Reflections on my "Average Difficulty / Average Terrain" results -

[+slackpacker]

So I don't spend a lot of time on the "statistics" page, but did check-out mine recently to see a couple of new states filled-in on my U.S. map. In doing so I noticed that my "Average Difficulty / Average Terrain" results were 1.81 and 1.87, respectively. When asked, I tell people I geocache primarily to coincide with hiking and to get back to nature - i.e., in 'cacher-talk I'm a "long hike, ammo can in the woods" guy. As such, I'd expect higher average results, particularly for terrain. Upon reflection I guess in addition to the ammo can at the end of a 4-mile hike I also frequently grab the 1.5/1.5 'cache at the trailhead - and a recent focus on virtuals hasn't done anything to help boost the numbers, either. So while my favorites remain the hiking 'caches, I've obviously grabbed a lot of others along the way. Looks like I might have to tweak my "why I geocache" routine.

 

Now curious, I checked-out a 'caching acquaintance and avid hiker that lives in the mountains of my state - and I have to admit, I was a tad envious of his 2.08/2.34 D/T results.

 

Any surprises in your "average difficulty / average terrain" results? And any 'cachers so dedicated to the tougher 'caches that they sport an extreme D/T rating?

 

 

 

(And yes, I know these are "just numbers", and I can ignore them and simply have fun. I do. This is a "no lectures" thread. Thanks.)

[Andronicus]

1.62/1.97

I can never seem to find high difficulty caches. However, I definatly try to find high terrain caches. Like most people though, throught the week, I am finding urban hides in the city. That really brings my average down.

[+niraD]

My Average Difficulty (2.12) is significantly higher than my Average Terrain (1.52), but that doesn't really surprise me. I've found a lot of puzzles and well-camouflaged caches, both of which tend to have higher difficulty ratings. And as much as I enjoy high-terrain caches (and the kayak trips, long hikes, etc. that go with them), most of my geocaching trips are much more routine and closer to pavement.

 

But I know someone who bills herself as "a 'high terrain' cacher", whose Average Terrain is 2.23.

[+Harry Dolphin]

1.88/1.75 Sound about right. Those high difficulty or high terrain caches quickly get averaged out.

[+fizzymagic]

I started to systematically raise both mine a few years ago. A great side effect is that it tends to lead me to better caches.

[+StarBrand]

1.69/1.69

 

I tend to target caches with less than 3/3 when I am travelling though and that is the majority of my cache finds. I used to think it should be a bit higher.

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

I think 1.8/1.8 is pretty good. We are probably at a 2/2 because we started filtering out caches below 2/2 as we were tired of LPCs. We're surely missing alot of fun caches in our PQ. As long as you're having fun, don't worry about stats. We started filtering because we were not having fun showing up at Walmart. D/T ratings are not badges of honor. One day when we have more time and less energy we will probably grab those 1.5 caches.

[+Viajero Perdido]

My current terrain average is 2.28, and it's been bloody hard to get it even that far. I found a lot of 1.5/1.5's early in my caching career, and I'm still making up for it. Nowadays I rarely seek out a 1.5 or 1.0 hide, 2.0 grudgingly, and have even tweaked my GSAK macro to show 2.5+ hides in a different color on my GPS unit.

 

And as fizzymagic says, it seems to lead me to more interesting caches.

 

In my case, it doesn't help that I've got 72 finds on a single virtual cache, a somewhat eccentric one, the terrain rating of which changes constantly. Currently that one is 3.0, so it's pulling my average up slightly.

 

What a wild, crazy, strange game we play. I love it.

[+geocat_]

My average D is 1.69 and T is 1.61 which isn't really surprising. I have been caching for less than 2 years but have "experimented" with different caching "styles" over that time.

• Caching for a geostreak (400 days) which tended to lower my average especially during winter.
• Trying to get over 2000 finds in my first year of caching (again, lowered my average)
• Finding very cool caches involving hiking and/or placed in rivers (very tough since I don't own a kayak or canoe. tended to raise my average)
• Trying out a power trail (almost killed me, physically and mentally!)(definitely lowered my average)

There is one cacher I know here in Ohio who has a 2.28D and 2.5T. Guy is a tree-climbing expert and has trained others to do climbs. Has his whole D/T grid filled with only 632 total finds.

[+The A-Team]

I'll go for any cache, which of course includes a lot of lower D and T urban and suburban caches, so my averages are unsurprisingly low at 1.71 and 1.72. It would be even lower if I didn't solve and find so many puzzles!

[+briansnat]

Comparing D/T is comparing apples and oranges. I've consistently found caches in other areas that were rated 4 or 4.5 for terrain that would be no more than 2 or 2.5 stars in this area and I'm sure our 4 star terrain caches are 2 stars in other regions.

 

I've had a number of complaints about my terrain ratings being way too low and they have invariably been from out of staters. I've also witnessed people in some areas inflating terrain or difficulty ratings to be funny, or to fulfill a niche in the "Fizzy challenge" series.

 

So comparing one's average terrain and difficulty level is as silly as comparing their find count.

[+frinklabs]

I spent quite a while getting my terrain average up to meet the requirements of a challenge cache which I finally logged just this past weekend.

 

I had to be very selective in which caches I chose to find and it for sure has led me to seek out finds which have pushed my comfort level.

 

It is interesting how less cognizant I became of my claustrophobia and acrophobia when faced with a goal-oriented task (one cache managing to work both these sensations simultaneously: GC13Q52 Rattlesnake Hole).

 

Totally worth it but there's no way I am going to be able to get to the next notch without owning a car and canoe. On the upside, I can finally go and work the nearby 1.5/1.5 caches I have been ignoring, to finish my iron man.

[+redsox_mark]

I'm currently at 1.79/1.81

 

I like higher difficulty/terrain caches (though I'm not an extreme cacher by any means). Mainly terrain, to get me exercise. And I like puzzles. But I'll also do easier caches. The only way I can see to get those averages to be very high is to exclude ones with low numbers. I'll exclude caches because of location (e.g. in a supermarket car park) - many of which are low D/T. But I won't exclude what otherwise looks like a good cache just because it has low D/T. A 1/1 cache can be a nice large cache in a beautiful and/or interesting location.

 

In short - I find caches I think I will like.

[+Mike & Jess]

As others have mentioned, I love the hike in caches and those are my poison of choice.

That being said, I have a lower D/T because of the events, caches picked up while traveling, and now caching with two kids.

 

Instead of focusing on the D/T averages, I think I'll focus on completing the D/T grid. I have a few zeros which need to be filled.

[+Capt. Bob]

Statistics prove that the average person has 1.96 legs, so if you have 2 legs (or more) consider yourself above average and be happy.

[ll JK ll]

D - 1.92

T - 2.13

 

I'm definitely a "hike a long trail for an ammo can in the woods" kinda guy but all the urban caches and easy finds have brought my average down. It doesn't really matter to me but I think it's cool the site keeps up with stats like this.

 

Like Mike & Jess said, I think it'll be more fulfilling for me to fill out the D/T grid.

[+Sta2Key]

D = 1.61

T = 1.57

 

I ride a road bicycle to the majority of my finds so I find a lot of LPCs. While my finds are not difficult, it gives me a chance to plan a new route for my morning bike ride each day. It has actually helped me ride more lately because my rides have a "purpose" instead randomly trying to ride 15-20 miles each day just to get some mileage on the bike.

[+bflentje]

I find plenty of high star caches. My problem is that doing power trails doesn't do me any favors.

[+Ringrat]

D = 1.72

T = 1.86

 

I love hikes and big, easy caches, but I find my fair share of easier terrain caches too. The set of caches along a paved rails to trails near my house that I'm working through by doing 40-60 km rides on my road bike are lowering my terrain rating, but I still get my exercise!

 

I like the stats for my hidden caches better: D 1.70/T 2.56. That includes an event (1/1), 2 EC's a person can drive to, and only 3 traditionals that can be driven to. The rest all involve a walk in the woods, and that I'm proud of.

[+littlegemsy]

I'm currently at 1.81/1.6 - the 1.81 I'm actually quite surprised at. Most around here that are high D seem to be tricky nanos (which I LOVE, I know, I can't help it). The 1.6 may raise somewhat but I'm still somewhat new at it so am only now looking at high T. And I have no skills to do kayaking etc, nor the fitness for long hikes to get 5s. Yet.

 

It never crossed my mind that people would try and raise them though. Thankfully where I am in the UK, our LPC are micros/nanos/smalls hidden in laybys, which are at least semi-interesting.

[+nikcap]

Comparing D/T is comparing apples and oranges. I've consistently found caches in other areas that were rated 4 or 4.5 for terrain that would be no more than 2 or 2.5 stars in this area and I'm sure our 4 star terrain caches are 2 stars in other regions.

 

I've had a number of complaints about my terrain ratings being way too low and they have invariably been from out of staters. I've also witnessed people in some areas inflating terrain or difficulty ratings to be funny, or to fulfill a niche in the "Fizzy challenge" series.

 

So comparing one's average terrain and difficulty level is as silly as comparing their find count.

..

 

Unfortunately, not only have the diff/terr rating have always been very subjective, but there has been an trend in some places to artificially inflate the D/T ratings for just those reasons.

There is a local re-occuring event that has an unusually high D/T rating., which I believe is only so attendees can artificially increase their stats.

 

It makes me wonder, if GS is going to endorse such challenges and display stats on profile pages, perhaps it's time to lock the D/T settings and only allow changes by a reviewer or within 60 days of publications to allow for player feedback. ???

 

I'm at D:2.06 / T:1.83 ... maybe I should attend that event a couple of times so I can log that D2/T2 challenge.

Edited August 16, 2012 by ekitt10

[+Dgwphotos]

I wonder what the site average is for a comparison?

Edited August 16, 2012 by Dgwphotos

[+fizzymagic]

Prior to sometime around 2008, the default D/T rating was 1/1, which means those of us who started earlier will tend to have lower averages.

 

Still, I think the values can be useful in showing what kinds of caches people tend to like. I like hard puzzle caches and my average reflects that.

[+Andromeda321]

1.56/1.61.

 

In my defense I live in Amsterdam and have no car, which means a. high terrain ratings are hard to find in a flat country, and b. most caches that would be rated much higher in difficulty in the USA are just a 1.5 in the Netherlands (I've done loads of multis with 10 stopping points for example that were only rated 1 or 1.5).

[+Roman!]

I spent quite a while getting my terrain average up to meet the requirements of a challenge cache which I finally logged just this past weekend.

 

I had to be very selective in which caches I chose to find and it for sure has led me to seek out finds which have pushed my comfort level.

 

It is interesting how less cognizant I became of my claustrophobia and acrophobia when faced with a goal-oriented task (one cache managing to work both these sensations simultaneously: GC13Q52 Rattlesnake Hole).

 

Totally worth it but there's no way I am going to be able to get to the next notch without owning a car and canoe. On the upside, I can finally go and work the nearby 1.5/1.5 caches I have been ignoring, to finish my iron man.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that challenge break the rules as it it designed to alter your caching routine and deter you from finding certain caches?

 

I had an average terrain over 2.00 for quite a while but now I'm 1.75/1.94.

I'm not a fan of puzzles and I've done a few mini power trails so that hurt.

 

I do however have a 22.64% micro find rate, again it recently went up but was under 20% for quite a while.

 

I do enjoy the full day hikes but I'll never pass up a chance to boost my numbers.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Roman!

[AZcachemeister]

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that challenge break the rules as it it designed to alter your caching routine and deter you from finding certain caches?

 

 

Actually, it does 'violate' the current regs.

But, it was placed long before they were in force, so CACHE ON!

[+frinklabs]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that challenge break the rules as it it designed to alter your caching routine and deter you from finding certain caches?

 

It didn't specifically exclude me from finding caches that would have brought down my D/T average (which is 2.01/1.90 btw). There were a number of newly-published caches for which I attempted FTF that prolonged the process of increasing my average.

 

Simultaneously attempting a cache-a-day streak challenge seemed to work at cross-purposes as well; I was running out of >1.5 terrain caches that were reachable in a reasonable amount of time on transit.

 

Besides, "caching routine" is a very subjective thing and will be different for everyone. I suspect that the new guidelines were implemented to filter outlier challenges that were borderline ridiculous in their requirements.

[+WRASTRO]

I am 1.84 D and 1.63 T for whatever that is worth. I find the caches that I choose to look for. Of my 3,179 finds I have done 281 multi caches and 358 unkonwn, which tells me I have 639 of my finds, or a bit over 20% of my finds are other than traditional hides. I think this is a pretty good number.

[+WarNinjas]

I was shocked when we hit a challenge that was for difficulty and terrain. I thought I had it no problem but was low on terrain. I was able to pick up a high terrain one that same day to just boost me over the number needed. We place many 5 terrain caches and other high ones so I thought it would be higher but keeping the streak going while working I pick up a lot of easy ones. Not really worried about it. I am happy to pick up others terrain ratings with our hides.

-WarNinjas

[+stlhiker]

 

I like the stats for my hidden caches better: D 1.70/T 2.56. That includes an event (1/1), 2 EC's a person can drive to, and only 3 traditionals that can be driven to. The rest all involve a walk in the woods, and that I'm proud of.

 

I'm glad you brought that up, I really like looking at that now. I try to hide kayaking and hiking caches that usually have higher D/T ratings. It was cool to add it up and find the stats for my caches- D 1.91/T 3.06