (kids were hungry!) The kids had a blast climbing in the "rock castles" EC at Umhloti, I enjoyed the spot and coffee nearby. Went to UShaka (didn't cache) Dived with the raggies at Aliwal Shoal (didn't cache)i Thanks again to Dave for the guiding and to Pete for all the advice! Anyone wanting to do an adventure cache in Cape Town, give me a shout!

Hi I am in Umhglanga for the next week. What are the GREAT caches in the area? The higher the terrain the better! I am prepared to drive an hour or so. No interest in urban hides, not interested in clever containers, not interested in puzzles. Great locations , secret spots, out of comfort zone. Hikes, forests, swimming spots are my kind of thing. If it involves bots, cliffs, ropes, scuba gear I am REALLY keen, but will need help with gear. What suggestions????

looking forward to seeing you. Just do it Rus! Make the Event!

Man, I love it when Danie gets going!

GRRR Missed Spring butress Missed psalm 119 On call for this one! Enjoy the blister bush!

I'm not sure that is entirely fair. If you recall, when I first contacted them, they were aware of geocaching and very concerned about it. The hornets were already buzzing then. I am really gutted by their simplistic, "don't want to think about it" way of dealing with us. What I have to find out now is if their is any way to gently bend these overbearing rules.

TMNP has finally sent me an official response. I enclose the pertinent part below: Geocaching, slope soaring and orienteering in the TMNP Geocaching The following was decided: Representatives of the sport must liaise with the responsible section mangers in the Park. The respective managers will assess whether or not caches will be permitted in that area. No geocaching will be permitted off paths, roads or management tracks. No geocaching is permitted in heritage sites. No geocaching is permitted in sensitive sites, including dunes, wetlands, forests, caves and riverine areas. No trampling of vegetation is permitted. No geocaching is permitted in high tourist destinations for example Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Boulders and Cape Point. Slope soaring The same applies. No model aircraft with combustible engines will be permitted. Orienteering Not permitted in the TMNP It was decided that Tokai would meet with the geocachers (Colin de la Harpe) first to assess the suitability of caches in Tokai. Shoe! That doesn't look good to me! I will liaise with Tokai as requested and see how things pan out!

Hi I am attending a conference in Rome this week end (Oct 18). I will have small amounts of free time and would love to do a few of Rome's best caches. Any advice? Anyone able to show me around? Looking forward to being in Italy! Capedoc

If you placed it, who would object to it? Would the reviewer ask about the container?

If you want a single cache powertrail, you need 20+ stages in a row, all 530' apart leading to the final. ..... And each stage should be mind numbingly boring......you keep your definition of powertrail, I'll keep mine.

I have a Multi with huge distances between stages. The reviewer didn't mind about the distance between stages. He did mind about the distance between the first stage an the final. He gave me a radius of a few miles can't remember the exact figure. Stages are up to 500km apart ( it's called "you gotta be kidding"). You travel halfway across the country only to find that the final is back where you came from.

You don't have to carry it. You can use you rappelling gear to pull it up in your kayak.

I personally hate powertrails. I cache for unique locations, historical insights and for being pushed out of my comfort zone. I dont want to really start a debate about the merits of powertrails, I think that dead horse has been well flogged. In a little statement of objection to powertrails I have decided to place one. It is a single multicache. You get one smiley. To do it you have to walk up a mountain 3 times (all in tough locations to get to), rappel down a 120m cliff, snorkel to find a bit underwater, paddle to an uninhabited island, walk along a ledge with a 300m cliff drop off and crawl through a 70m cave with some tight squeezes (which is on top of another mountain at the end of a 1 hour 20min walk). A scuba stage will probably be added too. Each part would be a pretty challenging cache on its own. What other caches are out there that you know of that make you do similar? How extreme do multicaches get?

Hi I am wanting to approach Table Mountain National Parks again. It has been about a year since I approached them last. They have not given me an official reply since last year Oct. It may be usefull to have some statistics for them, to help see that geocaching is a minor risk to the Park. Would it be possible to assist? Number of caches in peninsula reserves? Total number of finds on those caches? Ave number of finds per cache per year in last year? Most found cache (excluding TMTB hotel and Table Tope Trove) in the last year? Least found cache in last year? Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I love this thread feel like I have dined on a glut of information. I feel full! Thanks so much for the hard work to generate these amazing stats. Really would love to do some TeamDJ caches.

Ther are a LOT of puzzle caches in the WC. Who has hidden the most?

I think that boat has sailed. The TMNP have had their discussion and the policy is made. I also think they will be less tough particularly than the US, where many Parks have banned caching altogether. It was suggested to TMNP that we could get other South African Park representatives (that already have working relationships with geocachers) could give input. They seem to want to make their own policies. Considering the uniqueness of the fynbos system, different spread of endangered fauna and flora, I think they justified to have a unique approach. I agree that they need a unique approach. Over the years I've read most of the significant American and British parks agreements, and there's no "one size fits all" solution. You say that "the policy is made" - that's not my information. The decision has been taken in principle at the highest level to embrace geocaching across the breadth of Sanparks, including Kruger, but I understand that there's still a lot of work to be done on the practicalities, which might devolve down to individual parks...?? Dunno. "The policy is made" - refers to TMNP only. I am not aware of a national policy. Perhaps they have developed their own policies whilst awaiting national guidance.

I think that boat has sailed. The TMNP have had their discussion and the policy is made. I also think they will be less tough particularly than the US, where many Parks have banned caching altogether. It was suggested to TMNP that we could get other South African Park representatives (that already have working relationships with geocachers) could give input. They seem to want to make their own policies. Considering the uniqueness of the fynbos system, different spread of endangered fauna and flora, I think they justified to have a unique approach.

Update: At last things seem to be moving! I had a brief discussion with one of the top brass and they have at last decided to create a policy for placing geocaches in the park. They have given me the name of an official who will be responsible for liaising with geocachers. I am in the process of making contact with said person. It looks like all current caches may need to be reviewed. If some caches need to be archived, I feel it is best to do what they want, otherwise we probably will lose any right to place caches in the TMNP area. Will update further after making contact.

Well done to Padawan! First cacher to get 500 FP! What percent of all SA FP does he own?