+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Edited May 12, 2008 by We do checks and cache Quote Link to comment
Suscrofa Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I remember the time when women were not allowed to step in an english pub ! Quote Link to comment
+The Jester Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Why must anyone have to do every cache? There are many other caches that limit who can find it - climbing or scuba caches come to mind. And, of course, PMOC's. It just one cache. Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Why must anyone have to do every cache? There are many other caches that limit who can find it - climbing or scuba caches come to mind. And, of course, PMOC's. It just one cache. I could learn to climb or scuba, I'm not in favour of a sex change operation though. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Special equipment required'. Looks like a great cache by the way. Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Despite the so-called "rules" about the entry of women onto the peninsula at Mount Athos, the reality -- as many media articles have reported in the past few years -- is that at least several women have actually entered the peninsula over the past few years and there is also a movement underway in that region to reverse this ancient rule, which was apparently originally created to enforce the idea of a celibate monastic religious community of monks on the peninsula. It always pays to double-check and triple-check facts before assuming that a picture which has been presented is entirely black and white, with no grays. Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are ticketed to be flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe) within the next three hours, and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Edited May 12, 2008 by Vinny & Sue Team Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? ... Do the locals that live there think it is ok? This seems to (maybe) be a local custom or law, IMO not really something geocachers need to correct. Now if it was the cache owner claiming women can't do the cache I would think it unfair. Of course its not like Women Only caches haven't been attempted before. (There are probably more such caches out threads and caches out, but thats the one that comes to mind.) Quote Link to comment
+pklong Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe), and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Cripes. Want to place bets on how long until it causes a security scare? Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe), and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Yes that was my initial problem with the cache description. There is no mention of the fact that women are barred. It would seem there are quite a few restrictive caches about. More so than would at first be apparent but as long as it's made clear on the page, it would save a wasted journey. I only knew about Mount Athos because I HAVEN'T been there LOL only being a mere woman. Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Despite the so-called "rules" about the entry of women onto the peninsula at Mount Athos, the reality -- as many media articles have reported in the past few years -- is that at least several women have actually entered the peninsula over the past few years and there is also a movement underway in that region to reverse this ancient rule, which was apparently originally created to enforce the idea of a celibate monastic religious community of monks on the peninsula. It always pays to double-check and triple-check facts before assuming that a picture which has been presented is entirely black and white, with no grays. As a fellow platinum member, I want to thank Vinny for not exposing the real story behind this latest step in Signal the Frog's grand master plan of achieving world domination through subversive religion masquerading as science. Oops. Perhaps I should have sent Vinny an e-mail. Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe), and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Yes that was my initial problem with the cache description. There is no mention of the fact that women are barred. It would seem there are quite a few restrictive caches about. More so than would at first be apparent but as long as it's made clear on the page, it would save a wasted journey. I only knew about Mount Athos because I HAVEN'T been there LOL only being a mere woman. Quote Link to comment
+steve p Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? Interesting malaprop on your spelling of peninsula. Maybe this has something to do with why you want this particular cache banned??? Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? Interesting malaprop on your spelling of peninsula. Maybe this has something to do with why you want this particular cache banned??? Whoops How unfortunate. A Freudian slip Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? Interesting malaprop on your spelling of peninsula. Maybe this has something to do with why you want this particular cache banned??? Whoops How unfortunate. A Freudian slip I didn't say I wanted it BANNED!! Just pointing it out. Quote Link to comment
+angevine Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 What does "fair" mean? If the cache hider did not indicate that women are not permitted to go there, then it's the cache hider who is clearly at fault and an email to him justified. But if you're questioning the "fairness" of a culture other than your own, you may wish to re-examine your own values. I'm a woman and a feminist, yet when I travel I try to remember that other cultures have different values than I do. When I'm in Arabic countries, for example, I cover my head and wear a wedding band. Do I agree with those cultures? No: it's why I live on Cape Cod and not in Rabat. Do I have the right when I travel to their countries to judge them as being "unfair"? Not a chance. As another poster remarked, there are a lot of caches out there. Don't waste time and energy questioning the "fairness" of one with which you disagree. As in all things geocaching, there are a lot of ways to play the game. Ignore the ways that irritate you and concentrate on the ones you enjoy. Jeannette (angevine) Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 What does "fair" mean? If the cache hider did not indicate that women are not permitted to go there, then it's the cache hider who is clearly at fault and an email to him justified. But if you're questioning the "fairness" of a culture other than your own, you may wish to re-examine your own values. I'm a woman and a feminist, yet when I travel I try to remember that other cultures have different values than I do. When I'm in Arabic countries, for example, I cover my head and wear a wedding band. Do I agree with those cultures? No: it's why I live on Cape Cod and not in Rabat. Do I have the right when I travel to their countries to judge them as being "unfair"? Not a chance. As another poster remarked, there are a lot of caches out there. Don't waste time and energy questioning the "fairness" of one with which you disagree. As in all things geocaching, there are a lot of ways to play the game. Ignore the ways that irritate you and concentrate on the ones you enjoy. Jeannette (angevine) Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 What does "fair" mean? If the cache hider did not indicate that women are not permitted to go there, then it's the cache hider who is clearly at fault and an email to him justified. But if you're questioning the "fairness" of a culture other than your own, you may wish to re-examine your own values. I'm a woman and a feminist, yet when I travel I try to remember that other cultures have different values than I do. When I'm in Arabic countries, for example, I cover my head and wear a wedding band. Do I agree with those cultures? No: it's why I live on Cape Cod and not in Rabat. Do I have the right when I travel to their countries to judge them as being "unfair"? Not a chance. As another poster remarked, there are a lot of caches out there. Don't waste time and energy questioning the "fairness" of one with which you disagree. As in all things geocaching, there are a lot of ways to play the game. Ignore the ways that irritate you and concentrate on the ones you enjoy. Jeannette (angevine) As I said the cacher does not mention it anywhere. I was certainly not questioning the fairness of the culture. Quote Link to comment
+softball29 Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Also, I think this has been pointed out many times in other threads, but I believe it's pretty bad form to post a note on the cache's page as that's what the forums are for. An e-mail to the cache owner is probably a better thing. Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 Also, I think this has been pointed out many times in other threads, but I believe it's pretty bad form to post a note on the cache's page as that's what the forums are for. An e-mail to the cache owner is probably a better thing. I just wanted to let anyone visiting the cache page know that women wouldn't allowed onto Mount Athos. I have removed the note If I email him and he doesn't add a note how would women know? Quote Link to comment
+softball29 Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Well, I think someone pointed out earlier in the thread that this is an older ancient rule and that some women had been allowed. I would wait to see what the owner of the cache says in an e-mail and go from there. Just didn't seem like a note to post to a cache if, indeed, women were getting there as a previous poster mentioned. Quote Link to comment
+ReadyOrNot Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've recently discovered that there are places nearly everywhere that don't allow women. You may shudder when you learn that these places are not in Saudi Arabia, but here in our own country. Men's restrooms have been excluding women for as long as I can remember. This practice needs to be stopped!! We should not be excluding people based solely on gender. Girl Power! Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe), and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Cripes. Want to place bets on how long until it causes a security scare? Actually, it seems that there is no physical cache at the gate, and, if I recall, it was either a virtual (i.e., a legacy virtual, grandfathered in from the old days) or it was an ALR cache without a logbook; I totally forget which it was, as this was back in September 2005. Edited May 13, 2008 by Vinny & Sue Team Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Okay, since some folks seem to really believe the bland and entirely untrue assertion that no woman has ever set foot on Mount Athos in over 1,000 years, the reality -- much as I have referenced before -- is that a number of women have visited the peninsula. In fact, depending upon which version of history you believe, the peninsula was opened to female refugees anywhere from two times to seven times in its history, and numerous women -- most of them pilgrims or news reporters -- over the past hundred years (and likely earlier, as well) have disguised themselves as men or used other subterfuge to enter Mount Athos. And, more recently, at least one group of female protestors deliberately and publicly entered Mount Athos to protest the old rule. And, there are reports on the web and in the media that in a rather funny incident, a woman got a pilot friend to drop her off from his helicopter inside a monastic courtyard on Mount Athos, although she seems recently to have changed her story, claiming that it was an imaginary tale only. You will learn this and a lot more if you Google [women "mount athos"]! Quote Link to comment
+Team GeoBlast Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? Seems like it was fair for centuries until Geocaching came along. Quote Link to comment
+steve p Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I just wanted to let anyone visiting the cache page know that women wouldn't allowed onto Mount Athos. I have removed the note If I email him and he doesn't add a note how would women know? Why are you even creating so much angst about this? Don't be so indignant about a little cache that's 1500 miles away from you. Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I just wanted to let anyone visiting the cache page know that women wouldn't allowed onto Mount Athos. I have removed the note If I email him and he doesn't add a note how would women know? Why are you even creating so much angst about this? Don't be so indignant about a little cache that's 1500 miles away from you. Because I'm visiting Greece this summer and was looking for caches to do!! Seems there aren't many there at all. Might change my travel plans now. I've been there many times before. I have family there and I know women aren't allowed. As per a few posts, the only women who have entered have been disguised or helicoptered in. Wish I hadn't mentioned it now!! Heavens. My whole point is that he doesn't mention the fact that women aren't allowed. Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I just wanted to let anyone visiting the cache page know that women wouldn't allowed onto Mount Athos. I have removed the note If I email him and he doesn't add a note how would women know? Why are you even creating so much angst about this? Don't be so indignant about a little cache that's 1500 miles away from you. Because I'm visiting Greece this summer and was looking for caches to do!! Seems there aren't many there at all. Might change my travel plans now. I've been there many times before. I have family there and I know women aren't allowed. As per a few posts, the only women who have entered have been disguised or helicoptered in. Wish I hadn't mentioned it now!! Heavens. My whole point is that he doesn't mention the fact that women aren't allowed. Actually I've just thought, If the Greeks don't get plane spotting, there's no waaaaay they'll understand caching. Forget the whole thing. I'll go to the Canaries, loads there. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I see a decent amount in Greece, very varied and fun looking. Of course, it depends where you were planning to go, but it sounds like cache number was a major planning factor. Not ultra-dense but certainly enough for a good week or two in some areas coupled with sight seeing. Give me Greece over Tenerife any day. I can't really imagine there is much hotel action around Mount Athos ;P Edited May 12, 2008 by Maingray Quote Link to comment
+Team GeoBlast Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I just wanted to let anyone visiting the cache page know that women wouldn't allowed onto Mount Athos. I have removed the note If I email him and he doesn't add a note how would women know? Why are you even creating so much angst about this? Don't be so indignant about a little cache that's 1500 miles away from you. Because I'm visiting Greece this summer and was looking for caches to do!! Seems there aren't many there at all. Might change my travel plans now. I've been there many times before. I have family there and I know women aren't allowed. As per a few posts, the only women who have entered have been disguised or helicoptered in. Wish I hadn't mentioned it now!! Heavens. My whole point is that he doesn't mention the fact that women aren't allowed. OP.. before storming off in a hissy fit, try to open your mind and consider the choice of words you made in your post and retrace your steps just one more time. If you just wanted to make it known to future seekers that no women were allowed on Mount Athos, a simple email to the owner would have sufficed. But posting a note on the page and starting this thread using words like women are not allowed "EVER" and asking the question "is this fair?" led most everyone reading your post to believe differently. While I'll take your word that the exclusion of women was not your major gripe, it is attitudes (or the perception of such) that easily make the top five things that "local" people in the world cannot stand about visiting tourists. Keep this in the front of your mind when you travel and you will have a much pleasant experience. Edited May 12, 2008 by Team GeoBlast Quote Link to comment
+We do checks and cache Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 I see a decent amount in Greece, very varied and fun looking. Of course, it depends where you were planning to go, but it sounds like caching was a major planning factor. Not ultra-dense but certainly enough for a good week or two in some areas. Give me Greece over Tenerife any day. I can't really imagine there is much hotel action around Mount Athos ;P My family live in Kavala, which has a grand total of ONE. We're thinking of Fuerteventura now. Athens would be great for caching but doesn't appeal for a holiday with kids. Quote Link to comment
+ComputerCacheBug Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 With all the "Women only spas, etc" and the minorites only settings, why is it everyone always harps on anything that is Men only. Seriously Why do all doors that restrict anyone outside of male have to be open to the nosey women when they have plenty of places that forbid men. Give it a rest already so you can't get 1 cache out of how many? when that is the last cache available for you to find then bring up the whine fest. Until then get back in the kitchen and bake me some brownies. (That by the way is meant as sarcasm and humor, if you are offended then tough. Sick of people feeling that they are being discriminated against.) Quote Link to comment
+themeecer Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 What does "fair" mean? If the cache hider did not indicate that women are not permitted to go there, then it's the cache hider who is clearly at fault and an email to him justified. But if you're questioning the "fairness" of a culture other than your own, you may wish to re-examine your own values. I'm a woman and a feminist, yet when I travel I try to remember that other cultures have different values than I do. When I'm in Arabic countries, for example, I cover my head and wear a wedding band. Do I agree with those cultures? No: it's why I live on Cape Cod and not in Rabat. Do I have the right when I travel to their countries to judge them as being "unfair"? Not a chance. As another poster remarked, there are a lot of caches out there. Don't waste time and energy questioning the "fairness" of one with which you disagree. As in all things geocaching, there are a lot of ways to play the game. Ignore the ways that irritate you and concentrate on the ones you enjoy. Jeannette (angevine) I am a male who is a supporter of the original pro-life feminist movement. And I want to say thank you for articulating with class how adults should treat this cache. I would have no problem with a cache placed in an area that barred men. Quote Link to comment
+cache_test_dummies Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 A pretty lively discussion led up to, and followed this post a few years ago in the New England forum regarding a women-only event. Quote Link to comment
+joranda Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Chances are that most of us reading it will never get to even try for the cache anyways. I would love to do it, but don't see it in the budget any time soon. Quote Link to comment
+Metaphor Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I learned the other day that there's a cache in Iraq that I'm not allowed to do because I'm no longer on active duty. And there is a cache at a departure terminal gate in the Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt Germany, and the catch is that the terminal gate is accessible only to persons who are flying out of that gate (the gate usually services only relatively local flights to a few other nearby countries in Europe), and no one else is allowed by airport security personnel to access that gate area (I know for sure; I tried and was rebuffed!) The only thing that bothered me about this exclusive limiting factor is that there was no warning on the cache listing page about the exclusivity of access. Cripes. Want to place bets on how long until it causes a security scare? Actually, it seems that there is no physical cache at the gate, and, if I recall, it was either a virtual (i.e., a legacy virtual, grandfathered in from the old days) or it was an ALR cache without a logbook; I totally forget which it was, at this was back in September 2005. It's a virtual with a picture of you, your GPS and the gate number as the requirement. I did it last August while waiting for a flight to Helsinki at 3 am. Scary Picture. Quote Link to comment
Cache Whisperer Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 (edited) GOLF... Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden Edited May 13, 2008 by Cache Whisperer Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 A few folks seem to have accused the OP of having been overly strident in her original post. Personally, I do not see much in the way of any excess stridency in her post, with the sole exception perhaps of asking if the ache placement is "fair". The reality is, as many posters have pointed out, that it is not the cache owner who declared that women may have limited access to Mount Athos, but rather a one-thousand year old law. Much as Angevine pointed out, the OP, having brought this fascinating matter to our attention, is now free to let go of it and move on, knowing in any case that if she ever REALLY wishes to hunt that cache, she likely can, as the reality is that a number of women have entered Mount Athos in the past one hundred years. Beyond that, much as Angevine has stated, I could care less if an occasional cache happens to be located in an area open only to one of the following: only women only men only hermaphrodites who watch CSI episodes faithfully only severaly overweight airline passengers of Lithuanian ancestry aged over 67 years of age who are flying to a tiny city in Romania only serial killers who eat Cheerios for breakfast at least four times per week although, as noted earlier, I would personally prefer that the cache listing page explicitly list any such known limitations upon access. And likewise, I could care less if an occasional additional logging requirement (ALR) cache or an event, due to the preferences of the cache owner and the requisite preconditions stated clearly on the cache listing page, might limit finds or attendance only to a specialized category of persons, such as one of the categories listed above, or some other category. Such incidents simply do not bother me nor concern me, and I am free to ignore them (or to smile at the idea of such a cache or event) and move on. Quote Link to comment
+Smokey Bear Collector Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I'm thinking about restricting my own caches from morons, idiots and stupid people. Sadly, if I did that I'd not be allowed to perform my own cache maintainance Quote Link to comment
+GrateBear Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Ah, I call that payback! After all, is it fair that women can play in men's sports, but men can't play in women's sports? Quote Link to comment
+NeoAddict Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Sure why not? It's completely fair because that is the local custom. The ethnocentrism that runs rampant in our society is showing it's fangs here. Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 [*] only serial killers who eat Cheerios for breakfast at least four times per week Surely you meant cereal killers. I know, not funny..but i just couldn't resist Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 A pretty lively discussion led up to, and followed this post a few years ago in the New England forum regarding a women-only event. That topic was the first thing that popped into my mind. I was glad to see gc.com say sure, go for it. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I've recently discovered that there are places nearly everywhere that don't allow women. You may shudder when you learn that these places are not in Saudi Arabia, but here in our own country. Men's restrooms have been excluding women for as long as I can remember. This practice needs to be stopped!! We should not be excluding people based solely on gender. Girl Power! Not in McSorleys. At least not for a long time. We guys lamented the day they installed a ladies room. Quote Link to comment
+Morning Dew Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 (edited) I was thinking about this one on my drive home. At first I thought "Who cares..." then I thought in answer to the question "Is this fair?" Yes...it's fair and I would think it was fair if there were caches for women only. But then I thought...what if I substituded the words white and black for men and women. I would think it is unfair in answer to the question "Is this fair?" Why do I feel it is OK to create gender only caches but not racial only caches? So I've reconsidered my original thoughts and I have come with this feeling..... "All caches should be available to all people" Someone mentioned a scuba cache. This is still available to me. I don't scuba dive but if I wanted the cache bad enough I would still be able to go to the lengths required to get it. Climbing trees is another one. If a cache is 30' in a tree, I'm not getting it, I'll just skip it. I don't like heights but the cache is still available to me if I want it. This of course raises the question of handicap people..... I'll have to think on that for awhile but I'm still sticking to my original thoughts. All caches should be available to all people. Edited May 15, 2008 by Morning Dew Quote Link to comment
+critterator Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I've recently discovered that there are places nearly everywhere that don't allow women. You may shudder when you learn that these places are not in Saudi Arabia, but here in our own country. Men's restrooms have been excluding women for as long as I can remember. This practice needs to be stopped!! We should not be excluding people based solely on gender. Girl Power! Well, that's the last time I place a cache in the men's room!, but what if I have to pee really badly and the lineup for the ladies room is ridiculously long?? Quote Link to comment
+WRASTRO Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I've just seen that a cache which was published yesterday. It's in Greece on Mount Athos. No women are allowed on the penisula where the cache is set. EVER. Is this fair??? An ancient law exist which forbids a "road upon which a wheel can run" to be built between Karyes and the rest of the world. Mount Athos treasures it's isolation and is only accessible by boat. The basic conditions for admission are defined in a Chrysobullo (edict) which was issued by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos, in 1060 AD It is still valid and decrees that: (a) Women are never admitted into Mount Athos, ( a permit is required for anyone entering the territory and © overnight stay is forbidden except for those who have proven religious or scientific interests and are over 18 years old. The cache setterhas given great details about getting a permit but hasn't even mentioned that no women have access. Are there other caches like this in the world?? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-f163985087d9 Maybe this is a new addition to the cache page. Here is the beginning of the description: First contact "Holy Executive of the Holy Mountain Pilgrim's Bureau" in Thessaloniki to obtain a Diamonitirion (permit -visa) to entry the Athos peninsula and arrange an overnight stay in ex. Saint Anne Skete. I advise you to do this a few months before you want to go for the stash. The local Ortohdox rules are very strict, women are not allowed on Athos and will never get a Diamonitirion. Like it or not the restriction is clearly posted. I see no reason to have any issue with the cache. Why should cachers who do meet the requirements for seeking the cache feel bad because other cachers can't go there. It may not seem fair but I don't see that as a reason not to place a cache in a cool place. Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I've recently discovered that there are places nearly everywhere that don't allow women. You may shudder when you learn that these places are not in Saudi Arabia, but here in our own country. Men's restrooms have been excluding women for as long as I can remember. This practice needs to be stopped!! We should not be excluding people based solely on gender. Girl Power! according to the supreme court, women ARE allowed in men's restrooms where there is no parity, and the court defined parity as being about the same amount of time spent waiting in line, which means that physically there must be almost three times more actual toilets. so if you're at a public arena and there's a line for the women's room but not for the men's, women are permitted to use the men's room. ...not that they'd want to, especially. but it's legal. anyway, i'm generally against public or semi-public accomodations, entertainments, or services that are restricted according to race, color, religion, eithnicity, blah, blah, blah, but there are a few exceptions. the monastery at karyes is historically important and ought to be let stand as is. sorry girls, you don't need to get that one cache. Quote Link to comment
+steve p Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I'll have to think on that for awhile but I'm still sticking to my original thoughts. All caches should be available to all people.I wonder if another outlook on this is: The cache is available to all people. But the local government (or whatever the local authority is) has made the location inaccessible to women. Maybe the original gripe/complaint should instead be directed to the Greek governing authority, rather than to geocaching.com. Quote Link to comment
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