Shiggaddi

This series has been on my to do list for a while now, as I'm about an hours drive away. I have also done the COs other series nearby at Averton Gifford in Devon last year, which I enjoyed. I do think the criticism about the tide was unfair. The situation was mentioned on the cache page, and the tide times can easily be checked prior to the walk. There are plenty of caches around the country that are dependant on the tide, although these do tend to be by the coast of course I really hope the series will be up and running soon, as despite the negative comments, from 1 cacher, this does sound like a nice walk.

Two weeks is quite normal. Remember that people would have gone home and probably went back to their jobs and not cached every day. Also, some people (like myself) picked up loads of trackables, along with purchasing new trackables of my own, and some caches only have room for 1 or 2 trackables. Others, like most micros won't take any TBs, but might take very small geocoins. I also don't like leaving trackables in a cache that is in a poor state of repair. I actually had someone in the race e-mail me about 2 days after I picked up their TB reminding me that it's in a race, and to drop it off ASAP. After a few more days, I got a 2nd e-mail pestering me to drop it off. I was in 2 minds of whether to drop it in a local cache within walking distance of my house, which I found 2 years ago, and most of the locals in my area have found, so rarely gets visited, but it ended up in a cache that was part of a series of 6 in a circular walk that was published the day before, so more chance of it being picked up quickly.

Poundland were doing a pack of 3 circular clip boxes of different sizes for well, £1 of course, and also 3 small square boxes also for £1. I'm not sure if they still do the offer, or whether it's only in certain stores. Of course, if you want something bigger like a 1 litre clip box or an ammo can, then it will cost more.

And congratulations to myself for getting my 1000th find. I wanted my 1000th to be a good one, and it was at an event in Cornwall at a picnic overlooking the sea.

My experience of the Plume, is that like to get muggles and geocachers in the same room!! Those who attended the Stop the Clocks event will know what I mean (double booking what was supposed to be a private room)

Cornwall has been a popular tourist destination long before caching. There are loads of nice areas to visit, and of course caches in those areas. In the last few months, I've noticed quite a few new circular walks, and I still hope to get around to doing some of them. I believe, that part of what makes a good Mega event, is the opportunities to get people down for more than just the event itself. A good mixture of side events, and things to occupy other members of the family who may not want to go caching all the time will play a part in encouraging people to visit from all over the country, and of course the world.

I'd like the idea of a Cornwall/Devon mega. In fairness it is close to WSM so I can understand those who live in Scotland not liking having to travel down so far South like they did for WSM, and Wales. If Piratemania does come to Cornwall, there it is quite a natural home for the Pirate Theme. There is alot of Cornish maritime history with sailors and Pirates, and of course the Pirates of Penzance, along with our local radio station Pirate FM. Having the official UK Mega event in the same area would of course raise our profile even more.

I was aware of a few travel bugs being muggled, however I'm pleased to say that 2 of them managed to find their way to the Mega. Thanks to mrpb27 who came from Norway, and Sniffadogz who was part of the Wales committee. I had to do a bit of asking around to track down the cachers, including a tannoy announcement for mrpb27. Hoping to do a similar thing for next year and get my TBs reaching the Geolympix and Cartmel.

Last year I set out some travel bugs, and the details can be found by clicking on my profile. Just after being released, it was close to the 10 years events, so I gave them all a goal of attending an event. Some managed to attend 2. Now, this is where I need some help. I have now given an updated goal that as many as possible will be meeting up with me when I attend the Welsh Mega. I have already been in contact with someone from Norway who is coming over, and someone else wrote on the log after retreiving that the next stop will be the Welsh Mega, but there's 8 others to think of as well, although I know some of them have been muggled. Now, if anyone is in a position to retrieve any of my travel bugs, and bring it along and meet me at the Mega, then that would be great. Perhaps one of them is in a local cache that you've already visited, or it's in a cache that you can easily visit on the way to Swansea.

Another pet hate, is people who don't log trackables properly. There have been times when I've picked up a trackable, and it's still logged as with the person who placed it in the cache. Naturally before jumping the gun, you wait for the person concerned to log their visit to the cache, however once they do log their visit, and don't drop the trackable, I send an e-mail a few days after I see their logged visit to the cache asking if they could register the trackable as dropped off in the cache. I've then never had a reply back, and even seen that they've visited other caches since, so they must be active members, so I just do the grab, then write a note for the cache so that the trackable visits the cache, then off to continue the journey. Also this travel bug achieved it's goal within a week, but hasn't been placed into any further caches since February last year. I've even sent a few e-mails to chase it up, but never had a response.

My biggest pet hate is cachers who give up on the hobby but fail to archive or allow someone to adopt their caches. I went on a circular walk whilst on holiday to Norfolk to do the Fossil series, and the caches had damp logbooks, some had waterlogged logbooks, and some had fallen from their spot, and only because other cachers replaced them, they were kept alive. Also, between the 2nd to last, and the last cache was a mile walk on a fairly busy country road. I recommended archiving some on my logs. The last one was a cracked tuppleware box wedged on the back of a road sign in a plastic bag, and previous reports said it was found on the side of the road, and put back a few times. The cache owner hadn't logged in for well over a year. Although I've found the odd poorly maintained stand alone cache, this was the first series (8 caches) that I've come across like this. Other pet hates include caches that appear to be in the middle of nowhere, and if only the CO were to give parking co-ords, and where the footpath begins, you would avoid driving around for miles looking for how to approach this cache.

I'm in Plymouth, and originally from Cornwall, so get to do caching in both counties. If you're willing to travel further East, there's the well attended Stop the Clocks event in Princetown, which cachers from all over both counties attend (plus a few from further afield who camp as well) The events are held near clock change (hence the name, lol) There's also a picnic on Bodmin Moor event in June. Well done on your first cache placements, and if I venture down that far in Cornwall (I've seen a few circular walks worth doing sometime) then I'll look out for yours.

I reached 600 just over a month ago, whilst on holiday on Norfolk, and then my 700th earlier this month. Just done my 750th yesterday. Think that magic 1000 is edging closer, especially since I'm planning the Way Down West series in the coming months.

I'm experiencing the same problems. On the old maps, you can't see your smilies, or hide your smilies (handy when you've cleared most of your local area) On the beta maps however, if I want to download to GPS, I have to actually click on the listing, and open the page, then download to GPS, whereas on the old maps, I could just click on load to GPS without looking at the listing (handy when you're downloading a circular walk) However, my biggest gripe on the beta maps, is that I can't see premium member only caches, so in order to make sure I don't miss any when planning a days caching, I have to go back to the old maps.

Well, if you do get your cache listed, and I'm in your area, I'll take a "butchers" and might get to "meat" other cachers.

I think it's just been the once where I've had no pen. I went out on a walk to find just 1 cache with my Mum and sister, and forgot to take my pen. The cache owner was fine with the photo of me holding the cache, and even discussed it with him at a local meet a few weeks later. I also left a TB in the cache as further proof that I'd opened the cache. Normally, if I'm out by myself with lots of visits, I take a bag of various items, including a few pens.

I'm not logging my will attend quite yet, but I'm certainly hoping to make it this time. I didn't make it to WSM, as I was new to geocaching, and had already booked my annual leave from work. I felt Scotland was a bit far, but being from Plymouth, South Wales will make a nice break.

I've done one in Plymouth. It's a multi where the film pot contains the co-ords for a library, and the name of the book you have to ask for. It's no good just working out the library and not bothering with the micro, as you have to ask for a specific title. The book is then handed over, and it is the geocache which is shaped like a book, and has room for trackables.

I was able to take part in the Curse of the FTF in my local area of Plymouth. Usually the FTF people were regular cachers with premium membership, and people who already have good quality hides. After all, a newbie cacher with no premium membership and likely to set bad caches is unlikely to become a FTF. Also, there are plenty of people who were chasing the FTF, so that previous FTF people in the series could take a back seat until the cache was found, and still only wait about a day at the most for that first log to appear. Although officially there was no logging requirement, most people have been willing to play along with the spirit of the game, even if it is only waiting for someone else to be FTF, after which it just becomes a normal cache.

What would people regard as a "power trail?" I have been on a few walks where you find maybe about 8 caches then you collect details from those caches to find a bonus cache which is usually placed between the final cache and the recommended parking on the circular walk. These smaller walks if well placed can take you along some nice footpaths and scenic views, and the hides have been good quality, as the cache owners don't feel the need to put them out at exactly 528 ft intervals, but instead leaving a bit more space and finding the best hiding spots along the route. Surely more walks like this should be encouraged. I haven't been on any of the longer walks, but I do hope to at some point. My impression is that the people who set these walks would have done alot of groundwork beforehand, with working out a route, and be active geocachers themselves, in the same way as people who set the smaller series out. Therefore, although there would be quite a few micros, there would be plenty of small or regular sized containers for people to swap trackables along the way.

I've recently placed my first geocache, which was a Curse of the FTF in the Plymouth area. I did have to make it clear in the listing that there was no requirement, but it does add to the fun. Basically the statement was copied and pasted from previous listings since they were published. I can understand if someone doesn't make a statement, and the listing is sent back to the owner to rectify, or in my first attempt, my cache was too close to a puzzle cache (one that was too hard for me to solve, as I would have easily checked traditional caches in the area for distance) so had to move it somewhere else. However, have these series now been banned altogether, and what about listings that are already active, and the curse was listed ages ago. Does it mean we now have to rename the caches?

My first cache placement has now been published. Also congratulations to Staceyp123 for her first ever cache placement.

I recently found my 300th cache, and today I placed my first ever cache (just waiting for Graculus approval)

The other parties won't have a "Clegg" to stand on!!

My girlfriend was from Plentyoffish as well, and first time I've met someone from there, but like you said, I did have to send lots of e-mails and ended up with 1 line replies back such as "Hi how are you" or no replies at all. I did use Love@Lycos since 2001, but it was a complete waste of time, and no wonder they went bust.