Difficulty and Terrain

[+RobDJr]

As far as I'm concerned, the only stat that has any relevance is "How Much Fun Are You Having?"

 

As long as you're having fun, you're doing it right and nothing else really matters...

[+Andromeda321]

Personally I'm not a fan usually of high difficulty terrain caches- frankly caches in the Netherlands are tough enough that half the time what would be a 3 star cache in the US is a mere 1.5 around here anyway I've noticed.

 

I do enjoy higher terrain caches for sure but frankly when you're in a country with one of the highest population densities on the planet that's very flat, and don't have a car, they're in short supply! I love heading back to the US because it's so much easier to go on nice long hikes there in the wilderness.

[+simpjkee]

I am always surprised at how low my terrain rating is. It's something like 1.57. I like going for the caches out in the desert and always think my terrain rating should be around 2, but I find a lot of urban caches also and that kills it. However, my terrain rating on active placed caches is higher than my terrain avg on found caches. I think it's somewhere around 2.7.

 

Lately, if I've been checking my caching performance by a statistic, it's been Challenge Points on www.lonelycache.com.

[+The Rat]

I find there's inconsistency on what is considered terrain and what is difficulty. For example, there are some urban caches that are drive-up and park, then climb a pole or tree. I consider that extra climbing step to be difficulty, not terrain. To me terrain refers to the surrounding ground (or water) -- the time and distance it takes to get there, the roughness, steepness. Climbing a telephone pole is a difficult task, but that's all it is -- a task. To me that's like picking a lock or spotting a cache well-hidden in camo. It requires a certain bravery perhaps, and some talent for it, but not much fitness or endurance. It should be difficulty. Others treat it as terrain and it's probably a case of tomato/tomahto. But I have seen one of those where it was rated a 4/4. They gave it high difficulty and high terrain. It really can't be both. The only thing hard about it was climbing the pole, and that can be either, but not both at the same time.

[+Team Bostradamus]

I think this is a great idea! I have been keeping an eye on mine, too.. although I only have a couple dozen finds, I'm already wanting to pick and choose harder caches when I can.. I like being in the hills here anyway and If I feel the need for a quick fix, if I don't feel like getting out there, or the weather is bad I'll go hit a guardrail to keep myself active..

I agree that it's not a competition but there's noting wrong with challenging yourself!

great topic!