If 3-star Caches are Hard for Me, 5-stars Might Kill Me...

[+Southern_Comfort]

To be honest, I've been kind of intimidated by the caches rated five stars in difficulty because the three-star ones are quite a challenge for me. I feel like if I try to find a five-star cache, my head will explode with frustration.

 

I know some of you guys have come across some of the five stars, and I was just wondering if you could give me some advice when I finally decide to take the leap into five-star caches or give me some ideas on how hard the five stars actually are

[+DragonsWest]

Not all 5D and 5T are created equal.

 

5D may simply mean you need the right tool, such as a UV flashlight.

 

5T may simply mean you have to drive to it in a 4WD vechicle because it's in an OHV park where foot traffic ist verboten.

[+Southern_Comfort]

There is a "5T" (much easier to say than 5-star terrain ) near me, which requires getting to an island via a boat or when Lake Superior freezes over, so I can see what you mean.

 

If that's the case, though, there should be a separate notification for cachers if they need special equipment, rather than having 5D or 5T show that special equipment is needed because sometimes a cache may be much harder to find than 4D or 4T, yet doesn't require special equipment. That's my opinion, though

[+StarBrand]

Never confuse terrain and difficulty.

 

To me Terrain should be rated at the worst part of the typical walk to the cache's location. I've been to some true 4's and they were really tough.

 

Difficulty is how hard it is to find the cache once you have arrived (as close as possible) to the cache location.

[+Mom-n-Andy]

A lot of 5 star difficulty caches are puzzle caches - the puzzle is often the hardest part. The hide itself may be no harder than a 1.5 or 2 traditional might be.

 

The thing to watch out for is 5 star terrain. That might actually kill the unprepared.

[+Harry Dolphin]

And remember that 5 stars can be severely over-rated. I've done 5 5 star terrain caches. Tem miles of hiking over city streets and park paths over the two years that it took me? 3T at most. Driving a thousand miles all over New Jersey? Is that a 5T?

It's them 4T and 4.5T that you have to watch out for! They're more properly rated! Did a 4T over the weekend. I overshot, and didn't have to climb 40' down the cliff. But 4T it was!

[cezanne]

 

Difficulty is how hard it is to find the cache once you have arrived (as close as possible) to the cache location.

 

No, not necessarily - do not forget about puzzle caches.

 

Cezanne

[+DragonsWest]

There is a "5T" (much easier to say than 5-star terrain ) near me, which requires getting to an island via a boat or when Lake Superior freezes over, so I can see what you mean.

 

If that's the case, though, there should be a separate notification for cachers if they need special equipment, rather than having 5D or 5T show that special equipment is needed because sometimes a cache may be much harder to find than 4D or 4T, yet doesn't require special equipment. That's my opinion, though

 

A couple years ago I was in Grand Rapids, MI and considered going after a cache which was on an island in the middle of a pond. I knew the ice would be sufficiently strong for me to just walk across, thus foiling the high Terrain rating. Alas, I was always nearby when it was dark, so never got into the park for it.

[+briansnat]

It's been my experience that the overwhelming majority of 5 star ratings for both difficulty and terrain are way off and probably no harder than many of the 3 star caches you've encountered. I have a 5/5 among my finds and it was so unremarkable that I have no idea which cache it was. You'd think a 5/5 would be the memory of a lifetime. At least it should be.

 

If in doubt look at the logs. If you see a 5 star difficulty cache with few or no DNFs, or a 5 star terrain cache there isn't log after log of an ultra demanding adventure, or at least mention of specialized equipment, then don't hesitate to go for them as they are likely overrated.

[+Southern_Comfort]

There is a "5T" (much easier to say than 5-star terrain ) near me, which requires getting to an island via a boat or when Lake Superior freezes over, so I can see what you mean.

 

If that's the case, though, there should be a separate notification for cachers if they need special equipment, rather than having 5D or 5T show that special equipment is needed because sometimes a cache may be much harder to find than 4D or 4T, yet doesn't require special equipment. That's my opinion, though

 

A couple years ago I was in Grand Rapids, MI and considered going after a cache which was on an island in the middle of a pond. I knew the ice would be sufficiently strong for me to just walk across, thus foiling the high Terrain rating. Alas, I was always nearby when it was dark, so never got into the park for it.

I would have gone for the one on the island near me, but we had a warm winter this year, and I didn't want to risk it

[cezanne]

If in doubt look at the logs. If you see a 5 star difficulty cache with few or no DNFs, [stuff about terrain deleted]

 

then don't hesitate to go for them as they are likely overrated.

 

I do not agree. There can be very hard, but nice puzzle caches where finding the cache is a piece of cake once the coordinates are obtained. Why should there be many DNFs?

 

Cezanne

Edited March 19, 2012 by cezanne

[+lamoracke]

agree that the 4 and 4.5 terrain caches are on average tougher than the 5 terrain ones. 5 terrains can be a relatively easy boat trip or a tree that is a minor climb or the max something thinks their challenge is to do. Obviously any one cache can have x terrain or difficulty and many could find it wrong, but on average, the 4.5 terrain ones are tougher to find as do-able for me than the 5 terrain ones.

[+briansnat]

If in doubt look at the logs. If you see a 5 star difficulty cache with few or no DNFs, [stuff about terrain deleted]

 

then don't hesitate to go for them as they are likely overrated.

 

I do not agree. There can be very hard, but nice puzzle caches where finding the cache is a piece of cake once the coordinates are obtained. Why should there be many DNFs?

 

Cezanne

 

It's a general rule of thumb, not a law. There are exceptions and puzzles may be among them.

[cezanne]

 

It's a general rule of thumb, not a law. There are exceptions and puzzles may be among them.

 

I guess that how one understands what you wrote depends on which part the world one comes from. There are areas where about 1/3 of all active caches are puzzles caches.

 

Cezanne

Edited March 20, 2012 by cezanne

[+Andromeda321]

I have quite a few terrain 5 caches thanks to spending summer vacation on a lake with many an island cache nearby. They've been really fun to find, but everyone has a boat in that part of the world so not as difficult as you'd think IMO. There's also a fun T5 cache in Amsterdam that's under a bridge so you have to rent a boat to get it which was quite fun.

 

In general I do prefer high terrain caches though find most times the terrain is highly overrated in my experience- I suspect this has something to do with both where you are (an Ohio 4T isn't the same as one in Colorado!) and the age/fitness level of the cacher who hid it. My college friends and I got more than a few folks telling us our terrain ratings were too low for the ones we hid who were a few decades our senior.

 

As for difficulty ratings, they are way more inflated in the USA than in Europe (for example). Most of my caches I've found around here would count as a few stars in difficulty in the USA but you're lucky if they're rated as a 1.5 in Europe.

[+jellis]

There is a "5T" (much easier to say than 5-star terrain ) near me, which requires getting to an island via a boat or when Lake Superior freezes over, so I can see what you mean.

 

If that's the case, though, there should be a separate notification for cachers if they need special equipment, rather than having 5D or 5T show that special equipment is needed because sometimes a cache may be much harder to find than 4D or 4T, yet doesn't require special equipment. That's my opinion, though

If the CO added them,that's what attributes are for. Plus if the finder actually looks at the them.

I have cache out that is a 5 difficulty. You need a smartphone, Blacklight and a Chirp enabled GPS. All showing in my attributes. The tools could be borrowed from someone who has them. If not then don't do it.

Recently some cachers didn't bother reading the hints or the attributes when they tried for mine. They went to stage one with a smartphone but realized they couldn't finish because they didn't have the rest of the tools needed. If they paid attention they wouldn't have wasted a trip.

[+OZ2CPU]

>If they paid attention they wouldn't have wasted a trip.

 

and you newer did that :-)

haha.. ok I can inform you, we did a few times, darn good..

 

about ratings, it is supposed to be made after the guidelines,

so a cache with same stars is about same as another one,

offcourse that is not always possible, since there are no cache locations that are exactly the same,

also cachers got very different skill level, so some think it is too easy and others too hard,

my experiance is, just go for it, try and see if you can manage it,

dont risk anything, no cache visit or log, is worth a broken leg or your life.

if you want true T5 caches, like this one :

http://coord.info/GC29J2Y

here is my log:

http://coord.info/GL7B9D5Z

I just love the pictures :-)

you need special equipment and training in its use.

 

or how about this one.. insanely difficult..

http://coord.info/GC33W6N

I am sorry it is all in danish, but you get the point I guess

Edited March 20, 2012 by OZ2CPU

[+Isonzo Karst]

It's been my experience that the overwhelming majority of 5 star ratings for both difficulty and terrain are way off and probably no harder than many of the 3 star caches you've encountered. I have a 5/5 among my finds....

 

This, I have 8 finds of caches at above 4.5 ratings on both terrain and difficulty.

 

One of them is a true 4.5 terrain, one of them is a true 5 terrain.

The easiest is probably a 1.5 find, and the toughest maybe a 3.5 or 4 - it does elements of puzzle work and multicache in it, but no one who tackles it with the time to take most of a day on it should fail. No special knowledge or equipment, just keepin' on it.

 

None of the them is real 5 difficulty.

[+BigChiefS4]

There is a "5T" (much easier to say than 5-star terrain ) near me, which requires getting to an island via a boat or when Lake Superior freezes over, so I can see what you mean.

 

Lake Superior doesn't freeze over. You'll be waiting awhile...