Have you run into such a situation?

[+mhfares]

Posted coordinates tell you how far and what direction the cache is in but they don’t tell how to get to them. It is up to the one who stashed it to provide some info as to how to get there. Sometimes such info is trivial but other times it can save time & effort (Ok, some may claim that extra effort is where the fun is)

 

Here is an example ..

 

I remember when heading for the “Acacia River” cache, We first went to Bakhra and down south as if we were heading to Graffiti rocks and then made a 90 degree left heading east but only to find we were short by about 6km that we couldn't cross because of a mountain range. We had to go back north & then south again to Al-Jufair (to go around the mountain range) (see map)

 

 

So why not consider giving some info by specifying coordinates along the way (building a route).. e.g., at major turns where more than one alternative applies, (when in doubt place a “dot”). It is also fun that way (as if you have many caches along the trip). A good example of this is the “Saudi Sauna” cache. I saved at least 4 coordinates that appeared in the description (a very fine & interesting one) and built a route to get us there ..

[Dick Turpin]

.... but if you had gone over the mountain you could have bagged Stewed Rabbit on the way.

 

How much information to give must be remain in the gift of the setter and what they hope to achieve.

 

To pick up on your example of Acacia River. If you slavishly follow your GPS you will again end up at Stewed Rabbit. I find getting to the cache in a vehicle is more difficult than the dismounted element and part of the fun.

 

There are many that don't consider the approach as part of the challenge and do give some of the information you seek, some quote Ionis Thompson as to how to get to the cache.

 

Today I bagged an easy cache and I know that in the mind of the setter one of the greatest challenges was where to turn-off. Similarly how many have been caught out by taking the wrong route to the Military Stash and for this particular cache it is the difficulty of the whole that provides the reward when the bag is secured.

 

I believe that most experienced setters consciously consider what they want to achieve from their cache and provide the requisite information to meet that aim. Usually I consider the whole as part of the challenge limiting guidance to keeping seekers out of harms way when necessary.

[swdecato]

Military Stash was the first cache I placed. As Dick stated, the way in was the challenge on that one (I've only found one way to drive in). I didn't think I hid the "stash" in a difficult spot. I certainly didn't intend to make it difficult. I just hid it under a rock and recorded the coordinate.

 

I agree that when you place a cache, you should have a "theme" in mind. Either a nice or unique place to visit, or an interesting hike in.

 

Today I visited the cache across from the Riyahd River (can't think of the name right now). I happened to be driving by and had it as a waypoint in my GPS. I didn't bring the description with me, but drive up to within 50 meters. My wife found the cache while I was walking around like an idiot with my GPS.

[Dick Turpin]

Ooh er Steve was your 5* for difficulty just an easy opener for fun?

 

I enjoyed the Military Stash, well except for the consequences of taking a wrong turning on the way in, because it had general all round appeal.

 

However, though you may have intended the hide to be straight forward so is crossing a three-inch beam on the ground. Suspend the beam thirty feet up and for no logical reason the crossing becomes much more difficult, well at least for us mere mortals.