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Awesome Challenge Cache ideas wanted


geocat_

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7 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

Not at all. The CO called it a challenge cache. Did you try it on your computer? You also need a printer. 

The CO suggested one aspect of the cache would be a challenge but did not say it was a "challenge cache" as defined by the guidelines. i.e. "I thought I'd get things started with a challenge"

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5 hours ago, HunterandSamuel said:

May not be a challenge cache to you but it is to me. 

We're not talking about a challenging cache, but a Challenge Cache (note the caps).  These are a subset of mystery caches with a very defined meaning.  For one (in the new version, older grandfathered ones may not) the cache title contains the word "Challenge".   Then there is the list of geocache finds needed to be done before the Challenge Cache can be logged online (i.e.. finding a cache hidden every month since May 2000 - the "Jasmer Challenge").  Your example contains neither of these so is not a Challenge Cache, although it was a challenge (no caps) for you.

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5 hours ago, HunterandSamuel said:

May not be a challenge cache to you but it is to me. 

Not sure if you're kidding now, but I'm good for one more try....

The thread subject is Challenge caches.  A Challenge cache (the link I posted...) is a cache type.

For some odd reason, they  still haven't received their own, unique icon ... why some get confused when a CO mentions something is a "challenge" on their cache page.  That happens a lot.      :)

 The word "Challenge" in the cache name became a requirement after (IIRC) 2015, so some without are still around.

 - Most we know of had "Challenge" added later just to avoid confusion.

 

Your linked-to example is a Puzzle cache, and " this one is of the "solve at your desk" variety." shows that.

A good example of a Challenge cache is "All County" or "Delorme" Challenges in most states.    You must find a cache in every County, or a cache in each Delorme page in an atlas.  

They require you to find other caches to be able to log it. 

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44 minutes ago, The Jester said:

We're not talking about a challenging cache, but a Challenge Cache (note the caps).  These are a subset of mystery caches with a very defined meaning.  For one (in the new version, older grandfathered ones may not) the cache title contains the word "Challenge".   Then there is the list of geocache finds needed to be done before the Challenge Cache can be logged online (i.e.. finding a cache hidden every month since May 2000 - the "Jasmer Challenge").  Your example contains neither of these so is not a Challenge Cache, although it was a challenge (no caps) for you.

Please see my post to cerberus1.

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36 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

Not sure if you're kidding now, but I'm good for one more try....

The thread subject is Challenge caches.  A Challenge cache (the link I posted...) is a cache type.

For some odd reason, they  still haven't received their own, unique icon ... why some get confused when a CO mentions something is a "challenge" on their cache page.  That happens a lot.      :)

 The word "Challenge" in the cache name became a requirement after (IIRC) 2015, so some without are still around.

 - Most we know of had "Challenge" added later just to avoid confusion.

 

Your linked-to example is a Puzzle cache, and " this one is of the "solve at your desk" variety." shows that.

A good example of a Challenge cache is "All County" or "Delorme" Challenges in most states.    You must find a cache in every County, or a cache in each Delorme page in an atlas.  

They require you to find other caches to be able to log it. 

I'm red in the face with embarrassment. Now I fully understand the difference between a "Challenge" cache and a challenge cache. Thanks Cerberus and Jester for your patience. 

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4 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

I did read the Challenge guidelines that cerberus posted a link too but they were difficult to understand. Did anyone else have trouble understanding them when first reading up on it? Jester and Cerberus's description was easier to understand and all clicked together. Finally. lol

It's easier to understand if you've been there through the evolution of the game.

 

When I started, cache owners could require anything they wanted on any cache. There were local caches listed as Traditional Caches, that had Additional Logging Requirements.

 

Then the guidelines were changed so that caches with Additional Logging Requirements had to be listed as Mystery/Puzzle Caches. Somewhere in this timeframe, there came to be a distinction between Challenge Caches (e.g., find a cache in every county of a certain state) and caches with other ALRs (e.g., post your log in limerick format).

 

Then the guidelines were changed so that Challenge Caches were allowed, but other ALR caches were not, and the ALR caches were not grandfathered. All non-challenge Additional Logging Requirements were declared optional.

 

Then the guidelines for Challenge Caches were tightened up. Actually, that's happened a few times now. And there was a one-year moratorium on new Challenge Caches thrown in there, with one of the big changes to the guidelines for Challenge Caches when the moratorium was lifted.

 

But yeah, those of us who have seen all this happen over the years can forget how confusing it can be to someone who comes upon it the first time.

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5 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

I did read the Challenge guidelines that cerberus posted a link too but they were difficult to understand. Did anyone else have trouble understanding them when first reading up on it? Jester and Cerberus's description was easier to understand and all clicked together. Finally. lol

My TL/DR on Challenge Caches is as follows. They are Mystery cache located at the posted coordinates. You go sign log in container. You can log a Find online ONLY after you have jumped through the hoop(s) listed in the cache description.

Those hoops may be finding a cache in each county of a state (Delaware = 3, Texas = 254) or find a cache placed in every month since Geocaching started (May 2000 through today), or they may have been something along the lines of finding a list of "caches whose names started with each of the letters in Merry Christmas" - or some such nonsense.

New Challenge caches have revised criteria and must have a checker to verify the submitted list of finds.

 

 

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18 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

I did read the Challenge guidelines that cerberus posted a link too but they were difficult to understand. Did anyone else have trouble understanding them when first reading up on it? Jester and Cerberus's description was easier to understand and all clicked together. Finally. lol

 

The Help Centre really should have something about all the different cache types early on, either in the Getting Started section or the Find a Cache section. As it stands, you don't encounter cache types until the Hide a Cache section which generally assumes some experience at finding caches. There's this separate  page on Geocache Types but even it doesn't mention challenge caches.

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22 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

I did read the Challenge guidelines that cerberus posted a link too but they were difficult to understand. Did anyone else have trouble understanding them when first reading up on it? Jester and Cerberus's description was easier to understand and all clicked together. Finally. lol

 

Nobody can understand them correctly. Cache owners have problems, challenge checker editors have problems, reviewers have problems and even HQ is frequently adding additional instructions how to interpret challenge guidelines.

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This thread is supposed to be about helping geocat come up with new ideas for challenge caches. All of page two has been off topic and (presumably) unhelpful to him.  Geocat has hidden many awesome ones in Ohio, but mainly under the pre-moratorium guidelines.  I would like to see him hide more, so I can find them!

 

In an effort to get back on topic, I wanted to post about the awesome "Cache of the Month" challenge series hidden here in the Pittsburgh area by Penny's Pack.  There are many similar series, where each of the 12 challenge caches requires finding a cache (in any year) on each day of one of the calendar months.  What sets Penny's Pack apart from owners of similar series is that they chose themed locations for each of the months.  The January challenge is hidden at the bottom of a popular sledding hill, the June challenge is hidden near a popular spot for weddings, the September challenge is hidden near a college campus ("back to school"), the October challenge is near a spot popular at Halloween, and so forth.  As a result, the caches are scattered all over the area, instead of along a road in 528 foot increments.  I pick off one of the challenges when I'm in the area where it's hidden - one challenge at a time.  I'd like to encourage geocat to consider a similar themed series.

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On 12/14/2019 at 11:19 AM, The Leprechauns said:

 

New "Bingo" challenges are still allowed.  The most important things to remember are that each individual square needs to be a qualifying challenge all on its own (so no trackables, no cache names, etc.) and that you must demonstrate that enough people in your area already qualify or are close to qualifying for the challenge (to prevent "look at all the quirky things that only I have done in combination" bingo challenges).


Do you happen to know if this one is still ok under the current guidelines? It's my cache but I haven't been active in the game for years now...

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@kanchan - your cache is grandfathered. It's fine as is.  The one thing I suggest you change, "may log the second "Found It" - simply because that's no longer possible. The site won't load a second Found it! log. 

Squares that don't meet the current guidelines:

N-3 find 100 challenges
I-2 trackables
I-4 specific cache HQ
O-3 ratio terrain
B-1 ratio difficulty

But you don't need to do a thing about these, it's probably better if you make no changes.

 

@geocat_ - I thought this was cute in the write up, and has enough travel to be challenging, without being over the top on demands.

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6 hours ago, kanchan said:


Do you happen to know if this one is still ok under the current guidelines? It's my cache but I haven't been active in the game for years now...

 

I think that you would have a difficult time getting one exactly like this published today, even though as pointed out this one would be grandfathered.  All of the individual squares can be checked with stats online, and so in theory, a checker could be built to see if a finder has one or more rows, columns or diagonals filled.  All that is good.

 

But two of the squares themselves are questionable (under my understanding of the rules).  O-3 (Average Terrain >2) and B-4 (Average Difficulty >2) may be true at any given point in time, but could become untrue the next day depending upon what caches are found after already meeting the qualification.  I believe (could be wrong) that GS does not allow challenges like that--they need to be once qualified, always qualified.

 

Yes, strictly speaking, I-5 (Find a cache hidden in every month since May 2000) is also one that people become unqualified for, but this type of challenge is allowed anyway.

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3 minutes ago, rosebud55112 said:

But two of the squares themselves are questionable (under my understanding of the rules).  O-3 (Average Terrain >2) and B-4 (Average Difficulty >2) may be true at any given point in time, but could become untrue the next day depending upon what caches are found after already meeting the qualification.  I believe (could be wrong) that GS does not allow challenges like that--they need to be once qualified, always qualified.

I think it's even stricter than "Once qualified, always qualified". You cannot have a challenge requirement where a cache find could work against you. The latter is the case for any "D/T average" requirements. To achieve average T > 2, all finds of caches with T <= 1.5 move you away from the target. Same would be true for, say, "less than 50% traditionals in your total finds".

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8 minutes ago, baer2006 said:

I think it's even stricter than "Once qualified, always qualified". You cannot have a challenge requirement where a cache find could work against you. The latter is the case for any "D/T average" requirements. To achieve average T > 2, all finds of caches with T <= 1.5 move you away from the target. Same would be true for, say, "less than 50% traditionals in your total finds".

That makes sense.  And that would be justification for allowing the Jasmer Challenge type of challenge.  It's not a case of finding cache X cause you to be unqualified; it's the inexorable march of time that does it.

 

Every one of us, at some point after our deaths, will no longer qualify for a Jasmer challenge.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

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21 hours ago, geocat_ said:

Was also thinking of a challenge cache where the user needs to have found a cache <1 meter above sea level and one >8500 ft above sea level.  Doubt it would be allowed since those numbers aren't tracked by geocaching.com.  Any chance to confirm this?

Mixing linear measurements (meters and feet) won't help...

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21 hours ago, geocat_ said:

Was also thinking of a challenge cache where the user needs to have found a cache <1 meter above sea level and one >8500 ft above sea level.  Doubt it would be allowed since those numbers aren't tracked by geocaching.com.  Any chance to confirm this?

 

There's a post-moratorium elevation based challenge here (GC7RKAV published in 2018) so it looks like they're allowed.

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21 hours ago, geocat_ said:

Was also thinking of a challenge cache where the user needs to have found a cache <1 meter above sea level and one >8500 ft above sea level.  Doubt it would be allowed since those numbers aren't tracked by geocaching.com.  Any chance to confirm this?

GC8279V uses this concept so it should be ok. 

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23 hours ago, geocat_ said:

Was also thinking of a challenge cache where the user needs to have found a cache <1 meter above sea level and one >8500 ft above sea level.  Doubt it would be allowed since those numbers aren't tracked by geocaching.com.  Any chance to confirm this?

 

This is an exception to guidelines. Many new challenges have been accepted based on elevation.

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of finding 14 of geocat's challenge caches, including his new ones that resulted from this discussion.  What a great way to end a decade of geocaching!  Thank you to geocat for hiding most of the 18 caches we found yesterday.  As I wrote in one of my logs, it is challenge caches that keep me motivated to keep going out and finding more geocaches.

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1 hour ago, The Leprechauns said:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finding 14 of geocat's challenge caches, including his new ones that resulted from this discussion.  What a great way to end a decade of geocaching!  Thank you to geocat for hiding most of the 18 caches we found yesterday.  As I wrote in one of my logs, it is challenge caches that keep me motivated to keep going out and finding more geocaches.

That inspired me to look at his list of Challenge Caches - I see I qualify for the latest 5 (plus others).  I've added them to the list of caches to look for when we're next back that way.

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On 1/1/2020 at 1:05 PM, The Leprechauns said:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finding 14 of geocat's challenge caches, including his new ones that resulted from this discussion.  What a great way to end a decade of geocaching!  Thank you to geocat for hiding most of the 18 caches we found yesterday.  As I wrote in one of my logs, it is challenge caches that keep me motivated to keep going out and finding more geocaches.

Well, all I can say is thank you very much!  I love challenge caches too.  I hope others that are in the area stop by to find my hides.  They are all just south of Dayton, OH and right off I-75 so it's super easy to access them all!

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On 12/24/2019 at 5:24 PM, geocat_ said:

Was also thinking of a challenge cache where the user needs to have found a cache <1 meter above sea level and one >8500 ft above sea level.  Doubt it would be allowed since those numbers aren't tracked by geocaching.com.  Any chance to confirm this?

 

Elevation data can be derived from other data and the lat/long coordinates of a cache.  Challenge caches based on finding caches in specific counties but the geocaching data does not include county info.  It also is derived from other data sources.  

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On 12/24/2019 at 3:16 AM, niraD said:

It should be grandfathered, even if a new one just like it could not be listed today. (And yes, that's the one I'm working on... slowly.)

 

On 12/24/2019 at 4:12 AM, palmetto said:

@kanchan - your cache is grandfathered. It's fine as is.

 

On 12/24/2019 at 7:27 AM, rosebud55112 said:

I think that you would have a difficult time getting one exactly like this published today, even though as pointed out this one would be grandfathered.


Thanks, and sorry for the late reply. @palmetto, I will update that part. Thanks for letting me know.

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My favourite challenge caches are often connected to travel, eg.GC5BFD9 You must have logged a cache in every Australian state and mainland territory in a calendar year.

 

But there are others I have enjoyed too:

GC47J4N The finder needs to find 'neglected' caches and add up the years the caches have been neglected to get a total.

GC5MWTJ This one is earned after finding all the geocaches on Norfolk Island.

GC5KB4J find a cache in all 113 of Canberra's suburbs

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32 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

My favourite challenge caches are often connected to travel, eg.GC5BFD9 You must have logged a cache in every Australian state and mainland territory in a calendar year.

 

I'll be struggling to do that in one lifetime. I got my first Australian cache outside NSW last July on a short trip to Queensland and have never been to Western Australia, the Northern Territory or Tasmania in my life. My international travel record isn't much better, with just New Zealand, the UK and the USA, the latter two being mostly work trips in the late 90s. I guess I'm not much of a travellin' man.

 

32 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said:

But there are others I have enjoyed too:

GC47J4N The finder needs to find 'neglected' caches and add up the years the caches have been neglected to get a total.

GC5MWTJ This one is earned after finding all the geocaches on Norfolk Island.

GC5KB4J find a cache in all 113 of Canberra's suburbs

 

I don't think the first two would be allowed under the current rules. Edit to add: Or even the third one for that matter, since the only geographical boundaries allowed are countries, states and counties.

 

Edited by barefootjeff
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7 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

GC47J4N The finder needs to find 'neglected' caches and add up the years the caches have been neglected to get a total.

 

 

Dang, I just did that last year with 3 caches!  They were along a dirt road in the hills above the Oregon Coast - each hadn't been found for 69 months (somewhere around 6200 days).  Now I have to travel to Australia...

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12 minutes ago, Aprilscherzen said:

 

Aren't there challenges where you have to write at least N words per log?

 

New challenges of this type are no longer being published, since the moratorium.  There are grandfathered challenge caches of this type out there, which is why we still see logs with paragraphs of fluff, and an apology that the fluff was added to help in qualifying for one of these challenges.

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On 8/12/2020 at 1:41 AM, Keystone said:

 

New challenges of this type are no longer being published, since the moratorium.  There are grandfathered challenge caches of this type out there, which is why we still see logs with paragraphs of fluff, and an apology that the fluff was added to help in qualifying for one of these challenges.

I am sure that this has been covered in the irks thread, but the person who came up with that challenge didn't understand the unintended consequences of this challenge.  Given the competitive nature of some cachers, it should have been obvious.

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There's a challenge I just hid that you might like. It's called the Pass A Bill Challenge. The idea is to find enough caches in enough states to win a trifecta in the federal government. If you find a cache in a state, you win one its Senate seats. If you find 2 caches in a state, you win both of its Senate seats. Every cache you find in a state gets you a House vote, up to as many seats as that state has. For the Electoral College, you win all of a state's EC votes if you find at least as many caches in that as is equal to half the number of EC votes that state has. You complete the challenge when you have 270 Electoral College votes, 50 Senate seats, and 218 House seats. Alternatively, you can also qualify without winning the EC if you win 67 Senate seats and 290 House seats due to Congressional override. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9A8G6

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On 5/10/2021 at 3:27 AM, Harry Dolphin said:

Interesting.  But it gives me finds in ten states that I've never cached in.  Mostly Locationless caches, and, perhaps a few moving caches.  I still qualify.  But should Locationless caches qualify?  14 finds in California?  I've never cached in California.

No they shouldn't! I'll go message the script writer and have him fix that. Thank you for telling me!

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Let me offer a recently reincarnated challenge trail we put out around here. A few pre-moratorium caches are in it but most are under the new guidelines.  The goal was to make interesting ones under the new guidelines. Feel free to crib ideas as some of these were cribbed from other creative folks.

 

GC3F12D Neglected Cache Challenge
 GC55XPN The Bigcall Challenge: A Baker's Dozen
 GC55XP0 The Bigcall Challenge: Nifty Fifty
 GC980EH 365 Unknown Dates Hidden Challenge
 GC980EK Feet Under the Sea, Head In the Clouds Challenge
 GC980EJ All The Attributes Challenge
 GC9838K The Golden State Challenge
 GC9839B The Best Finds Challenge
 GC9838Z The Perfect Country & Western Song Challenge
 GC9834G Globetrotter Challenge
 GC9834D The Island Life Is For Me Challenge
 GC9838F Virtual 👻 Border to Border Challenge
 GC98388 5 states*100 Finds Iconic Challenge
 GC9838P Iconic Traveler Challenge
 GC9834N Every Day Hidden Challenge
 GC98396 The Bay Area Puzzlers Challenge
 GC98393 The Taking a Long Lunch Challenge
 GC98341 Largest Counties Challenge
 GC9839N Road Less Traveled Challenge!
 GC9833X Wherigo Quarter Century Challenge
 GC98347 So Easy a Child Could Do It Challenge
 GC9838D It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Challenge
 GC995K7 Mysteries Across The USA Challenge
 GC995K2 5 Types x 10 States Challenge
 GC99842 Historic Alameda County Caches Challenge
 GC99A3G The Demented Diminishing Dozen Challenge
 GC99AD4 1000 km Altitude Challenge
 GC99ACQ The Blue or the Gray Challenge
 GC9986G Hazards of Geocaching Attributes CHALLENGE 313
 GC9986J Accessible Attainable Attributes CHALLENGE 1313
 GC99X8B The Lazy Cacher Challenge
 GC9A2N2 The Good N.E.W.S. or Bad N.E.W.S. Challenge
 GC99EMN The 3.5 Billion Year Challenge
 GC99AE7 Well-Traveled Cacher: Degree Squares

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On 5/10/2021 at 12:58 AM, garretslarrity said:

There's a challenge I just hid that you might like. It's called the Pass A Bill Challenge. The idea is to find enough caches in enough states to win a trifecta in the federal government. If you find a cache in a state, you win one its Senate seats. If you find 2 caches in a state, you win both of its Senate seats. Every cache you find in a state gets you a House vote, up to as many seats as that state has. For the Electoral College, you win all of a state's EC votes if you find at least as many caches in that as is equal to half the number of EC votes that state has. You complete the challenge when you have 270 Electoral College votes, 50 Senate seats, and 218 House seats. Alternatively, you can also qualify without winning the EC if you win 67 Senate seats and 290 House seats due to Congressional override. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9A8G6

Interesting.  The checker said "You control 490 Electoral College votes, 98 Senate seats, and 395 House Seats!"  The only state I don't have votes/seats is Hawaii as I haven't been there since geocaching started.  Hmm, don't know when we'll down that way to find it though...

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On 5/13/2021 at 6:10 AM, rragan said:

 GC99AE7 Well-Traveled Cacher: Degree Squares

The name made me suspicious and sure enough. Ouch.

 

On 5/13/2021 at 6:10 AM, rragan said:

GC98388 5 states*100 Finds Iconic Challenge

What are these icons? Is it some US only thing? (I only have one from GC8FR0G)

 

Nice job theming the challenges: much more interesting than just listing arbitrary requirements.

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