Where Have All The Old Virgin Caches Gone?

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

When we first started geocaching we kept a search on on GcUK of virgin caches more than 1 month old, and as late as January 2006 there always seemed to be about three dozen of them lurking out there. With Hezekiah's FTF on Points West I decided to go take a peek again only to discover that the list is down to 7 caches.

1. 
   [1]

GCJQ71 - Where The Wild Puffins Roam - 3/2 traditional cache on an island of Co Wexford
[2]GCPZZ7 - Buchan's Retreat - 3/4 traditional tucked away by Lock Coruisk, Isle of Skye
[3]GCR6EY - Bloodshed and Tears - 2/2 Central London multicache
[4]GCRVFE - Lewis Alone: Rough Science and the Sport of Kings - Oxfordshire 5/5 puzzle cache
[5]GCV7KT - Going Holm - 2/1 traditional on Steep Holm island, Bristol Channel
[6]GCV7XW - Solent 3 (so near and yet so far) - 2/5 multi/puzzle somewhere within 15km of Bembridge, Isle of Wight
[7]GCVG27 - Wolf's Craig or Lucia di Lammermoor - 2/3.5 remotish coastal location in Scottish Borders

Our question is what has happened, are cachers getting better at finding, placers running out of ideas, more of us getting out now or is it just harder to place caches in remote difficult to get to parts of the British Isles. Does anyone have any ideas what is going on?

 

Chae & Dan - off school with the sniffles

Edited June 6, 2006 by Jango & Boba Fett

[+Mr'D]

Our question is what has happened, are cachers getting better at finding, placers running out of ideas, more of us getting out now or is it just harder to place caches in remote difficult to get to parts of the British Isles.

I wouldn't say cachers are getting better at finding, other than more and more of us are increasing our cache finds and so gaining more experience.

More likely new caches are being found quicker because of the increasing numbers of us?

Who knows, in 5 years time there may be so many caches about that the only challenge will be figuring out which one you have stumbled across

 

Thanks for the list BTW - there is an interesting one here, now on my expedition shortlist

 

Jon

[+Flyfishermanbob]

You could add this one......

 

Hestan Island Hop

 

looks like owners used the wrong log.

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

Thanks Flyfishermanbob, emailed Shep & Seren and have ammended the list to Eight. Shep & Seren are always worth looking out for as they did have at least three on the list back in January. The Oldest VirginCache list now reads:

• [1]

GCJQ71 - Where The Wild Puffins Roam - 3/2 traditional cache on an island of Co Wexford
[2]GCPZZ7 - Buchan's Retreat - 3/4 traditional tucked away by Lock Coruisk, Isle of Skye
[3]GCR6EY - Bloodshed and Tears - 2/2 Central London multicache
[4]GCPQ7K - Heston Island Hop - 5/5 remotish island in the Solway Firth
[5]GCRVFE - Lewis Alone: Rough Science and the Sport of Kings - Oxfordshire 5/5 puzzle cache
[6]GCV7KT - Going Holm - 2/1 traditional on Steep Holm island, Bristol Channel
[7]GCV7XW - Solent 3 (so near and yet so far) - 2/5 multi/puzzle somewhere within 15km of Bembridge, Isle of Wight
[8]GCVG27 - Wolf's Craig or Lucia di Lammermoor - 2/3.5 remotish coastal location in Scottish Borders

[+Simply Paul]

If no one else has got it, I'll have a go at the Skye one when I'm next in the area, which may well be August time.

[+Teuchters]

Buchan's Retreat at Coruisk on Skye has had four "visits" - all DNF's unfortunately. Admittedly, two of these were groups who didn't actually get there in the first place - it is a long serious trip to get there. If anybody wants any details, please get in touch with me - I have made this trip many times and by a variety of routes.

 

I'm not sure if it would be worthwhile visiting it specially because of the uncertainty of not finding it at present. However, Coruisk is a stunningly beautiful place and worthwhile even if the cache is not found. The placer appears to live in Connecticut USA and it also seems that there is no local maintainer - it certainly makes no reference to this on the cache page.

 

A holiday / vacation cache that slipped through the net? Do our esteemed reviewers know??

[+Simply Paul]

I may attack via the sea, and it's an area of Skye I've never visited so it'll be fun even if the cache has vanished. Several others on the island I've not found too so it'd not be a wasted journey either way.

[+lathama]

Holiday cache or not, i think it would be prudent to keep the cache live until after someone has been - as archiving it now could mean that a box is left in the wild and will then never be found.

[Lactodorum]

A holiday / vacation cache that slipped through the net? Do our esteemed reviewers know??

 

Thanks for the concern but be assured that a valid maintenance plan has been in place since it was published. As you might have seen, the owner will be checking it out next month. In the meantime it is just disabled.

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

Thought I'd update the Oldest VirginCache list having been off stravaging round the Borders and Highlands for a couple of weeks. Thanks to flipflopnick and McLöt Heston Island and Buchan's Retreat have been found, Heston Island is a great cache, though watch out for wet feet! But the good news is that there are three new kids on the block so theOldest VirginCache list now reads:

• [1]

GCJQ71 - Where The Wild Puffins Roam - 3/2 traditional cache on an island of Co Wexford
[2]GCR6EY - Bloodshed and Tears - 2/2 Central London multicache
[3]GCRVFE - Lewis Alone: Rough Science and the Sport of Kings - Oxfordshire 5/5 puzzle cache
[4]GCV7KT - Going Holm - 2/1 traditional on Steep Holm island, Bristol Channel
[5]GCV7XW - Solent 3 (so near and yet so far) - 2/5 multi/puzzle somewhere within 15km of Bembridge, Isle of Wight
[6]GCVG27 - Wolf's Craig or Lucia di Lammermoor - 2/3.5 remotish coastal location in Scottish Borders
[7] GCW0CG - A Matter of Time - The Hoard - 5/2 bonus puzzle at the end of a series of 7 in Oxfordshire
[8] GCW5NR - Dorking's 3Ws: Westcott Micro Cache - 4/1 puzzle cache in Surrey
[9] GCWA8T - Terminator 0 - 4/1.5 puzzle cache near Newcastle on Tyne

Edited June 30, 2006 by Jango & Boba Fett

[+Alboy]

Keep off No 8 - Westcott Micro - solved that one tday and might be a day or two before I get there!!!

[+Son Of Windswept]

I may attack via the sea, and it's an area of Skye I've never visited so it'll be fun even if the cache has vanished. Several others on the island I've not found too so it'd not be a wasted journey either way.

 

Great place for a cache :-) Been there 3 or 4 times. One of the more "remote" places in the UK. Enjoy the seals.

 

Paul

[+Molinnis]

Noticed No4 "Going Holm" on the list was found by Purple Penquins at the end of July.

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

Thought I'd update the Oldest VirginCache list having been off stravaging round the Borders and Highlands for a couple of weeks. Thanks to flipflopnick and McLöt Heston Island and Buchan's Retreat have been found, Heston Island is a great cache, though watch out for wet feet! But the good news is that there are three new kids on the block so theOldest VirginCache list now reads:

• [1]

GCJQ71 - Where The Wild Puffins Roam - 3/2 traditional cache on an island of Co Wexford
[2]GCR6EY - Bloodshed and Tears - 2/2 Central London multicache
[3]GCRVFE - Lewis Alone: Rough Science and the Sport of Kings - Oxfordshire 5/5 puzzle cache
[4]GCV7KT - Going Holm - 2/1 traditional on Steep Holm island, Bristol Channel
[5]GCV7XW - Solent 3 (so near and yet so far) - 2/5 multi/puzzle somewhere within 15km of Bembridge, Isle of Wight
[6]GCVG27 - Wolf's Craig or Lucia di Lammermoor - 2/3.5 remotish coastal location in Scottish Borders
[7] GCW0CG - A Matter of Time - The Hoard - 5/2 bonus puzzle at the end of a series of 7 in Oxfordshire
[8] GCW5NR - Dorking's 3Ws: Westcott Micro Cache - 4/1 puzzle cache in Surrey
[9] GCWA8T - Terminator 0 - 4/1.5 puzzle cache near Newcastle on Tyne

1, 4, 6, 8 & 9 have all now been found, however there are some new "old virgins" to add so I will update the list soon.