Cycling Only cache?

[+2 labs]

Locally, there are a TON of simple, park n grab type caches but not that many to actually physically challenge a person. In this area (Fort Wayne, Indiana), one will not be forging through the mountains, hiking through the woods for miles and miles, or backpacking overnight to bag a few. This is flat as a pancake farm country surrounding a midwestern city.

 

I like to cycle long distances, away from the city, throughout the farmlands and Amish communities of Northern Indiana. I like to geocache. So I thought combining the two would be a good, physically challenging task. My idea is to place a series of cycling only caches with the requirement of riding at least 5 miles one way in order to claim the find. The cacher would need to provide a photo of the person, bike and general spot to validate the find. Without the pics, the logged find would be removed. I routinely ride routes of 30-60 miles and have found several areas I would like to place caches. 5 miles seems a reasonable distance. Several days ago, I cycled 21 miles one way to find a cache but I chose to make the find using a bike. I could have easily drove my car to it but other than paying $4.00/gallon, what is the challenge in that?

 

The idea behind this is that basically the area is geographically BORING, we have one of the fattest, unhealthy communities in the country and combining the two sports would address both. It would get one out of town, riding for some distance and provide a challenging cache to boot.

 

So before I publish the first cache with these restrictions, I need some feedback. Since there is a physical cache to be found, would this still qualify as a Traditional?

 

Thank you for suggestions and please remain respectful.

 

2 Labs.

[+uxorious]

The requirement would be an ALR, and would not be allowed. It would also be an agenda, and for that reason would not be allowed.

[+terrkan78]

I like your idea of adding physical challenge to geocaching. Unfortunately, you can't have the physical challenge part be a requirement. You can only have it as a suggestion. It's called an "additional logging requirement," and they're no longer allowed (mainly because people got carried away with over-the-top additional logging requirements). The guidelines discuss it.

 

The only way to enforce the physical challenge part is to put the cache in a location that can only be accessed via physical effort (places that have no close-by vehicle access).

 

There's a cache around here at the top of a hill. A road goes to the top of that hill. The CO suggests you park at the bottom and walk, because that's what he does (he's in training for something). I doubt that very many people do, but I wanted to see if I could, so I did. This is pretty much all you can do, ask them to follow the spirit of your cache, and don't worry about it when many inevitably don't.

[Pup Patrol]

My idea is to place a series of cycling only caches with the requirement of riding at least 5 miles one way in order to claim the find. The cacher would need to provide a photo of the person, bike and general spot to validate the find. Without the pics, the logged find would be removed.

 

You wouldn't be able to publish a cache with those restrictions.

 

So before I publish the first cache with these restrictions, I need some feedback. Since there is a physical cache to be found, would this still qualify as a Traditional?

 

You might like to read the Guidelines before submitting any caches for review:

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=11

 

Particularly:

 

3.1. Logging of All Physical Geocaches

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=309

 

If you are thinking that requiring photos and specific transportation methods can qualify as a Challenge Cache, no, they don't qualify.

 

4.15. Challenge Caches

http://support.Groundspeak.com//index.php?pg=kb.page&id=206

 

 

B.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Pup Patrol

[+Isonzo Karst]

Pup Patrol just posted the same things I had in my post, so I've edited.

 

As has been said, if you want to enforce physical activity, you're going have to find a location that requires walking or biking access.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Isonzo Karst

[+2 labs]

Thanks for the quick responses. This is exactly the information I was trying to find out.

 

I will suggest people use bikes to find, in the spirit of how I have been doing it. It won't be a requirement. To bad this isn't accomplishable.

 

Thanks again.

2 Labs

[+briansnat]

Why not find a bike trail and hide a few caches along it? You can't require people to bike it, but I suspect that if the trail is long enough and the cache are far enough apart they might.

[+2 labs]

The main bike trail locally is a "series" of paved bike paths and there are many caches located along them. What I was after was more of a "out in the country, road biking" kind of experience. Something different. Part of this is my own personal frustration with the geography. Having spent many years in the mountains of Appalachia, Allegheny's and several years in the Rockies, Indiana flatlands are quite frustrating. There is absolutely no wilderness experience around here. However, the local economy was the draw and is hard to beat.

 

I ride long distances regularly on the country roads and specifically try to combine the two sports. It appeals more to me to have to physically work at reaching the destination. I would love to be able to drive to a trail head and hike into the back country in order to place and find a cache. But it's just not going to happen in this area. We are talking hundreds of miles for anything of that sort. (sigh)

 

Thanks for the suggestion though. It is appreciated.

 

2 Labs