How far is too far?

[+AdamGiles]

I'm thinking of placing a new multi-cache

The idea is to celebrate one motor racing greatest road circuits (no more clues)

By finding clues at the various towns/villages (very scenic and forgotten gems) that were passed through by the race, you would be led to the final cache location. However, the circuit was approx 100 miles long. Am I being to adventurous here? Or do you think people would be up for it?

 

Intersted in anyones views on this.

[+terratin]

There is a multi, which is a hike from Munich in Germany over the Alps to Venice in Italy (http://coord.info/GC1FPN1). I'm sure there are other long hiking multis around. If your cache was around here I would probably be doing it.

 

mrs. terratin

[+TheHarleyRebel]

It can be as far as you like!

[+MotorBug]

This sounds fun, interesting and educational so I vote go for it! Since you are new and this will be your first hide I would strongly recommend you have a friend or two 'beta' test it to be sure all the stops work okay. Good luck!

[+AdamGiles]

This sounds fun, interesting and educational so I vote go for it! Since you are new and this will be your first hide I would strongly recommend you have a friend or two 'beta' test it to be sure all the stops work okay. Good luck!

 

Thanks. I've will be setting it up in July. So hopefully will plenty of chance to make sure it all works.

 

Appreciate the positive feed back. It will hopefully be popular with motorsport fans in Europe.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

This sounds fun, interesting and educational so I vote go for it! Since you are new and this will be your first hide I would strongly recommend you have a friend or two 'beta' test it to be sure all the stops work okay. Good luck!

 

Thanks. I've will be setting it up in July. So hopefully will plenty of chance to make sure it all works.

 

Appreciate the positive feed back. It will hopefully be popular with motorsport fans in Europe.

 

I wouldn't also suggest placing a few traditional caches before then so that you can get a sense of what cache ownership is about.

[+St.Matthew]

Just make sure that the description states a general idea of how long it is.

[cezanne]

 

I wouldn't also suggest placing a few traditional caches before then so that you can get a sense of what cache ownership is about.

 

I do not agree. I've also started out with a multi cache (which still exists and soon will become 11 years old) and I do not regret having done so.

 

The audience to the planned multi cache will differ anyhow considerably from those who visit easy and short traditionals.

 

 

Cezanne

[+wimseyguy]

As long as you are upfront in the description about the distances involved it's fine. I'm not sure about caching habits in your corner of the world, but I routinely cover more than 100 miles on a full caching day. But I am usually going after more than one cache. It might be a good idea to add a few others in the towns where your intermediate stages are to encourage more than just the hard core multi seekers to pursue it.

 

Also be sure that all of the stages are within your maintenance range. There's no point in putting out something that you don't plan to care for.

[+AdamGiles]

Initial idea was to have one cache hidden, and give co-ords and questions in a number (4/5) of the villages on the route. Answering the questions would give co-ords for location of cache.

This way the cache could be completed in one day by driving the route (something a number of fans do anyway), or over any time period and by visitng the locations by any route.

I've also considered making some of the clues solveable using Google street view. This way the route could be brought down to 50 miles.

 

This is an area I visit often anyway, and I was surprised that there weren't any caches already in the location. Maybe motorsport/geocaching isn't a common mix of interests?

[+AdamGiles]

It might be a good idea to add a few others in the towns where your intermediate stages are to encourage more than just the hard core multi seekers to pursue it.

 

 

I have looked at this, but the towns aren't condusive to hides (narrow cobbled streets bordered by stone terraced housing/shops). Maybe a few micro magnetic caches on the back of road signs..?

[+Glenn]

AdamGiles, you might want to ask this question in the region forum for the area that you planning on placing the cache. The reason that I say this is because different cultures have different ideas of how far is a long way. For example here in the USA where I live it isn't uncommon to know someone who's commute to work is 100 miles one way. I've got friends in the UK who thinks Americans are mad for traveling that far for work every day. The distances people are willing to travel is highly influenced by both resources and culture.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I wouldn't also suggest placing a few traditional caches before then so that you can get a sense of what cache ownership is about.

 

I do not agree. I've also started out with a multi cache (which still exists and soon will become 11 years old) and I do not regret having done so.

 

The audience to the planned multi cache will differ anyhow considerably from those who visit easy and short traditionals.

 

Cezanne

 

One successful multi-cache is not statistically significant. The fact is, a multi cache is going to be inherently more complex than a traditional cache. Even though the audience may be different on a long multi-cache with significant hikes and a hide-a-key on a guard rail there are many aspects of cache ownership that are going to be the same. It take little effort to find a decent location, put together a decent container and get a traditional cache published. By doing so, one will get experience with the review process, obtaining coordinates, dealing with proximity issues, managing logs and dealing with issues if a problem arises (leaky containers), etc. Although it's possible to create a muti-stage complex multi as a first cache and have it be successful, I see no downside and many benefits in creating something simple before spending weeks planning a complex multi.

 

 

[+GeoTrekker26]

It can be as far as you like!

 

True, but you may have to convince your reviewer that you are prepared to maintain the distant stages of the cache. And this may be more difficult for a new cacher to do.

[Blue Square Thing]

One successful multi-cache is not statistically significant.

That's possibly true, but having just looked at Cezanne's multi caches from 2003 I'd argue very strongly that if the OP were to look at them and use the ideas within them that they might be likely to succeed with a multi cache that works. Fwiw I found them inspiring to look at as well. It's made me want to visit Graz :-)

[+Chief301]

As others have stated the distance can be whatever you like. But for the amount of time, effort, and fuel you are asking people to commit, please make sure the final is something worth seeing. If I've spent a whole day, driven 100 miles and found 4-5 intermediate stages to get there, I would darn well expect the finale to be something nicer than a film canister in a parking lot.

[+cerberus1]

As others have stated the distance can be whatever you like. But for the amount of time, effort, and fuel you are asking people to commit, please make sure the final is something worth seeing. If I've spent a whole day, driven 100 miles and found 4-5 intermediate stages to get there, I would darn well expect the finale to be something nicer than a film canister in a parking lot.

Agreed.

First thing CJ said was, "remember..."

- We did a (literally) all-day puzzle that ended up at a lpc.

 

We've done lengthy multis with high terrain with an awesome spot at the end too. Those were fun.

We now look a bit before deciding to go.

Make your stages interesting (and fun) enough to make folks want to keep going, with a good final and you'll be okay.

[+caretaker5]

I think it sounds like a great idea. I'm a motorsports fan and find many caches along my route to and from events. if you have a good historical route, and bring up points of interest about the circuit along the way it would be something I would try to do if I was aware of it. I do agree with others in that the final should be something appropriate, and with some effort.

[+lamoracke]

We saw one multi while on a Kansas road trip which advertised it was a 100 mile multi or so. We knew that was further than we were going so it was nice to be able to skip it for that trip. Would have hated to waste time doing WPs for a multi I was not going to finish realistically.

[cezanne]

It take little effort to find a decent location, put together a decent container and get a traditional cache published. By doing so, one will get experience with the review process, obtaining coordinates, dealing with proximity issues, managing logs and dealing with issues if a problem arises (leaky containers), etc. Although it's possible to create a muti-stage complex multi as a first cache and have it be successful, I see no downside and many benefits in creating something simple before spending weeks planning a complex multi.

 

I think that those caches get the best where someone has an idea he/she likes or even feels passionate about.

I do not see that many differences between a traditional and a multi cache with question to answer stages from the point of view of the aspects you mentioned above. Personally I think we get to see too many "test" caches.

[cezanne]

However, the circuit was approx 100 miles long. Am I being to adventurous here? Or do you think people would be up for it?

 

I think that your cache certainly will have its audience, but do not expect a whole lot of finders. As mentioned by others you should mention the approximate length and mention that it is not a hiking cache. The target audience for long distance caches changes considerably whether hiking, riding a bicycle or driving with a motorbicycle or a car are the recommended ways of moving along the cache route. If are out for 50 finders per year, better hide a different cache. If you are happy with much less finders, but a high proportion of them liking your cache and writing more than TFTC in their logs, then go for your project.

 

In my area there exist long distance multi caches of all types: There exist several hiking caches that are longer than 100km,

see

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3EFT1_vulkanland?guid=bc6fc608-511d-4790-91a6-63898366b82c

(not many finders but everyone who finds it is enthusiastic)

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC22D00_lets-rug?guid=6d831ec0-e0b0-40a0-ba52-3cb2e630de33

 

There also exist long bicycle caches, see e.g. here

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1WGDC_r2-murradweg-graz-radkersburg?guid=796044b8-391d-462d-ba86-b30261105e7c

 

There also exists a series of nine caches devoted to motorbikers (the caches can be done by car however as well)

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?key=%28motor%29+biking+in+Styria&submit4=Go

 

If you look at the first cache of the motorbike series you will realize that quite a number of caches split up the cache into parts and visited not all stages in one run. That might happen for your cache as well but should not pose an issue.

 

What you need to choose carefully is the number of stages, but if you think of only 4-5 and all of them at stops worthwhile to see, there should not be any issue. If you had 100 stages, then this might annoy people if they have to stop too often.

 

Cezanne

[+AdamGiles]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!

 

You have all given me a lot to think about, but made me more determined to do this, and make it work.