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Micro's up a tree


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There's a series of caches just published near me where you have to climb a tree to find a micro.

 

I know climbing trees is something that we've all done at one time or another, usually as children despite being told not to by our parents and this in turn we pass on to our children.

 

I know it sounds like fun but personally I think placing a cache where you have to climb a tree is a little dangerous, broken bones and God forbid worse comes to mind as well as damaging the tree when climbing it especially if it's going to be climbed again and again.

 

Two things, 1. are there other caches out there where you have to a climb tree to find a cache and 2. I'd be interested in your opinions on the subject.

 

Thanks in advance

 

TLHM

Edited by The Lavender Hill Mob
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There's a series of caches just published by me where you have to climb a tree to find a micro.

 

I know climbing trees is something that we've all done at one time or another, usually as children despite being told not to by our parents and this in turn we pass on to our children.

 

I know it sounds like fun but personally I think placing a cache where you have to climb a tree is a little dangerous, broken bones and God forbid worse comes to mind as well as damaging the tree when climbing it especially if it's going to be climbed again and again.

 

Two things, 1. are there other caches out there where you have to a climb tree to find a cache and 2. I'd be interested in your opinions on the subject.

 

Thanks in advance

 

TLHM

Probably a silly question, but if you have doubts about their safety, why did you publish them?

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We've found many caches of all sizes which have been up trees, at varying heights. Usually the cache owner has chosen a tree which is easy and relatively safe to climb. As with all caches, if you don't feel safe retrieving the cache then don't. You could return with a ladder if it's feasible and you feel more comfortable doing it that way.

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I know the series you are referring to, having just completed it ourselves. As well as the tree caches there are also nano's in the cicular series so you don't have to climb the trees. Not being a tree climber myself DS completed most of the climbs (I did one) and DH did the most difficult one.

 

I think people will make their own decisions on this series some of the climbs won't be attempted because they will look to diffficult. Other will. All the cache pages are published with warnings and like anything we do today we should take responsibilty for our own actions.

 

DS who is an apathetic cacher at best has rated these caches as WICKED and double thumbs up, anything that shakes him from his Preteen sulk is fine by me.

 

The trees chosen are all substantial and well established trees that will take and fair amount of clambering around.

 

I think these type are caches are good for some but not for others and in the long run it will be down to personal preference whether or not you do the climbs. Check out the circular walk though because it makes a nice stroll

Edited by skibumsuk
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I've done the Cryptic's Vertigo and agree they're not the safest place to put a cache. On the other hand, if I can get up and down in one piece, most people could. The amount of damage a tree might suffer depends on how many visits it gets and what species it is- I'd hope this was being monitored. If I was to come across the series I'd be interested in giving it a go; in theory they shouldn't be any more dangerous than caches near water, or across rocks, or the other side of a busy road- providing I pay attention and approach them with care.

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if it was stated in the description that you may have to climb, i would ignore the cache, but if i get there and then find its not accessable to most people, then i would be annoyed. i recently got to one cache that involved a bit of climbing or agility and i was so annoyed that this wasnt stated as im short and am not agile enough to climb things. i was just thankful that i had my 6 foot tall nephew with me and he helped retreive the cache.

 

in my opinion, people tend to mark hides as disabled friendly or not, but forget for us walkers that we still can have problems with hight issues.

 

this wouldnt be a bother if its in a dense cache area but when the caches are scarce we dont want to have to exclude caches on the grounds that we cant reach the darn things.

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It can't be any worse than caches on top of cliffs, rock formations or at high levels in places like the Lake District. There are scuba caches, and all sorts. So long as you stick to what YOU feel safe doing and can muster the willpower to walk on by if you don't think you can find the cache within sensible safety levels then the world will be fine.

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Two things, 1. are there other caches out there where you have to a climb tree to find a cache and 2. I'd be interested in your opinions on the subject.

 

Thanks in advance

 

TLHM

 

I did the Dragontree's Walk cache near Bromham, Bedfordshire which involves climbing a tree.

It is an interesting multi with the final cache hidden half way up a tree. The tree itself is like climbing a ladder with plenty of sturdy branches.

Yes accidents can and do happen, but we are all sensible enough to know our own limits and capabilities.

At 60 years of age, I thought twice about climbing the tree. Not for fear of falling though. As a retired Fire Officer I am used to heights and doing risk assessments.

No, my biggest fear was what I would say should a muggle pass by and spot me. I could hardly say I was looking for my dog, could I?

I could have said I was a tree surgeon carrying out a post operative examination on a broken branch or that I had just rescued a cat and it had just run away.

Seriously though. It is entirely up to the individual whether to get to the cache or not.

OVERANOUT

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As far as I'm concerned, if you're clearly warned in the description, then anything goes. People who aren't happy with the idea can simply ignore the cache.

In my experience they often ignore the description containing all the information and safety notes, if needed. They then write sarky logs when the get there and find "the coords are wrong" or "mine took me over a cliff! "Ahem! ;)

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Make your own decisions about whether its worth getting the cache. Some people ignore 1 difficulty and 1 terrain caches because they like a challenge. Like wise, people who don't like challenges can ignore the harder ones.

 

I think hiding caches up a tree is a great idea - far more rewarding than leaping out of a car to a lamppost and signing a log book. IMHO.

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I know it sounds like fun but personally I think placing a cache where you have to climb a tree is a little dangerous, broken bones and God forbid worse comes to mind as well as damaging the tree when climbing it especially if it's going to be climbed again and again.

 

Personally, I think life has become far too sanitised, and people are generally very scared to take any risks at all. Anything which involves a bit of adventure is great. If you want to do it, do it. If you don't, don't. Simple. There's plenty of 5/5 caches out there which are potentially lethal if you screw up on them, but that doesn't make them wrong. As long as you are sensible and don't take on anything you're not capable of, I don't see what the problem is. A bit of risk doesn't do anyone any harm, and you're probably more likely to get run over by a bus than fall out of a tree.

 

Lee

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No, my biggest fear was what I would say should a muggle pass by and spot me. I could hardly say I was looking for my dog, could I?

;) Made oi laff!

 

I don't think I'd bother with a cache up a tree, others might enjoy it though.

 

If the description (or hint) didn't say it was up a tree, and it turned out to be so, then I'd be a bit miffed. Then again, how would I find out without climbing the tree? So I'd just DNF it and go on my merry way. I wouldn't be in the area in the first place if I didn't think it was pleasant, so nothing lost.

 

Then again, I normally read other logs as well as the description and the hint, so if one log said "Nice view from the top of the tree. Unfortunately I fell out while signing the log." or similar I'd skip the cache.

 

On a more serious note, I would hope that a responsible cache setter would consider the potential for damage to the tree, and other surrounding trees (and shurbs and bushes and telegraph poles, and anything else vaguely tree-like) that would almost inevitably be climbed in error.

 

Edited to add: I do have one find that involved some tree climbing although it's not really "up" a tree. It was also in the middle of a nettle patch. I sent a friend in after it! :D (GCP5RD)

Edited by Team Sieni
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If the description (or hint) didn't say it was up a tree, and it turned out to be so, then I'd be a bit miffed.

I was going to say that the terrain rating normally gives you some sort of clue. But I did (or more accurately, I didn't) do one yesterday that needed a tree climb but which was only 1.5 terrain stars ;) I think I might have managed it except the lowest branch was a clear 6 feet off the ground, and the trunk was straight and smooth up to that point, so there way no way I was going to get started.

 

Rgds, Andy

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I was going to say that the terrain rating normally gives you some sort of clue. But I did (or more accurately, I didn't) do one yesterday that needed a tree climb but which was only 1.5 terrain stars ;) I think I might have managed it except the lowest branch was a clear 6 feet off the ground, and the trunk was straight and smooth up to that point, so there way no way I was going to get started.

Rgds, Andy

 

That's not good, IMO. As you describe it, I think it should have been a 3* terrain at least - That was the grade for the one above, where I had to climbed, so at least we were expecting there would be something "tricky" about it.

 

MrsB

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Just for your information, I have published a bookmark listing of 'EXTREME' caches which includes many tree climbing caches as well as other quite interesting challenges that are somewhat different from the normal 'box under a pile of sticks' type of cache.

I hope you find it useful and please contact me if you have any caches that you feel should be added to the listing

Cheers

Andy

;);):Dhttp://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.a...ae-e0f56c7c6c5c

Edited by Cache U Nutter
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My micro up a tree has 51 finds and no deaths.

 

That you know of.... dead folk aren't big on logging :P

Maybe not in your neck of the woods.

But over here logging fatalities are commonplace.. :D

 

Then perhaps we should disallow them, in the same way as some head teachers stop children from running on the playgroung for health and safety reasons !!!

What I like about Geocaching [and rock climbing] is that you are allowed to get on with your life in the way that you want to without the risk of some lefty jobsworth obstructing my civil liberty !

Rant over !!

:D:ph34r::D:D:D:D

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My micro up a tree has 51 finds and no deaths.

 

That you know of.... dead folk aren't big on logging :P

Maybe not in your neck of the woods.

But over here logging fatalities are commonplace.. :D

 

Then perhaps we should disallow them, in the same way as some head teachers stop children from running on the playground for health and safety reasons !!!

What I like about Geocaching [and rock climbing] is that you are allowed to get on with your life in the way that you want to without the risk of some lefty jobsworth obstructing my civil liberty !

Rant over !!

:D:ph34r::D:D:D:D

Edited by Cache U Nutter
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Why in the world would anyone want to place a cache like that? I honestly don't get it.

Haven't you ever climbed a tree in your life? Don't you like an extra challenge? No?

 

We're all different and some of us like this sort of thing, some of us don't. The beauty of this sport is that there's room for all tastes, just don't attempt ones you don't like and move on to another one which you do. Simple!

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Serious tree monkeys may like to have a look at the gallery pics for The Tallest Tree in the Forest.

I don't think we've got any tree caches up to this standard in U.K. - Or am I wrong?

 

MrsB

 

For my 500th cache celebration I have plans for a significant tree cache to rival anything out there in the world.

The plan is to put a cache 80ft up a Douglas Fir which is only remarkable by the fact that the tree only has branches at the very top !

Why you may well ask ?

I don't know is my only reply !!!!!

:huh::huh::o:o;);)

Edited by Cache U Nutter
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Serious tree monkeys may like to have a look at the gallery pics for The Tallest Tree in the Forest.

I don't think we've got any tree caches up to this standard in U.K. - Or am I wrong?

 

MrsB

 

For my 500th cache celebration I have plans for a significant tree cache to rival anything out there in the world.

The plan is to put a cache 80ft up a Douglas Fir which is only remarkable by the fact that the tree only has branches at the very top !

Why you may well ask ?

I don't know is my only reply !!!!!

:o:o;);):):huh:

 

don't you dare! :huh:

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For my 500th cache celebration I have plans for a significant tree cache to rival anything out there in the world.

The plan is to put a cache 80ft up a Douglas Fir which is only remarkable by the fact that the tree only has branches at the very top !

Why you may well ask ?

I don't know is my only reply !!!!!

:o;);):):D:huh:

 

Excellent! So my comment over here on the Pub Quiz was almost spot-on!

 

MrsB :o:huh:

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Normally I don't tend to attempt caches with a terrain of about 3 and above, because I know I'm not able to do them. Today however, was another matter!!

 

Team Marzipan are another team that like to have a VAST array of difficulty and terrain caches, and Fear 5 - the only way is up is thair latest offering of "daft" caches. I put it on my igniore list, but during the week, a few of us had discussions as to how we could do this cache, and this morning at 9am, three of us did it. (OK, I was the official phoographer - you HAVE to have photos taken - so I can claim a find!)

 

It was 45 - 50 ft up a tree, and USNU did it using climbing ropes and harnesses, although I'm told Team Lettuce sent their young son up with no equipment!!! eeeek!

 

Personally, it's up to you - whatever floats your boat, whatever you enjoy, you should do. It's no secret I love drive bys, I love short walk, but I HATE multis... equally, my parents HATE drivebys and their caches are ALL multis.

 

Everybody plays the game their own way remember!!!

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For my 500th cache celebration I have plans for a significant tree cache to rival anything out there in the world.

The plan is to put a cache 80ft up a Douglas Fir which is only remarkable by the fact that the tree only has branches at the very top !

Why you may well ask ?

I don't know is my only reply !!!!!

:o;);):):D:huh:

 

Excellent! So my comment over here on the Pub Quiz was almost spot-on!

 

MrsB :o:huh:

 

Very close indeed ! forgot about the pub quiz , I was supposed to have set a question !

:D:D

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