What is the Rule on Placing Challenge Caches?

[+DARKSIDEDAN]

Firstly this is not a dig at the local reviewer. They do an amazing job. Just to be clear.

 

I have created a series of Challenge Caches based on each of the ProjectGC Badges. Before I started the project / placement I emailed the local reviewer and asked if there would be any issues in placing the series. I got nothing back so I went ahead with the series. I placed and published the Bronze, silver and gold caches without issue. Then came the Platinum caches (30 caches in total). The first time the Platinum caches were knocked back I was told that I needed to do Maintenance before I could place any more caches. I complied and did the required Maintenance before resubmitting the Platinum level caches again. This time I was told by the reviewer that that the Platinum caches (30 caches in total) were to close to the other 90 caches in the series. 

 

The distance from 60 of the caches is 92kms and the distance from the the other 30 caches is 125kms. Also the first 90 caches were mostly park and grabs where the next 30 caches were along a fire trail that was a 25km return hike. I caches were again knocked back for publication by the reviewer stating that the distance was to close and that the saturation challenge of caches was to great within a 100km radius. 

 

My questions are: What is the Rule on Placing Challenge Caches? How many challenge caches of a similar type (based on each of the ProjectGC Badges can I place in my 160km radius from my house? Is it worth contacting HQ to have the series placement reviewed? 

 

 

[+Max and 99]

19 minutes ago, DARKSIDEDAN said:

Firstly this is not a dig at the local reviewer. They do an amazing job. Just to be clear.

 

I have created a series of Challenge Caches based on each of the ProjectGC Badges. Before I started the project / placement I emailed the local reviewer and asked if there would be any issues in placing the series. I got nothing back so I went ahead with the series. I placed and published the Bronze, silver and gold caches without issue. Then came the Platinum caches (30 caches in total). The first time the Platinum caches were knocked back I was told that I needed to do Maintenance before I could place any more caches. I complied and did the required Maintenance before resubmitting the Platinum level caches again. This time I was told by the reviewer that that the Platinum caches (30 caches in total) were to close to the other 90 caches in the series. 

 

The distance from 60 of the caches is 92kms and the distance from the the other 30 caches is 125kms. Also the first 90 caches were mostly park and grabs where the next 30 caches were along a fire trail that was a 25km return hike. I caches were again knocked back for publication by the reviewer stating that the distance was to close and that the saturation challenge of caches was to great within a 100km radius. 

 

My questions are: What is the Rule on Placing Challenge Caches? How many challenge caches of a similar type (based on each of the ProjectGC Badges can I place in my 160km radius from my house? Is it worth contacting HQ to have the series placement reviewed? 

 

 

This sounds like a subjective determination, based on the Help Center:

 

“Please do not submit a challenge cache in an area where a very similar or identical challenge cache already exists.”

This guideline is intended to prevent the publication of repetitive challenges in the same general area. Think of it as a proximity guideline for challenges. The proximity distance will vary depending on your area. “Very similar” is subjective so that reviewers will be able to determine what is appropriate to publish for an area or not, based on existing nearby challenges.  

[+DARKSIDEDAN]

13 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

This sounds like a subjective determination, based on the Help Center:

 

“Please do not submit a challenge cache in an area where a very similar or identical challenge cache already exists.”

This guideline is intended to prevent the publication of repetitive challenges in the same general area. Think of it as a proximity guideline for challenges. The proximity distance will vary depending on your area. “Very similar” is subjective so that reviewers will be able to determine what is appropriate to publish for an area or not, based on existing nearby challenges.  

 

So there is no actual guideline but the reviewers Interpretation of what is appropriate to publish. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by DARKSIDEDAN

[Keystone]

Because the OP is from Australia and I can see no relationship to geocaching in the Northwest USA, I moved this thread to a more appropriate forum.

 

The determination for "similar challenges in the area" varies by region.  A region with flat, straight roads and easy travel could have a different distance than a region like western Colorado, where you can't drive in a straight line because there is a mountain range in between you and your destination.  One concept that is generally followed by Reviewers, however, is the "Bronze/Silver/Gold"  levels for challenge caches.  In simplest terms, there can be three variations or levels of what is essentially the same challenge criterion.  Anything more than three would need to be hidden a good distance away.  In Pennsylvania that distance is 75 miles, so I think the OP's reviewer is being a bit more generous than I would be.

 

I don't think that a post-moratorium challenge cache series based on each level in BadgeGen for a particular accomplishment would be published in close proximity anywhere in the world, except by mistake.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Keystone

[+DARKSIDEDAN]

On 8/4/2021 at 10:20 AM, Keystone said:

Because the OP is from Australia and I can see no relationship to geocaching in the Northwest USA, I moved this thread to a more appropriate forum.

 

The determination for "similar challenges in the area" varies by region.  A region with flat, straight roads and easy travel could have a different distance than a region like western Colorado, where you can't drive in a straight line because there is a mountain range in between you and your destination.  One concept that is generally followed by Reviewers, however, is the "Bronze/Silver/Gold"  levels for challenge caches.  In simplest terms, there can be three variations or levels of what is essentially the same challenge criterion.  Anything more than three would need to be hidden a good distance away.  In Pennsylvania that distance is 75 miles, so I think the OP's reviewer is being a bit more generous than I would be.

 

I don't think that a post-moratorium challenge cache series based on each level in BadgeGen for a particular accomplishment would be published in close proximity anywhere in the world, except by mistake.

 

Thanks Keystone that was helpful.

 

Note: I asked this question in the Northwest USA instead of the Australia section of the forum so as to not offend the local reviewer. But all good I have my answer now.

[+Ministro]

On 8/4/2021 at 10:20 AM, Keystone said:

One concept that is generally followed by Reviewers, however, is the "Bronze/Silver/Gold"  levels for challenge caches.  In simplest terms, there can be three variations or levels of what is essentially the same challenge criterion. 

Thanks Keystone, this is the same advice I offered the cache owner when the caches were first submitted.

Dan, In regards to the distance, the distance is variable but what we take into account is the audience and if the cache is part of a series. Let me talk in a local example for you. If for example caches were placed around the Canberra region but to the cardinal points then these caches may be further than 100km from each other but are set to appeal for the same audience. This is even more the case where the cache have the same names as a Platinum step within a series.

 

In regards to appealing a reviewers decision this is always an option. Reviewers don't take offence and it helps us to ensure we are following the intent of the guidelines. Often for borderline case we will take a cache to appeals for you.

 

Hope that helps.