Guanajuato

I'm currently doing a photography course through Practical Photography magazine that's inspiring me to take pictures I probably wouldn't have done, or taking pictures in a different way. I know there's at least one other cacher doing the course too. Its obviously paying off! I'd agree that all the photos are lovely. My favourite has to be 'The View from the cache'. July's competition is here.

Chuffed to be the winner for the first time! Please get your photos posted on this thread before the 1st of August. The rules are the same as the previous 6 months (have we really kept it going this long?) 1) The only hard and fast rule is that the photo must be cache related and to do with a specific cache, caching series or caching trip. There should be a hyperlink(s) to the cache(s) in the post. The cache(s) must be from the UK or Ireland. The following rules are open to interpretation/flexibility/judges whim... 2) Two photos per cacher per month (give or take). 3) A new thread is started each month, with the OP stating these rules. 4) The winner each month is decided by the winner from the previous month - the new winner starting the thread for the subsequent month. They may set a theme if they wish. 5) Photos should be recent if possible. (No debates as to what recent means! This rule is flexible.) 6) The competition runs from the 1st of the month, until a date specified in the OP by the previous months winner. This should give sufficient time for the winner (or other person if necessary) to start the new thread. If you haven't already uploaded a photo, a good tip might be to upload to one of your log entries (it can just be 'post a note'). Then, display the photo and copy the URL to provide a link to the post. If it's not actually relevant to the cache you've used, delete the note and the photo - the URL will still work. I'll do my best to give constructive comments on all the entries at the end, as others have done. Good luck - its just a shame I can't enter this month.

Other stats sites are available... From the GC.com release notes: http://mygeocachingprofile.com/ Doesn't currently do UK counties though. http://www.logicweave.com/cachestats.html http://software.macek.cc/GSBuilder.php http://www.macdefender.org/products/GCStatistic/ http://www.poieditor.com/geocache-heatmap/ Can't vouch for any, as I use GSAK.

I took VMG on a short little stroll in Shipley yesterday, grabbing a few newish caches. Must remember to take a pen next time though. N&HWW First & Last

Geoscout is excellent. Ran fine on my Acer N50.

I was completely unaware that there was a mega planned for the SE/London (all the same to the rest of the country, much as the rest of the country seems to be all the same to londoners). I was fully aware of the NW plan, contributing as I did to a NW fundraising calendar and having just done an outline caching walk round Kendal. I can't see how the two are mutually exclusive, even if they are a week or two apart. However, the prospect of going to the SE just before/after the olympics would be one that fills me with dread. There'll be nowehere to stay as the spaces (within the M25 and beyond, basically everything within 1 hour travel) will be taken up with entourages from all over the world, and those places that ARE free will hike their (already extortionate) prices - It's not an idea, its a fact of life, Just like places in Edinburgh hike prices during the Festival - it's called the law of supply & demand. I think the 2 would appeal to different markets - the SE one will probably get a lot of international attendees who're over for the Olympics, plus a lot of SE/S cachers. In that respect it makes some sense. The NW will probably be attended by those from the Midlands, North, Scotland & Wales and those in the SE who've rented their houses out for the duration.

Before this goes WAY off, have a read through this thread - it'll probably cover most points about what's 'right' or 'wrong'. Basically, the county boundaries & names have changed so frequently that trying to incorporate all the permutations that have happened, even in the last 20 years, would be a massive undertaking. So the GSAK boundaries were done based on a list of counties, I think, from 1974. A similar debate keeps cropping up on the Westmorland gazette forum - with one poster continually insisting that Cumbria is completely imaginary because Westmorland and Cumberland (& bits of Lancashire &Yorkshire) existed before. Completely missing the point that all of those entities are no more or less artificial either. I proposed renaming the areas Gerald & Muriel. Going back to the original post, the best option would be to define polygons for each of the counties and do a filter within GSAK for each county polygon. It might be quicker if you filter for 'Avon' in the county field first, to narrow down to the dubious caches. If you've only got a handful of caches, it's probably quicker to put a new entry in the county field by hand. But because of historical snobbery, we'll never get a decision on a specific list to use. Surely though, the list should be 'London' and 'Here be Dragons'

A few days at the very top. This one from Sainted. And one from the most northerly mainland cache, Dunnet Head.

Vaguely caching related in that we did a cache in the village. At Barbon Hill climb, very close to Hibbsy HideyHole. Not an entry, but the course on a rather quieter day... The car is just approaching that corner.

Give trekbuddy a try. Along with Mobile Atlas Creator its a decent backup solution.

Wahey. fame at last. Just waiting for that lakey coin to drop on the mat. There does seem to be a rather UK-centric slant on the quotes! We're just better. Simples

That'll be the ding (of sorts). Its Northside bridge, that was washed away, along with PC Barker. I think Workington bridge is further upstream, also washed away. Link to a map of the 'temporary' bridge.It opened this week. Theres a similar temporary bridge not that far away that's been in place for decades. So I doubt anyone is holding their breath for a permanent one.

In a similar vein...

That'll be the Tay Bridge. If you zoom in on Google you can still see the piers of the ill-fated bridge.

Most of the caches in the town centre are easily accessible - the difficulty is not being spotted! Its just the three multis (Mines a pint, Green Plaques and Secrets of the Auld grey town) do involve quite a bit of exploration. They're brilliant caches but maybe too much if you're on crutches. Mind you, you COULD hire a shopmobility scooter thing to whizz around on. I can recommend scout scar - park in an old quarry on the road between Kendal and Underbarrow, the path from the car park is (supposedly) disabled access. Its a little steep for a hundred yards or so, but then flattens out along the ridge. Fantastic views, particularly in the evening. There's a cache near the car park (First to...) and another near an obvious viewpoint. There's also a few along the cliff running northwards from the car park (Cunswick Scar). Parking Here

As its moved to the 2nd page, I thought a little BUMP might be in order. Just to keep it in people's minds

I used TrekBuddy as my prime GPS for a while on a SE C902 and K750 after my PDA Broke. It was good for getting near the cache, but I found the update too slow and DNF'd a much higher proportion than usual. I still use Trekbuddy for the mapping (use Mobile Atlas Creator to make personalised maps) and paperless caching as I now have an Etrex Vista, so no cache details on that. And an advantage is that, with a blutooth GPS, I can let the little one 'find' the cache with the GPS, knowing we're headed right. For free software, it is trully brilliant. And it doesn't use a data connection. It has its quirks, but they're easy to get used to.

Can I do another entry? Seeing as my last pictures were actually from March, they could be ineligible... I was at Swinside Stone Circle today and took this one:

I'd second Blencathra! I'd be up there every day if i could! Of the 'biggies' Skiddaw is probably the least enjoyable - just an endless slog whichever route you take. For something a little off the beaten track, try Black Coombe & White Coombe in the southwest, near Millom. You're unlikely to meet another soul all day. The Duddon Valley is stunning too. Not sure of specific routes to suggest though.

Check out the NW Forum Loads around the west pennine moors around the Bolton/Chorley area. We've yet to explore the area though. From my experience of driving past Stockport t'other week, South Cumbria might be a bit too far. But it IS the BEST place.

When in May are you coming? If its the 1st, then feel free to pop by the Helm near Oxenholme to meet a few people (No blatant cache advertising here, oh no!). There's a few caches around there, but crutches (or no head for heights) may make a couple rather tricky, unless the crutches are giant extending crutches. Kendal has a good variety of excellent caches if you're willing to travel so far back on yourself. The multis in the town centre might be a bit much on crutches. Between them there's probably a couple of miles walking and one rather steep hill - Called Beast Banks for a reason!

Try the series at Silecroft. The one nearest the beach has gone missing, but don't let that put you off. You could easily park by each one if a ile or so on the flat was too much. There's eight (and an earthcache) on the coast around Millom and Haverigg. That'll be flattish, but I don't know how easy with crutches. I've not done them, so can't really comment on the suitability. There's a series on the old railway line heading northeast out of Broughton that should als be do-able. The Ratty Railway (bit of homeork required) and Glannoventa at Ravenglass are both a short distance from the car park in Ravenglass. And you could always hop on the Ratty and pick up BPJC: Look on the Mite Side of Line. On your way there/back, you could take in as many or as few of the caches in Levens Deer Park - The Levens Left Bank (LLB) series are the more accessible ones.

Oooo, oo, Sir, Sir! I'm SURE Hampshire isn't in the South East. A bit like suggesting Manchester is in the North West rather than the midlands. On topic now... We've found a couple of sneaky hides in 'ampshire, but nothing unique. Though there's one in Fordingbridge that's foxed me 2 years running. Maybe that's original? There were a few places where we found micros in trees that could quite easily hide a good sized cache. Is that original or just pointless?

That fraggle probably says more about me than anything else. Quite why it popped into my head I've no idea. Anyway... Whilst looking for Hut? No But! Just across Burbage brook from the last photo is Burbage edge, where there's a few good caches. This was taken from somewhere near Bu's Tunnel of Love.

A cache we found yesterday had a note in it: "We've found over 600 caches and this is by FAR the worst we've ever found. What WERE you thinking?" Not got the decency to actually SIGN the log. And either changed their mind once they've got home, decided to make no mention of it on the online log or not logged online at all. Now, being fair, the cache hiding place (behind public loos) wasn't the best I've come across, but it was better than many I've found and some I've not even bothered looking for once I've got near the hiding place. But there is a HUGE saving grace that the cache is on the front at Grange, which is a lovely place for a sunny afternoon wander. I've not quite found 600, but I'd certainly not say it was anywhere near the worst cache I've found. I'd say I've got a worse one (Micro in Hawthorn) which I'm thinking of archiving. I'd ignore it. Some people are only happy when they're moaning.