Challenge-Geocaches with regard to Waymarking

[+alsterdrache]

I'm just curious to know what you as active and experienced Waymarkers think about Challenge-Geocaches with regard to Waymarking. I guess this could help to make WM more popular ...

[+Max and 99]

This has been discussed in the forums before. I have several Waymarking Challenge Caches, and even a Geocache puzzle cache that requires the use of the Waymarking site.

Only a handful of people have found these challenge caches, but I'm ok with that. The first person to find my waymark caches has far exceeded my Waymarking numbers, both posted and visited!

[+jhuoni]

If you are referring to Challenges which GC rolled out and then killed off in just a short time...

 

I liked them, but to me they were much like Waymarks. There was no physical log to sign, just take a photo and give a little information about where you were and what you saw. Does this sound familiar? Much like a WAYMARK? I think I logged about 100 of these while they were around.

 

IMHO, I think it was Groundspeak's way of seeing what geocachers thought about Waymarking.

 

Most of the ones that I saw/logged did not have the detail that a waymark does. I think you mentioned that you put a lot of research into the ones that you posted. Bummer, especially since GS did away with them so quickly.

You might be able to take some of your old Challenges and make them into waymarks - if you haven't all ready.

[+Max and 99]

If you are referring to Challenges which GC rolled out and then killed off in just a short time...

 

 

I assumed he was referring to Challenge Geocaches, not Challenges, since that's what he called them. I hope so, since that's what I responded to!

[+jhuoni]

If you are referring to Challenges which GC rolled out and then killed off in just a short time...

 

 

I assumed he was referring to Challenge Geocaches, not Challenges, since that's what he called them. I hope so, since that's what I responded to!

 

We shall see. I've been wrong before.

 

But I think he meant Challenges. I recall he made reference to them in previous messages.

Edited February 5, 2014 by jhuoni

[+Rikitan]

I plan to hide one or few Challenge geocaches for a long time already, having kind of concept in my head how to make it as interesting as it goes to introduce other GPS games and attract potential players to sustained Waymarking .. I'm just waiting for good inspiration, where to locate final of such geocache.

[+alsterdrache]

Hi there,

 

I was indeed referring to challenge geocaches, not challenges this time. Although I try to recycle my old challenge listings and to have them transformed into Waymarks now.

 

Some people don't like challenge geocaches at all, fine with me. But they're a way to combine both projects, geocaching and Waymarking, and could possibly trigger some interest in Waymarking, too.

 

On the other hand, a challenge geocache could lead the "wrong people" (those who are only keen on finds) into Waymarking.

 

I couldn't find the previous thread with regard to challenge geocaches, by the way. Could anyone provide a lik to it please?

 

Cheers, Alex

[+elyob]

In my area there is a challenge geocache requiring one to first find 50 challenge caches. That goal has motivated me to do many challenge caches, including those based on Waymarking. I recently visited Palm Springs, California, where there are dozens of challenge caches. Interestingly, none of those challenge caches include a Waymarking element.

[+Max and 99]

 

On the other hand, a challenge geocache could lead the "wrong people" (those who are only keen on finds) into Waymarking.

 

 

What's wrong with just finding (visiting) waymarks? I have received really nice visit logs from people who have never posted a waymark.

[+alsterdrache]

In my area there is a challenge geocache requiring one to first find 50 challenge caches. That goal has motivated me to do many challenge caches, including those based on Waymarking. I recently visited Palm Springs, California, where there are dozens of challenge caches. Interestingly, none of those challenge caches include a Waymarking element.

 

Great, I have just enriched the GC world with exactly the same task:

 

http://coord.info/GC4W86W

[+iconions]

In my area there is a challenge geocache requiring one to first find 50 challenge caches. That goal has motivated me to do many challenge caches, including those based on Waymarking. I recently visited Palm Springs, California, where there are dozens of challenge caches. Interestingly, none of those challenge caches include a Waymarking element.

 

I found a Missouri Challenge Geocache (GC2E002) where I had to find 100 different categories of waymarks starting after the date of the challenge was placed. That negated the 45 categories I had already found. I was lucky enough to get the FTF on that one. I have to thank BruceS on a lot of those waymarks as I wasn't able to visit my own, and I was able to use his Missouri Monster and Missouri History Scavenger Hunts for the basis of some of my visits.

 

I like to play in both worlds, although I'm finding a lot more joy in the Waymarking recently...

[+jhuoni]

If you are referring to Challenges which GC rolled out and then killed off in just a short time...

 

 

I assumed he was referring to Challenge Geocaches, not Challenges, since that's what he called them. I hope so, since that's what I responded to!

 

We shall see. I've been wrong before.

 

But I think he meant Challenges. I recall he made reference to them in previous messages.

 

What do ya know? I was wrong.

 

Since we are talking Challenge Geocaches, the best one I ever saw was having to do with the Periodic Table of the Elements. The final was located in Galveston, TX, which was only about 30 minutes from where I was living at the time. (No Waymarks were required, so I guess this is sort of "off-topic)

 

"There are currently 118 different elements, each with a unique symbol. If you choose to do this challenge you must find and log 100 caches with the chemical symbol in the GC code."

 

Periodic Table of Geocaching

 

I think I had about 75 of the 100. But I lost interest in geocaching and never completed it.

[+BruceS]

I think that Challenge Geocaches involving Waymarks can be a good thing however Waymarkers should use them to "educate" Geocachers that there is more Waymarking than fast food and big box stores and how visits are done for Waymarking, ie that photos are expected etc. The challenge should not be a simple go visit 100 waymarks but rather involve finding them in multiple categories or in a select chosen category(s) thus guiding the geocacher in the desired direction.

 

iconions keep visiting mine around the state, hint it may make you the closest of qualifying for a challenge geocache that I may hide in 6 months or so. (have go get some more waymarks submitted in certain counties in the state before the cache can be hidden)

Edited February 8, 2014 by BruceS

[+Rikitan]

.. however Waymarkers should use them to "educate" Geocachers that there is more Waymarking than fast food and big box stores ...

agreed, this is my intention too

maybe soon(?)

[+iconions]

I think that Challenge Geocaches involving Waymarks can be a good thing however Waymarkers should use them to "educate" Geocachers that there is more Waymarking than fast food and big box stores and how visits are done for Waymarking, ie that photos are expected etc. The challenge should not be a simple go visit 100 waymarks but rather involve finding them in multiple categories or in a select chosen category(s) thus guiding the geocacher in the desired direction.

 

iconions keep visiting mine around the state, hint it may make you the closest of qualifying for a challenge geocache that I may hide in 6 months or so. (have go get some more waymarks submitted in certain counties in the state before the cache can be hidden)

 

This has piqued my interest - I can't wait to see what kind of torture you have planned!

[+MountainWoods]

Geocaching? What is that?

 

OK. I admit that I found one today, after a couple of months with no finds. I pretty much gave up on trying to find geocaches because I'm so lousy at it. Funny, I've heard folks say just the reverse: they gave up on Waymarking because they were so lousy at it (or thought the reviewers were...).

 

Only reason I found the one today is it was in a cemetery that I was Waymarking, and I thought, "Oh well, I'll give it a try."

 

Anyway, I hope the idea, if it goes through, helps to educate our "soggy paper game" friends about the "neato place to visit" game.

[+Rikitan]

Anyway, I hope the idea, if it goes through, helps to educate our "soggy paper game" friends about the "neato place to visit" game.

Attractivity, awesomeness, cleverness, passion, creativity, ... are not features of a game. They are features of player, my friend.

[Bon Echo]

I think that Challenge Geocaches involving Waymarks can be a good thing however Waymarkers should use them to "educate" Geocachers that there is more Waymarking than fast food and big box stores and how visits are done for Waymarking, i.e. that photos are expected etc. The challenge should not be a simple go visit 100 waymarks but rather involve finding them in multiple categories or in a select chosen category(s) thus guiding the geocacher in the desired direction.

 

I have a geocache challenge where the geocacher has to find "lonely waymarks" = waymarks which have not been visited in more than 1 year (and we all know there are many many lonely waymarks out there). The longer it's been since a waymark has been visited, the more "points" their visit is worth, and double points if the waymark has never been visited. Oh, and each qualifying visit must be a different category.

http://coord.info/GC49FA0

 

I had hoped this would encourage even a few non-Waymarking geocachers to check out geocaching. I even placed it close to a major highway (easier for those travelling through the area to pick up along the way), and I also waymarked the object to which the cache was attached.

http://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/WMGTN8_Payphone_near_Burlington_Lift_Bridge

 

Most of the cachers who have completed the challenge are "veteran" waymarkers, but a few others went Waymarking only in order to meet this challenge. Here's some of the comments from some of the logs:

- did our first waymarks together to qualify for the cache.Enjoyed visiting those spots

- i have never found a Waymark before so this cache opened a whole new area of caching for me

- I've only done a few waymarks. I like waymarks but it's more satisfying to see your stats!

- When this was published, I chose to ignore it. I've had my mind made up about waymarks being lame, but this morning, I looked at it again.

 

As a geocache owner, it's always satisfying to read logs posted to your cache pages indicating that they were enjoyed. But it's even more gratifying when you get comments such as the ones above.

 

BTW the challenge cache is very popular in my area, there are I think over 100 within a short drive. Some are quite easy to qualify for, others I think only serve to congratulate those who have been caching for a decade (for example, there is a challenge to find 8000 geocaches! - good luck with that, unless of course you already have found several thousand - I will need at least 10 years of caching until I qualify). My opinion is that a challenge cache should ideally be attainable by all, with a reasonable amount of effort. Not so easy that most cachers already qualify (where's the "challenge" in that?), not so hard that only the "elite" cachers qualify. But of course there are different challenge levels to appeal to various segments of this sport/hobby. My only advice is, if you are going to make a challenge which involves finding waymarks, and want it to be found / completed by more than just a few cachers, make it obtainable within a reasonable amount of effort. Most local cachers have elected to ignore my challenge, to them it's just not worth the effort. If it was instead to find any 10 waymarks, maybe they would be more interested (although oddly enough they might drive many hundreds of kms to find a few particular cache to meet some other challenge requirements, and in the end they still get the same single smiley in return )