Terrain ratings

[+Divine]

I read some earlier forum threads about rating the terrain at your cache. What I have learned is that the ratings can be both regional and relative, which is pretty obvious when you think about it. Still, I've been wondering what would be the proper way to rate the terrain when there's more than one obvious routes leading to the cache, but the difficulty of those routes vary a lot.

 

Of course, in my own caches I've explained the nature of different route options in the cache page when needed. But I'm pondering particularly the Clayjar's star rating on the top of the cache page in this case.

 

Examples:

- 2 routes leading to the cache, the 1st is less than half a mile up/down a very steep cliffs, and the 2nd is e.g. 3 miles on a basic forest path.

 

- Cache is very easy at winter when you can walk straight to the spot across the ice (**), but very difficult in summer with a steep cliff route (****) or having to have a boat (special equipment -> *****). Example.

 

- Cache is at very easy terrain (*), but you have to have a boat in order to get to the spot (spec. eq. -> *****).

 

Should the starts always be rated using the hardest possible route option? Or easiest? Should cache owner change the rating when the seasons change?

 

Markwells are welcome. As wells as comments from Markwell himself.

 

- All you need is a sick mind and a healthy body. -

[+Renegade Knight]

Interesting. Having done 3/4 of all my finds the hard way, I've only ever rated them the way I intend the finder to go.

 

At this point I'd still do it the same. If I rate something a 1/1 and you are bushwacking something is wrong.

 

The summer winter ice/boat thing is best handled with a note. We have caches that state "The rating is for summer conditions" which when you get to the spot means something.

 

After this rambling note the answer is like every other geocaching answer. "It depends on the cache".

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[+LoneHowler]

I have a cache where depending on where a person walks it could be a 1 or a 3 so I went the middle road. and posted a warning that they could be in for a climb up a steep hill. so far most of the people have taken the hill

Skyline CK1

 

More to see, More to do

[+Night Stalker]

I always rate the route for someone using the hardest route possible. I guess thats because I always seem to follow that route myself. If you rate the terrain for the hardest route you won't get anyone whining about you underestimating the difficulty of the route. You may get someone giving you a bad time for over-rating the difficulty factor though. You can't win.

 

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!!

[+Jamie Z]

I attempted to search for the thread... but the search function wasn't working for me.

 

Anyway, in the case you mentioned about being easier (or harder) to retrieve in the winter (or other season), go ahead and change the rating.

 

If the cache requires a boat in the summer, but can be accessed on foot in the winter, make it a 5-star in the summer, and 2- or 3-star in the winter.

 

Jamie

 

Now I got the search to work, but still couldn't find the thread I was looking for.

[dsandbro]

Too relative. I ignore the ratings. We have all seen 4' and 5's that were really walks in the park.

 

========================================

Friends don't let Friends geocache drunk.

[+Waterboy]

If we were to rate the terrain by the hardest route as Night Stalker suggests all caches should have a rating of 5, and this rating would be meaningless. If you have any imagination you can make the trip to the cache harder. One simple way is to ask the potential cache finder to start walking, canoeing, swimming, or whatever 40 miles from the cache.

 

This would make Dave54’s comments to ignore the rating apply to everything.

 

Concerning Night Stalker’s the comment about whining. Reading comments by several new Geocachers I realize that many of them do not know how to read a simple map, and are completely lost on topographical maps. If they take the harder route, who’s fault is it? To come to the answer Night Stalker arrived at is to cater to the uneducated.

[+briansnat]

I rate it using the toughest conditions the seeker is likely to find if they park where suggested (I usually place parking coordinates in my cheater).

 

Sometimes conditions are easier and other times a bit harder. Some of my 3.5 rated caches were considerably easier this winter because the swamp froze, making walking a breeze. Same happened to some of my swamp caches this summer because of the drought. In another instance, one of my 3.5 rated caches was considerably harder because of snow and ice on the trails.

 

I don't adjust the ratings seasonally, I just try to rate the terrain by what the seeker will encounter the majority of the time.

 

A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. -Barry Goldwater

[+sbell111]

I just rate it based on the route I took when I hid the cache. If something changes, I update the rating. I don't, however, adjust the rating for seasonality.

[+flask]

i figure that the finder knows that walking over the ice could make it easier. and the finder ought to know riskier.

 

the only thing i'm quite clear about is that a 1 for terrain means handicapped accessible, and that the need for climbing gear makes it a 5.

 

a 5 on otherwise flat terrain is often a good hint as to location. e.g., islands or cliffs. both ought to be apparent given a little research.

 

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

[+briansnat]

quote:

---

the only thing i'm quite clear about is that a 1 for terrain means handicapped accessible

---

 

Unfortunately you're one of the few who is clear about this. I've found countless 1's that were in no way handicap accessable. I've also been on 3.5's that were easy walks in the woods. I wish more people would follow the guidelines.

 

I posted a poll a few months ago and I was surprised that there were a significant number of people who didn't know the "Clayjar" rating system existed, despite the fact that there is a link to it on the hide a cache page.

 

A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. -Barry Goldwater