Project Ape Cache Restoration

[+klaus23]

I was wondering if anyone had ever thought about restoring/replacing the Mission 10b: Meridian Snake Project APE cache near Caterham, just inside the M25, south of London? I'm a bit of an icon hunter and the only two I haven't got yet are a CITO event and the Project APE icon.

 

For those of you who have never heard of Project APE, there's info and a list of the caches here.

[+Moote]

I think that this is being looked at by a cacher, as it was brought up recently, but because the search is not working I could not find the reference

[+Pengy&Tigger]

As I understand it, the original project ape caches had specific containers and contents. If someone stuck a new cache there, would it really be a project ape cache, and would the reviewers allow it to be one?

 

T

Edited January 2, 2006 by Pengy&Tigger

[markandlynn]

Twas me Klaus.

Ive asked Groundspeak for the spare container no go. Unless someone checks the site and finds by a miracle the old container has been returned (i have photos of other ape caches to help verifiy this) then its a trip to brazil or the usa.

It has to be an ape container to be an ape cache the size is huge BTW.

[+Moote]

Twas me Klaus.

Ive asked Groundspeak for the spare container no go. Unless someone checks the site and finds by a miracle the old container has been returned (i have photos of other ape caches to help verifiy this) then its a trip to brazil or the usa.

It has to be an ape container to be an ape cache the size is huge BTW.

Do you have a pic of the container? It might be possible to source a similar box

[+klaus23]

Do you have a pic of the container?  It might be possible to source a similar box

Good thinking, Batman.

 

A closer investigation of the gallery at the Brazilian cache revealed this photo:

 

 

But a look at the Californian cache shows a very distinct logbook and perhaps even some kind of lighting on the cache:

 

 

The cache in Maryland shows this photo with a child for scale, allowing me to think the cache is about 3x1 ft. Other photos in the gallery reveal that there is black stencil print on the cache, comprised of a monkey and the cache name, PROJECT APE.

 

 

Similar sized ammo-boxes can be sourced, because I found one last week - here .

 

The question is - would a replica cache of similar size be acceptable?

[+Moote]

Now I have seen them before, I think they are easily obtainable, need to go to a good Army surplus store

[+sTeamTraen]

A couple of APE caches have been recently revived, but I don't know if the original container turned up.

[+klaus23]

A couple of APE caches have been recently revived

Indeed they have, but you'll notice that the caches are listed as traditional caches now.

[+dino-irl]

I find it strange that Project Ape the original cache owner is listed as a banned member. I realise that it's a sock puppet account for the use of these caches but banned sounds just weird to me.

[+Cryptik Souls Crew]

I was wondering if anyone had ever thought about restoring/replacing the Mission 10b: Meridian Snake Project APE cache near Caterham, just inside the M25, south of London? I'm a bit of an icon hunter and the only two I haven't got yet are a CITO event and the Project APE icon.

 

For those of you who have never heard of Project APE, there's info and a list of the caches here.

Funny you should say that, I've been doing a lot of APE research lately and I went to the site of the UK APE cache today to check it out. Forget about getting the APE icon for any cache that gets placed there, and there is no way after almost 5 years that the original box is lying around somewhere close.

 

As soon as I got to the site I wandered to where I thought it would have been hidden, and after talking to people who found it I have confirmed I was correct, it was in a tree trunk, quite far from any undergrowth, the box is long gone. They were ammo cans for 60mm rounds, and the box measured 36½" tall by 11" wide by 6" across.

 

Fox Studios soon lost interest in the whole thing, and their Project APE site is no longer on the web, as far as I can gather Jeremy was talking of archiving all the APE caches back in 2003 but something obviously changed his mind, I can't imagine for a second that they would consider listing a new one now.

 

One in the USA was muggled and replaced, but as the container was gone it was changed to a traditional (bit of a kick in the teeth for everyone who found the original APE box but lost the icon when it was swapped to a trad)

 

The Brazilian mission was recently rediscovered and unarchived, this still has an APE icon and ownership of it was tranferred to the team who went out to Brazil and dug it out of the jungle (fair enough I say!)

Edited January 2, 2006 by Cryptik Souls Crew

[+klaus23]

Interesting and informative response above - but it still brings us back to the original question. If a suitable container was sourced, then made into an replica of the box originally placed, could the cache be re-instated with the original listing (and icon)?

[+Cryptik Souls Crew]

Interesting and informative response above - but it still brings us back to the original question. If a suitable container was sourced, then made into an replica of the box originally placed, could the cache be re-instated with the original listing (and icon)?

I very much doubt it.

[+dino-irl]

Oops!

Edited January 3, 2006 by dino-irl

[Lactodorum]

Interesting and informative response above - but it still brings us back to the original question. If a suitable container was sourced, then made into an replica of the box originally placed, could the cache be re-instated with the original listing (and icon)?

No

[+walkergeoff and wife]

I cannot resist any longer!

 

What is, or was, Project APE?

[Deego]

It was a promotion for The Planet of the Apes film.

 

I believe there were film related items in the caches, thats why the cache cant be redone

Edited January 3, 2006 by Deego

[+walkergeoff and wife]

It was a promotion for The Planet of the Apes film.

 

I believe there were film related items in the caches, thats why the cache cant be redone

Thanks Deego - I had wondered whether it was to do with that film, but, as when looking for caches, I have learned not to jump to the obvious conclusion!

[Deego]

Its a shame, its the only cache Icon I need for a full set. (not that icons are important )

 

[Deego's Icon list] ok they are

[NickPick]

Its a shame, its the only cache Icon I need for a full set. (not that icons are important )

 

[Deego's Icon list] ok they are

Best get yourself off to Brazil then! Is it worth £600 for that last icon?

[Deego]

Best get yourself off to Brazil then! Is it worth £600 for that last icon?

I think so , but my cache hating misses is not so keen

[+klaus23]

No

Ah go on go on go on go on.... seen as we all asked nicely

[+welch]

It was a promotion for The Planet of the Apes film.

 

I believe there were film related items in the caches, thats why the cache cant be redone

Markwell has a nice little page, about project APE. And some details about mission 12 (the APE he helped hide in Joliet, IL, USA).

 

Apperently all the APE caches were large (rocket?) boxes that were specially stenciled with that monkey symbol, had a certain stenciled logbook, and of course started with a prop off the movie. Even if you could replace all those things, you'll likely have an uphill fight getting one unarchived. Its like a couple of of the other cache types... the old may not be archived, but your not likely to get any new ones.

Edited January 4, 2006 by welch

[Lactodorum]

No 

Ah go on go on go on go on.... seen as we all asked nicely

I would if I could but I can't so I won't

 

Actually it's no longer on the list of options so it's off to Brazil if you want one.......

[+klaus23]

Markwell has a nice little page, about project APE.

... which is linked to in the very first post in the thread.

 

Anyway, thanks to Lactodorum for the definitive answer and for everyone's contributions, I'll close the thread off now.