2.2 Caches per Minute?

July 5, 2015

I have seen all the videos and read all the ways people pile up caches on power trails. I am just curious what the greatest number of caches one could actually find in 24 hours IF they actually visit every cache location in person. So another way to look at it would be to disqualify anyone who leapfrogs or claims smileys for being part of a "team find" where groups go out to different areas and then combine finds. So I am talking about a group of probably at least 3 people, one driving, one hopping out, and one signing/stamping the next log so it can be switched with the next cache.

I got to thinking (again) about this after seeing a cacher who claimed 3125 finds in a day or nearly 2.2 caches a minute for 24 straight hours. I would wager he/she combined caches from a "group caching" experience.

Now, I don't expect a real answer to this question as no one can be sure of the legitimacy of statistics or the manner in which they were acquired, but I thought it would be something to contemplate by only the most bored individuals on the Fourth of July. Happy trails people!

July 5, 2015

I got to thinking (again) about this after seeing a cacher who claimed 3125 finds in a day or nearly 2.2 caches a minute for 24 straight hours. I would wager he/she combined caches from a "group caching" experience.

...something to contemplate by only the most bored individuals on the Fourth of July.

Well... I logged five finds today, and that seemed like a lot since I only have 23 total. <_<

I've been reading a lot about "power caching" over the past two days. Personally, I don't see the purpose. I'd much rather take my time and enjoy where I am at the moment with this activity, rather than rushing to get somewhere else. :blink:

Again, my personal opinion... it shouldn't count as a "find" unless you physically handle the log yourself and sign it or otherwise "make your mark" yourself. That said, it doesn't matter what I think, because I didn't make the rules for this game.

15k · July 5, 2015

There have been some solo numbers runs that have been in the 700 range. No leapfrogging or other divide-and-conquer techniques. No three cache monte. No teams taking turns driving, running, and stamping.

July 5, 2015

I did 295 in a day solo. Could have gotten more, maybe even 400 if I had not stopped to eat and break the monotony with a couple Virtuals and Earthcaches.

July 5, 2015

I did 295 in a day solo. Could have gotten more, maybe even 400 if I had not stopped to eat and break the monotony with a couple Virtuals and Earthcaches.

Did you find all the caches and sign all the logs yourself?

If so, that (in my opinion) is a great day of power caching.

The 3,125 finds in a day claim from your original post is ludicrous. :lol:

July 5, 2015

As a CO, I would not be happy with you moving logs from one cache to the next just so you could ramp your numbers. (That is a generic "you", not accusing anyone in particular.)

2.7k · July 5, 2015

Anyone who claims to have found a cache every 27.6 seconds for 24 hours straight is just plan lying. Who was this cacher, so we can laugh in their face instead of behind their back....

4.6k · July 5, 2015

Just looking at the hard numbers.

3125 caches in 24 hours... 3125*161m= 503.12Km distance = 20.96 Km/hour (continuous, no stops). Only one person can do this, Santa :lol:

15k · July 5, 2015

Only one person can do this, Santa

But Santa has found only one cache...

4.1k · July 5, 2015

I got to thinking (again) about this after seeing a cacher who claimed 3125 finds in a day or nearly 2.2 caches a minute for 24 straight hours. I would wager he/she combined caches from a "group caching" experience.

Since only one catcher has reached those numbers, it must have been a solo effort. The numbers speak for themselves, but certainly leave the second highest total of 2485 in the dust. Of course neither has been properly authenticated with appropriate testing for performance enhancers and we are still waiting for the official confirmation that the signatures in the log have been verified.

Although it undoubtedly involved automated logging since GSAK was used to accomplish that feat, it does not appear to have involved repetitive caching since it encompassed 9 different cache types,17 states, and 49 counties. So I am willing to state that three cache monte was not used.

I have my suspicions about the techniques that were used, but as often stated in these forums, it is nothing to twist knickers over since we all play the game our own way. Or words to that effect.

Edited July 5, 2015 by geodarts

9.1k · July 5, 2015

Only one person can do this, Santa
But Santa has found only one cache...

Bit behind on the logging, to find any more caches! :laughing:

4.6k · July 5, 2015

Only one person can do this, Santa
But Santa has found only one cache...

Bit behind on the logging, to find any more caches!

Looks he's not caching now.

Anyway, 3125 in 24 hours is physically impossible so any stats of that cacher are not worth the pixels used to show them.

July 5, 2015

I did 295 in a day solo. Could have gotten more, maybe even 400 if I had not stopped to eat and break the monotony with a couple Virtuals and Earthcaches.

Did you find all the caches and sign all the logs yourself?

If so, that (in my opinion) is a great day of power caching.

Yep....All me. Rented a car, started at the crack of dawn and went most of the day. I was questioned by a cop, played on a giant tree that was a Virtual cache, explored a fort that was another Virtual cache, and made sure to get off the power trail and finish with an ammo box find at the end.

July 5, 2015

I got to thinking (again) about this after seeing a cacher who claimed 3125 finds in a day or nearly 2.2 caches a minute for 24 straight hours. I would wager he/she combined caches from a "group caching" experience.

Although it undoubtedly involved automated logging since GSAK was used to accomplish that feat, it does not appear to have involved repetitive caching since it encompassed 9 different cache types,17 states, and 49 counties. So I am willing to state that three cache monte was not used.

Just curious. Where did you find those stats?

19k · July 5, 2015

Anyone who claims to have found a cache every 27.6 seconds in one minute 24 hours straight is just plan lying. Who was this cacher, so we can laugh in their face instead of behind their back....

(unless they were from two different listing services and hidden in the same spot)

Edited July 5, 2015 by knowschad

4.1k · July 5, 2015

I got to thinking (again) about this after seeing a cacher who claimed 3125 finds in a day or nearly 2.2 caches a minute for 24 straight hours. I would wager he/she combined caches from a "group caching" experience.

Although it undoubtedly involved automated logging since GSAK was used to accomplish that feat, it does not appear to have involved repetitive caching since it encompassed 9 different cache types,17 states, and 49 counties. So I am willing to state that three cache monte was not used.

Just curious. Where did you find those stats?

Project-GC's profile information.

8.9k · July 5, 2015

Personal Opinion:

I just don't see the appeal. Part of the reason I got into Geocaching was to enjoy those little haunts that I knew nothing about, and to take the time to enjoy our planet. Geocaching has taken me to locations both near and far that I never knew existed as "cool" locations. Part of the draw is the appeal of wanderlust. There's a great moment (one of the only great moments) in the Pixar movie Cars that sums up my feeling on these powertrails:

Whoa. Look at that. Look, they're drivin' right by. They don't even know what they're missing!
Well, it didn't used to be that way.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist.

Really?

Yeah. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way.

How do you mean?

Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make a great time. They drove on it to have a great time.

Well, what happened?

The town got bypassed just to save ten minutes of driving.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Markwell

1.4k · July 5, 2015

Threads such as this are the reason I pay no attention at all to someone else's find count.

I do enjoy watching my own numbers go up, (alas, a lot slower lately.) but I know what I consider a find, and what I've done to log a cache. I have no idea what someone else will consider a find.

If someone finds it fun to find 100 or 1000 caches in a day, that's the way they play. It gets to a point where they will have to log caches in a way I would not consider a find. If the numbers get high enough, they are playing something I wouldn't even consider geocaching.

However if they are having fun with whatever game they are playing, more power to them. Whether I agree with their find count or not, really doesn't matter, does it?

July 5, 2015

WOW! This guy is even more of a Geocaching god than I first realized. Here's the breakdown of his/her 3125 finds in that glorious day (of sitting in his easy chair with a few beers, frantically logging caches):

As previously mentioned, 9 different cache types including Earthcaches, Virtuals, Webcams, and Events. Wow! Spent that 27 seconds at that event? How fast can you drink that beer?!

17 states and 49 counties. I guess they are really, really small over in Europe!

Almost 60,000 miles cache-to-cache that day! I want this guy to do the driving next time I go out west!

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

6.5k · July 6, 2015

Only one person can do this, Santa
But Santa has found only one cache...

And maybe Will Wheaton if the Enterprise was in Earth orbit, or at least our solar system.

2.7k · July 6, 2015

This seems like an account that Captain Clorox should visit. Clean that day from the records, instead of expecting 3125 cache owners to delete the loga.

1.3k · July 6, 2015

I found 270 in one day and that was exhausting and took all day.

July 6, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx?lat=50.212633&lng=11.02465#?ll=50.20936,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

July 6, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

July 6, 2015

Just a thought, as this has happened to us using the normal GC interface, but might it not be possible that the 3000+ in a day represents a fluke where they ended up double-logging all or most of their previous finds? Every so often when we download our field notes, the entirety of our finds list shows up. Not sure how or why this happens, but I could see where this could cause an issue when combined with using GSAK to do the actual online logging.

Or maybe they're "honestly" trying to pull a fast one on everyone (or at least everyone that cares - I don't.)

July 6, 2015

3125 caches in one day would seem to any genuine cacher as unrealistic and quite possibly false.

Seriously if you are just in the sport for the numbers then you are just missing the opportunities that caching has to offer and these sort of numbers are a misrepresentation of of the fundamental principals of geocaching.

I once found 4 in a day and enjoyed every one of them ,I'm not sure that the 3125 a day cacher can say the same.

I realize there are trails where successive cache finds are possible in quick time but come on over 3000!!

I think cachers need to remember that someone has put a lot of thought and sometimes effort into creation of a cache and respect for that is not shown in the logging of such high numbers of finds in a short space of time .

1.8k · July 6, 2015

I checked 30.09.2013 and the only one who logged GC43G16 was "Lichtblick55"

He did NOT find 3000+ Geocache a day and he never said he did. He logged this many cache because it was a split of an existing account, he just logged all his previous found under a new ID on this day.

That's it.

19k · July 6, 2015

Personal Opinion:

I just don't see the appeal. Part of the reason I got into Geocaching was to enjoy those little haunts that I knew nothing about, and to take the time to enjoy our planet. Geocaching has taken me to locations both near and far that I never knew existed as "cool" locations. Part of the draw is the appeal of wanderlust. There's a great moment (one of the only great moments) in the Pixar movie Cars that sums up my feeling on these powertrails:

Whoa. Look at that. Look, they're drivin' right by. They don't even know what they're missing!
Well, it didn't used to be that way.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist.

Really?

Yeah. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way.

How do you mean?

Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make a great time. They drove on it to have a great time.

Well, what happened?

The town got bypassed just to save ten minutes of driving.

Great post, Markwell! Thanks!

7.4k · July 6, 2015

I checked 30.09.2013 and the only one who logged GC43G16 was "Lichtblick55"

He did NOT find 3000+ Geocache a day and he never said he did. He logged this many cache because it was a split of an existing account, he just logged all his previous found under a new ID on this day.

That's it.

I figured as much. But hey, why give someone the benefit of the doubt when you can tear them to shreds on the forum instead?

July 6, 2015

I checked 30.09.2013 and the only one who logged GC43G16 was "Lichtblick55"

He did NOT find 3000+ Geocache a day and he never said he did. He logged this many cache because it was a split of an existing account, he just logged all his previous found under a new ID on this day.

That's it.

I figured as much. But hey, why give someone the benefit of the doubt when you can tear them to shreds on the forum instead?

Because giving the benefit of a doubt would have been quite a bit more boring. OK, everyone can pack up and go home now. Nothing more to see here

4.1k · July 6, 2015

I checked 30.09.2013 and the only one who logged GC43G16 was "Lichtblick55"

He did NOT find 3000+ Geocache a day and he never said he did. He logged this many cache because it was a split of an existing account, he just logged all his previous found under a new ID on this day.

That's it.

I figured as much. But hey, why give someone the benefit of the doubt when you can tear them to shreds on the forum instead?

Because giving the benefit of a doubt would have been quite a bit more boring. OK, everyone can pack up and go home now. Nothing more to see here

Other than that stats and numbers alone do not have any meaning. And if you are going to automate logs for 3125 caches in a day, perhaps it's better to do a lesser number at a time. And how does someone log 2485 caches in a day (should that be the next available record). But I am too busy planning a kayak trip to an obscure island to get a single earthcache to give it any particular thought.

Edited July 6, 2015 by geodarts

July 7, 2015

But I am too busy planning a kayak trip to an obscure island to get a single earthcache to give it any particular thought.

Take me with you! Seriously, I couldn't care less about how people want to really or pretend to play the game.

July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

14k · July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

Do they? I looked at several of the caches with a D5 rating. I would expect that a cache with the highest possible difficulty rating to be extremely difficult to find, yet I saw several of them with over 500 finds and not a single DNF.

3.7k · July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

Do they? I looked at several of the caches with a D5 rating. I would expect that a cache with the highest possible difficulty rating to be extremely difficult to find, yet I saw several of them with over 500 finds and not a single DNF.

Honestly, I would expect any cache with maybe a D2.5 or D3 and higher to have at least one or two DNFs.

6k · July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

Do they? I looked at several of the caches with a D5 rating. I would expect that a cache with the highest possible difficulty rating to be extremely difficult to find, yet I saw several of them with over 500 finds and not a single DNF.

Honestly, I would expect any cache with maybe a D2.5 or D3 and higher to have at least one or two DNFs.

Looking at The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail link above they're all puzzle caches so the D rating most likely refers to the difficulty of the puzzle rather than the hide, those who failed to solve the puzzles don't log DNFs. I picked one at random, a D4 and Geochecker shows 565 smiles vs 432 frowns, so clearly the puzzle isn't a gimme. I would then expect anyone who has solved it and conquered the challenging terrain to give it everything they have got at the GZ to get the find, so maybe it's not so surprising that there's no DNFs.

Edited July 7, 2015 by MartyBartfast

3.3k · July 7, 2015

That said, it doesn't matter what I think, because I didn't make the rules for this game.

Did you mean the *guidelines* ?!

Anyway, can we get the Guiness Book of Records to officiate and verify future claims of high find counts?

14k · July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

Do they? I looked at several of the caches with a D5 rating. I would expect that a cache with the highest possible difficulty rating to be extremely difficult to find, yet I saw several of them with over 500 finds and not a single DNF.

Honestly, I would expect any cache with maybe a D2.5 or D3 and higher to have at least one or two DNFs.

Looking at The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail link above they're all puzzle caches so the D rating most likely refers to the difficulty of the puzzle rather than the hide, those who failed to solve the puzzles don't log DNFs. I picked one at random, a D4 and Geochecker shows 565 smiles vs 432 frowns, so clearly the puzzle isn't a gimme. I would then expect anyone who has solved it and conquered the challenging terrain to give it everything they have got at the GZ to get the find, so maybe it's not so surprising that there's no DNFs.

I picked another D5 cache at random. It has 540 found it logs. The geocheck image indicates that there were 203 correct solutions. Think that maybe there is some puzzle solution sharing going on? If most of the difficulty rating is associated with a puzzle and someone just shares the final coordinates for a 5D puzzle have you really found a 5D cache?

July 7, 2015

Personal Opinion:

I just don't see the appeal. Part of the reason I got into Geocaching was to enjoy those little haunts that I knew nothing about, and to take the time to enjoy our planet. Geocaching has taken me to locations both near and far that I never knew existed as "cool" locations. Part of the draw is the appeal of wanderlust. There's a great moment (one of the only great moments) in the Pixar movie Cars that sums up my feeling on these powertrails:

Whoa. Look at that. Look, they're drivin' right by. They don't even know what they're missing!
Well, it didn't used to be that way.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist.

Really?

Yeah. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way.

How do you mean?

Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make a great time. They drove on it to have a great time.

Well, what happened?

The town got bypassed just to save ten minutes of driving.

1. In the video, the cars talk about finding a way to put the town back on the map. Just put 1,000 geocaches along the road. Oh, wait! Someone did! Check out Rachel, Nevada.

2. The fun is in the adventure of being with friends out in the desert trying to see how many caches they can find.

3. My wife and I found 128!caches in two hours on the E.T. Highway. One drove, the other grabbed, signed and replaced. No leapfrogging. You could see the reflector post where the next cache would be from the prior one. GPS was unnecessary. It was really quite a bit of fun.

4. Doing this on a bicycle would be even better, except that you'd end up miles from the car at the end of the run.

3.8k · July 7, 2015

Personal Opinion:

I just don't see the appeal. Part of the reason I got into Geocaching was to enjoy those little haunts that I knew nothing about, and to take the time to enjoy our planet. Geocaching has taken me to locations both near and far that I never knew existed as "cool" locations. Part of the draw is the appeal of wanderlust. There's a great moment (one of the only great moments) in the Pixar movie Cars that sums up my feeling on these powertrails:

Whoa. Look at that. Look, they're drivin' right by. They don't even know what they're missing!
Well, it didn't used to be that way.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist.

Really?

Yeah. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way.

How do you mean?

Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make a great time. They drove on it to have a great time.

Well, what happened?

The town got bypassed just to save ten minutes of driving.

I got into geocaching for many of the same reasons and I also don't understand the appeal. But for me to declare power trails as being lame would be the epitome of arrogance. So what. Glad geocaching can be all things to all people. Have at all the power trails that can be (legally) made. I'll ignore them. When I choose to practice my 5% impurity, I'll even run (a shorter) one if its convenient.

July 7, 2015

I picked another D5 cache at random. It has 540 found it logs. The geocheck image indicates that there were 203 correct solutions. Think that maybe there is some puzzle solution sharing going on? If most of the difficulty rating is associated with a puzzle and someone just shares the final coordinates for a 5D puzzle have you really found a 5D cache?

Think maybe you are looking for any excuse you can find to justify your earlier position?

6k · July 7, 2015

I picked another D5 cache at random. It has 540 found it logs. The geocheck image indicates that there were 203 correct solutions. Think that maybe there is some puzzle solution sharing going on? If most of the difficulty rating is associated with a puzzle and someone just shares the final coordinates for a 5D puzzle have you really found a 5D cache?

But that's a different point to your earlier suggestion that the D ratings were artificially manipulated to just fill the grid and don't represent the genuine ratings. Providing help/sharing solutions/going out in a team when only one of them has solved the puzzle happens all the time everywhere.

2.6k · July 7, 2015

I did 295 in a day solo. Could have gotten more, maybe even 400 if I had not stopped to eat and break the monotony with a couple Virtuals and Earthcaches.

Same here...we did 303.

I don't buy 2.2 per min. though....even swapping containers and slightly running to the cache takes about a minute.......maybe if they were all a couple of feet from the car but I still doubt 2.2

July 7, 2015

And probably my favorite, 45 different D/T combinations in one day! I really do hope he/she posts a pic of the supersonic car-kayak-bicycle thingamabobby used to get all those happy faces!!!!!

Actually, in Germany, there are several (at least two I know of) trails having 81 caches that constitute the entire D/T grid:

The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail (https://www.geocachi...6,11.00654&z=15)

The 'Cachen auf dem 50. Breitengrad' trail (close to the giga at Mainz, now archived)

Amazing. Just when I thought manipulation of numbers was at an all time low, now I find out this??? How pathetic. I am glad I achieved my Fizzy completion by actually finding caches with appropriate D/T ratings.

Calling a certain series of caches pathetic, without having actually visited them? Right...

I know from first-hand these trails have quite appropriate ratings.

Do they? I looked at several of the caches with a D5 rating. I would expect that a cache with the highest possible difficulty rating to be extremely difficult to find, yet I saw several of them with over 500 finds and not a single DNF.

Honestly, I would expect any cache with maybe a D2.5 or D3 and higher to have at least one or two DNFs.

Looking at The 'Spielende Zahlen' trail link above they're all puzzle caches so the D rating most likely refers to the difficulty of the puzzle rather than the hide, those who failed to solve the puzzles don't log DNFs. I picked one at random, a D4 and Geochecker shows 565 smiles vs 432 frowns, so clearly the puzzle isn't a gimme. I would then expect anyone who has solved it and conquered the challenging terrain to give it everything they have got at the GZ to get the find, so maybe it's not so surprising that there's no DNFs.

Go back and have another look at the T ratings. The 2 that I looked at, both listed next to the highway with finals down at the off ramp were listed as 4.5 or 5. Have a look at GZ on google earth and tell me ratings haven't been manipulated for stats.

1.2k · July 7, 2015

Personal Opinion:

I just don't see the appeal. Part of the reason I got into Geocaching was to enjoy those little haunts that I knew nothing about, and to take the time to enjoy our planet. Geocaching has taken me to locations both near and far that I never knew existed as "cool" locations. Part of the draw is the appeal of wanderlust. There's a great moment (one of the only great moments) in the Pixar movie Cars that sums up my feeling on these powertrails:

Whoa. Look at that. Look, they're drivin' right by. They don't even know what they're missing!
Well, it didn't used to be that way.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist.

Really?

Yeah. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way.

How do you mean?

Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make a great time. They drove on it to have a great time.

Well, what happened?

The town got bypassed just to save ten minutes of driving.

I got into geocaching for many of the same reasons and I also don't understand the appeal. But for me to declare power trails as being lame would be the epitome of arrogance. So what. Glad geocaching can be all things to all people. Have at all the power trails that can be (legally) made. I'll ignore them. When I choose to practice my 5% impurity, I'll even run (a shorter) one if its convenient.

As arrogant as it may seem, I reserve the right to declare anything lame that I wish.

Edited July 7, 2015 by cheech gang

6k · July 7, 2015

Go back and have another look at the T ratings. The 2 that I looked at, both listed next to the highway with finals down at the off ramp were listed as 4.5 or 5. Have a look at GZ on google earth and tell me ratings haven't been manipulated for stats.

Well Vooruit! who it seems is the only one on this thread who has visited these caches thinks the ratings are appropriate.

14k · July 7, 2015

I picked another D5 cache at random. It has 540 found it logs. The geocheck image indicates that there were 203 correct solutions. Think that maybe there is some puzzle solution sharing going on? If most of the difficulty rating is associated with a puzzle and someone just shares the final coordinates for a 5D puzzle have you really found a 5D cache?

Think maybe you are looking for any excuse you can find to justify your earlier position?

Not any excuse. It's just additional evidence which demonstrates what some will do to show off what they've "accomplished" on their stats page.

July 7, 2015

Go back and have another look at the T ratings. The 2 that I looked at, both listed next to the highway with finals down at the off ramp were listed as 4.5 or 5. Have a look at GZ on google earth and tell me ratings haven't been manipulated for stats.

Well Vooruit! who it seems is the only one on this thread who has visited these caches thinks the ratings are appropriate.

Don't rely on what he says, pull up google earth and tell me they're fair dinkum.

6k · July 7, 2015

Go back and have another look at the T ratings. The 2 that I looked at, both listed next to the highway with finals down at the off ramp were listed as 4.5 or 5. Have a look at GZ on google earth and tell me ratings haven't been manipulated for stats.

Well Vooruit! who it seems is the only one on this thread who has visited these caches thinks the ratings are appropriate.

Don't rely on what he says, pull up google earth and tell me they're fair dinkum.

OK I just had a look at what I think may be the ones you're referring to (http://coord.info/GC5NAG0 & http://coord.info/GC5NAG5) and they are CHALLENGE caches, one of which requires a complete grid, and the other requiring a certain number of finds per month ( e.g. 111 222 333 888 etc) for 11 months- note this one has NO finds, only notes written as people record their progress, so obviously that's not an easy one to qualify for. It's common to give a D rating for challenge caches according to the difficulty of the challenge, it's also common for people rate the T similarly.

Edited July 7, 2015 by MartyBartfast

5.7k · July 7, 2015

Having lived and cached for a few years near Mainz (specifically, across the river in Wiesbaden), I would believe that you could have a great variety of terrain ratings on a trail near there. There are roads that go along gentle rises in vineyards and then go into areas with sheer cliffs. I miss that area, some great caching there. Good geocacher friends as well.

2.2 Caches per Minute?

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