Doing the Chiltern Hundred

[+Wilburii]

I was considering having a bash at the Chiltern Hundred on the weekend of the longest day which is 20th/21st June. This would be something of an expedition - go over on Friday night, get up ridiculously early on Saturday morning (in the dark and greet the sunrise) and then keep on caching until the job's done and then crash out until Sunday when it's time to go and grab some more - there are other rings not too far away, although not of the same intensity - and then slither away home in time for another week's slog at the office. This therefore is not for the faint hearted as the walking's quite a way, and the hunting will take a while; but more folk looking ought to make it a bit easier...

 

So my question is - would anyone care to join me?

[+saddler21]

I'd tentatively be up for it. I was toying with the idea of doing it over this coming BH weekend (an extra day recovery time) but if there's enough interest, I'll hold off until the June date.

[fatdave42]

This sound good. I would like a nice long walk and a very good charnce to get up catched up. Let me know when you have any more info.

[team tisri]

Do you have a link to the caches? Would be interesting to know more.

[fatdave42]

Do you have a link to the caches? Would be interesting to know more.

 

Have a look at Ciltern Hundred website

 

Dave

[+UKCacheMag]

Im interested ....keep meaning to try this series

[+UKCacheMag]

Im interested in giving this a try.....

Edited May 5, 2009 by DivingDJ

[+drsolly]

Family-Wood just did the whole 109, plus the Bonus, in 8 hours! The youngest to complete it in one day is aged 12. So, no excuses. You can do it.

 

Read the Chiltern-Hundred page for info about accomoodation, and other such detail, and you can email me with any questions.

 

Just before you set off, check the Chiltern-Hundred page again, because that will have the latest info about caches currently disabled, replaced etc- it means you don't have to check 110 different pages.

 

Good luck with your adventure!

[team tisri]

OK, having remembered that the Chilterns aren't the Cotswolds and seeing this loop won't leave me driving for miles, my interest levels are rising.

[fatdave42]

OK, having remembered that the Chilterns aren't the Cotswolds and seeing this loop won't leave me driving for miles, my interest levels are rising.

 

Go one, you know that you want too.

[team tisri]

Liking the idea, subject to getting a suitable day for a group to go. I'm not so much into caching with a huge group but Mrs Tisri isn't interested in a walk of that length and I'd rather not be doing it alone. Some company, and some extra pairs of eyes to hunt, are always good things on a long walk.

[+drsolly]

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help the group or groups.

[fatdave42]

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help the group or groups.

 

Thanks drsolly.

 

This should be a good day I think.

[+Harry the furry squid]

I've been looking at doing this too . . . anyone know of a campsite in the area?

 

(Doesn't need to be anything posh - six feet of flat-ish grass, a tap and a toilet will do!)

[+Babsbaby]

I'm planning a visit after the next Bank Holiday on 26/27 May. Looking forward to it!

[+2202]

The original Chiltern Hundreds - John Stonehouse...Enoch Powell...Ian Paisley...Leon Brittan and Neil Kinnock series can be properly completed in little over two hours, unless you just want another power trail.

[fatdave42]

I'm planning a visit after the next Bank Holiday on 26/27 May. Looking forward to it!

 

How did you get on?

[+Wilburii]

Right folks, having been silent because of other much more boring things, and then a crisis about doing this because of needing to be a chauffeur for an exam (got out of that one), I'm now ready to think about this properly.

 

I'm definitely doing this, so it's a question of is anyone still interested and how we sort out the practicalities.

 

I was planning to find somewhere to stay overnight on Friday to get an early start (dawn or there abouts) on Saturday - how early depends on a number of things, like, how close I get to stay, how many caches folk want to do (ie The 100 and then some, or just stick with The 100), how early other folk can turn up. etc.

 

Thoughts, observations anyone on how you'd like this taken forward?

 

I'm quite laid back about how it happens; but unless anyone comes up with something better, then my half-baked idea is to start early, do The 100 in sequence and then, if the fancy takes me, go off to find another ring or two close by. Then I plan to crash out where I stayed the previous night and get half a day's caching in before returning to the bosom of my family to celebrate the remains of fathers' day!

 

I'd quite like to stay somewhere that won't object to a car driving off at/before dawn. This would suggest either a campsite or a chain hotel. I can't see that going down well at a B&B. As I'm stingy the camping sounds good (or is it just that it's been so long since I did any that I'm getting nostalgic). Having said that I've not found a spot especially close yet. Either sort of place would mean that breakfast shouldn't be a problem - just get your own when you want it! Other food during the day would be either acquired en route (if places are passed where these things can happen) or, more probably, brought along from home. Evening meal to be something from a hostelry or restaurant or chippy or whatever delusions heat stroke brings on.

[team tisri]

Still interested in doing the ring, but the weekend of 20/1 June isn't going to work for me.

[fatdave42]

I have got the date in my diary. I will Pm you so we can talk a bit better about this>

 

Any one else up for a good day / weekend?

 

Dave

[+Babsbaby]

I'm planning a visit after the next Bank Holiday on 26/27 May. Looking forward to it!

 

How did you get on?

 

Thanks for asking!

 

Day 1: After driving from Winchester and a late start we set off on the ring at 1330hrs. We parked at the Black Cat pub (with permission) in Lye Green and started with #018. The Chesham Ring took us 6hrs45mins but we had 2 DNFs that took up some time as well as meeting another caching team and stopping for a bit of geochat. Hit my 1900th cache find in there somewhere. Got back to the pub at 2015 and had superb home made steak pie (TK had gammon steak) both excellent! Landlady thought we were nutters, but was very welcoming and happy for us to tell our friends about them. They also serve breakfasts. Cashed in some Best Western points and stayed in High Wycombe eight miles away. Weather was fab all day!

 

Day 2: Back to Chesham after a big old breakfast and a couple of c 'n' ds in High Wycombe. We parked in Codgells Lane which is close to the crossover point for the Ashridge and Chartridge rings and set off on the Ashridge ring. We had one DNF at ch050 which we took ages over - the cache is there, we just couldn't find it! Otherwise the ring took us a tad under four hours. It was raining most of the morning and by the time we got back to the car, we were pretty soggy. We ate the sarnies bought from the supermarket earlier and pondered going on. However the rain stopped and it brightened up so I changed my wet boots for dry socks and trainers and we hit the last loop. Lots and lots of tree climbing needed for the Chartridge ring and a couple of tricky hides but we were round in 3.5 hours and no DNFs. The amble back to the car was almost vertical (it seemed!). Next problem was getting internet access to get the bonus co-ords - we couldn't find any and my phone isn't that clever so we had to go home without the bonus and me only five caches off my 2000 - my target was to find the bonus as my 2000th find, but it wasn't to be. My legs had absolutely stopped working by now so the chauffeur drove me home and bought me a bag of chips as a reward!

 

In summary - it was an excellent couple of days. Quite physically challenging - there are more hills than on the Mega Series and I applaud anyone who can do the whole lot in one day. I hit two personal bests with 47 finds on day 1 and 61 finds on day 2, but had to save the big celebration for later. I hope to be back in the area in a few weeks and would love to finish the series off - if anyone has any clues for ch001, ch022 and ch050 I'd be very grateful!

[fatdave42]

Wilburii it looks like it is just the two of us doing this.

[+drsolly]

ch001; there's a hint, but you need to look carefully at things to see it. Once you've seen the hint, the cache is very close.

 

ch022; google the hint, that should make it obvious what you're looking for.

 

ch050; one of my favourite hides. It's in plain sight, if you're in the right place, and anyone going down the lane, is in the right place for a moment.

[+drsolly]

A suggestion - if you don't think you'll be able to get internet access while you're in the field, arrange for a friend to be given the info by phone, and call you back with the results.

[fatdave42]

A suggestion - if you don't think you'll be able to get internet access while you're in the field, arrange for a friend to be given the info by phone, and call you back with the results.

 

Thanks

 

This was my plan, it is eather that or use my iphone.

[fatdave42]

ch001; there's a hint, but you need to look carefully at things to see it. Once you've seen the hint, the cache is very close.

 

ch022; google the hint, that should make it obvious what you're looking for.

 

ch050; one of my favourite hides. It's in plain sight, if you're in the right place, and anyone going down the lane, is in the right place for a moment.

 

I have just looked at the hint for ch022. I go to that park at lest one a week for work, so that is easy to work out without google.

 

David.

[+boo and chick]

sorry if i missed it but are you guys still planning on doing this on the 20th/21st June? or is it another date?

 

if anyone is up for doing a weekend in july let me know

[+Wilburii]

sorry if i missed it but are you guys still planning on doing this on the 20th/21st June? or is it another date?

 

if anyone is up for doing a weekend in july let me know

 

Yes we're still on for next weekend - if you're free then you're more than welcome - as would anyone else reading this!

[+drsolly]

sorry if i missed it but are you guys still planning on doing this on the 20th/21st June? or is it another date?

 

if anyone is up for doing a weekend in july let me know

 

Yes we're still on for next weekend - if you're free then you're more than welcome - as would anyone else reading this!

 

Could you help me out - take a bunch of spare logs, and add a "page 2" to any that are filled up? It'll mean I have a bit less maintenance to do. A spare log is just a sheet of A4 paper with lines printed across to show people where to sign. If you can't do the lines, then just a blank sheet would help me.

 

Thanks.

[team tisri]

sorry if i missed it but are you guys still planning on doing this on the 20th/21st June? or is it another date?

 

if anyone is up for doing a weekend in july let me know

 

The weekend of 20/21 is no good for me, but a weekend in July may work, depending on which one.

[+Wilburii]

Could you help me out - take a bunch of spare logs, and add a "page 2" to any that are filled up? It'll mean I have a bit less maintenance to do. A spare log is just a sheet of A4 paper with lines printed across to show people where to sign. If you can't do the lines, then just a blank sheet would help me.

 

Thanks.

 

I nearly always carry spare log sheets when I'm out and about, especially if I've read beforehand that logsheets are full or too wet. Actaully, this time I was considering not doing so, to cut down on clutter. But now you've said the word I'm more than happy to help and I'll be glad to print some more sheets and take them along with me. Do you have a feel for how many are likely to want a little TLC - just so I can work out how big a wedge of paper to take with me?

[fatdave42]

Wilburii. I throght I asked you to stay of the forams until Sunday, to stop you batting any more daft idears of what we should do this weekend.

 

At least this one is ok. If you print them off I will Cary some also.

 

Fatdave42

 

Could you help me out - take a bunch of spare logs, and add a "page 2" to any that are filled up? It'll mean I have a bit less maintenance to do. A spare log is just a sheet of A4 paper with lines printed across to show people where to sign. If you can't do the lines, then just a blank sheet would help me.

 

Thanks.

 

I nearly always carry spare log sheets when I'm out and about, especially if I've read beforehand that logsheets are full or too wet. Actaully, this time I was considering not doing so, to cut down on clutter. But now you've said the word I'm more than happy to help and I'll be glad to print some more sheets and take them along with me. Do you have a feel for how many are likely to want a little TLC - just so I can work out how big a wedge of paper to take with me?