June already and oh so soon will come the shortest day.
Somewhat on par with the last two years I guess with just over 1000 caches at this point although I feel I’ve not done much or enough.
1st June
A gentle start with just a couple of birthday caches and a couple of others.
Yesterday saw the first complete line fill on the birthday calendar wonder if I will complete any more this year.
6th June
Quite a frantic day. Off night shift at 7am a few chores a little nap then a full on pack the van for the Scotland trip.
7th June
Not up and away quite as early as hoped but was on the road by 9am.
A couple of hundred mile then stopped off for some challenge caches to break the journey.
Then into Scotland and a couple of caches near Gretna. The Old Blacksmith shop was closed and whilst I wandered a bit into the grounds I didn’t venture right across to the virtual position. oh dear that cheeky Paul Smith said he went in very late at night so that’s one I missed doing whilst it was vert quiet. Still it’s something to come back to.
Dilemma time came at 10pm when I reached Scotland the Quest – North Lanarkshire ~ go for the two caches here or find somewhere to eat and sleep. Eat and sleep won and it was the right choice as the caches took me an hour and the park was best seen in daylight.
8th June
Enjoyed an early morning visit to the park where Scotland the Quest – North Lanarkshire is sited first thing in the morning.
The day progresses with a few seeks of challenge caches that I’ve qualified for and other choice caches such as virtuals.
All too soon it was time for a long dash to make the meet at Applecross. An interesting road across the hill and others photo’s might do more justice than anything I could take if I had time to stop.
A nice quiet meet and good food.
Then back across that road before it got dark and time to grab a cache on the way now time isn’t so pressured.
Now where? that is where I made my blunder read tomorrows entry for details.
9th June
Well after the road to Applecross last night it was a verge park quick grab of my trip itinerary. I did wonder a little why caches were greatly space but wanted to move on.
It was a little after visiting Corrieshalloch Gorge
that it dawned on me that I’d followed a route sheet I’d considered but then thought would be too long to hit the Dunnet Head meet in comfort and had re-planned a different route. I said bollocks under my breath or perhaps even aloud.
To back track or adjust would have meant an hour or two of driving before I reached a planned cache so stuck with the error. Would I regret it?
A little further on I quite liked the Gorge Gazing cache, not sure I gazed so much as to do so would have meant leaning over the edge.
The Moine Thrust earth cache and the nearby physical were rather nice. Then came the decision whether to cook and eat or keep moving. Hungry but it was still daylight so press on won.
A few more earth caches the last at almost 11pm. Then came the snag of the trip. I hit a road with passing places and didn’t get a suitable point to park and sleep until 1.30am. No coocked dinner again today.
10th June
The park at 1.30am and in bed at 2am meant I didn’t hit my first cache until around 9am.
Now the constant evaluation of what I can fit in to reach the Dunnet Head meet on time.
By keeping this leg to mostly the quick and easy I reached Dunnet Head about an hour early.
Time to cook a hot meal the first for a couple of days and a brief rest.
As soon as I opened the van door Paul was waving from his car. Get your brain working we’ve an earth cache to study ahead of the meet. Brain working i think mine is well into close down mode.
The meet was good with a couple of locals attending too. We even learnt the secret route out onto the cliff.
All too soon the meet was over and it was time to move on to some physical caches “nearby”. I wonder if Paul will ever forgive me for walking the mile to that group rather than driving and parking.
Well that mile was what the lighthouse keeper’s would have had to walked to fetch their water from the well, so I was just treating him to that experience!
I cached on until around 11pm and then found somewhere to sleep.
11th June
The last cache I visited last night was a connective one having a counterpart in the south. Oh well may as well try that and if the tide is right I want to do the virtual in the cave.
So feelers out for help from the south and a check of tide times.
A bit late for the early tide so I guess I’m filling a little time here.
Help from the south took a couple of hours to materialise and then when it did come it was wrong. Parking wasn’t too close and immediately obvious it was not the cache site. Luckily found an alternative source and was able to visit the final later in the day.
Reasonable weather whilst I was waiting for the tide and a visit to Ancient Grafitti then when I go near a grass cliff top there is heavy rain and even a clap of thunder.
12th June
Today will consist of caching along the coas to John O’Groats and beyond if I have time.
Some nice caches and earth caches along this stretch with John O’Groats and Ducansby Head being main afternoon consumers.
A lot more caching and visited the last cache of the day around 11pm.
13th June
Started the caching day with an earth cache at Brora around 8am.
The main objective today was to get to the river party at Mallaig on time.
An interesting mix of earthcaches, puzzles and other caches filled the time on the route and I only parked up a few minutes before the party was due to start.
Not a lot of response on the cache page for this one and indeed Paul and I were the only attendees. Probably made the mistake of not going for a paddle early as the midges picked up on us being close to the trees and didn’t feel like leaving the party.
Good to have had a look at another area of Scotland though pity there was the shower though and the midges.
14th June
Off to the cairngorms for a couple of days.
A lot of drive bys along the way.
Ended the day at Ballater but didn’t do well with the caches there.
15th June
A few quick caches then the satnav wants to take me way back to get to my next selection. Must admit I struggled to see how to connect during my planning stage.
A little disappointment when each of three times I was near to The Cairnwell I was either tired or the weather was really nasty. Likely better though to stay off the mountains when you are not so confident or kitted.
Mood boosted again when I found one that had not had a find for over a year.
16th June
A nice start to the day when a cache
Highland Haggi’s Binary Challenge
reminds you of how well you are doing caching wise.
My numbers for the log were;
Found Caches 14698
Trackables (Moved ) 892 (Discovered) 211 (Owned) 65
Events 162 (standard)
Souvenirs over 100
CITO 14
I’m one of the few UK cachers to have found the Brazilian Project Ape Cache too.
Maybe there will be a second ape cache on my list later this year.
A lot more challenge final caches found today and others towards challenges.
Strange also finding sevel travel bugs that had not moved for several years or had been marked missing.
17th June
The day started at Elgin with a cache and YOSM combination which should help with a challenge or two. A respectable 7.30 am bag on these.
Again a mixture of Earthcaches, Challenge caches, choice and filler caches sought and found.
18th June
A day and a half to cache along the route from Ben Nevis to the Scotland /England border.
A wet start to the day.
A good mixture of caches found along the way.
Greater part of the end of the day was spent at Abbey Craig wher there was a nice selection of cache types.
19th June
To hit a meet on the costal border of Scotland and England is the main objective of the day. Could still be quite a pressurised journey as there are a few caches along the way I hope to seek. Out well early before 5am in the hope of making it.
There was a lot of challenge caches I wanted to reap and yes I was a little late reaching the meet Paul said had I been on Dope or was I just Dopey as I was 200 ft high! Well my log sums it up best Pictures are there too.
20th June
The main venture for today will be to visit Lindisfarne since the safe crossing times are so good and if back off the island soon enough slaowly trickle south starting the journey home to Berkshire.
At the crossing just before 7am and the drive all went well.
Caching on the island was good but quite tiring. Found them all and was off the island shortly after the start of the second safe crossing time. So should get som mainland ones today too.
St Cuthbert’s Cave
21 June
Some interesting caches along the way. Castles seem prominent today too first Bamburgh then Dunstanburgh and Edlingham.
22nd June
I’ve been wanting to take this walk for quite a few years but it hadn’t come about until today.
I certainly had in my mind that it was even more remote than it is and harder going. It still wasn’t a walk in the park but every thing was favourable today and it was a great walk with feet just a little toasty at the end.
The caches I was aiming for;
Reivers Revenge (Scottish Borders, Just!)
Where’s Georges Kidney Stone (Northumberland)
Greatly enjoyed the walk to these two and they should help me with some challenges.
It was time to decide whether to make the loop longer or just head back to the van. Straight back won a few extra mile and hours migh tip the balance from enjoyment into pain or distress.
Then it was on to Kielder and later whether to finish the caches here or have dinner. Caching won and I finished the last one after 10pm. Not sure it was the right choice see tomorrows first entry.
23rd June
Well having cached until well after 10pm last night and ruling Kielder out as a sleeping point I drove on for quite a time. One village was a possible sleep point but at nearly midnight I considered slamming doors would be antisocial and drove on. I stopped in a layby. That was probably an error.
Woken around 4am by wind and rain shaking the van I just felt I didn’t want to be there even to the exten of driving off without having breakfast or doing usual personal hygiene.
The first caches of the day took me down a gated road so I also wondered what the rest of the day had in store.
So first cache of the day found around 5.45am.
A good mixture of caches but mostly challenges and ones towards challenges.
A couple of high T or tree climbs that I said no not for me or at least not today.
Having not had dinner yesterday and again not as yet today and it’s now 9pm I was quite famished.
Should I cook or visit a food shop? The food shop saves washing up and “camping water” food shop it is.
I don’t often opt for pizza but tonight a 12″ mixed grill with garlic butter base really went down well. Almost that was left 2 slices and they were still quite paletable for breakfast.
24th June
Well the remains of last night’s pizza for breakfast is that going to influence the day.
Starting with the H.B.R. series so lets see how that goes.
25th June
A few challenge caches etc. along the way and then I went to Nottingham University Campus. I had only intended going for one cache but stayed most of the afternoon. Some nice caches in there.
Quite a heavy trip and with the extra requirements of earthcaches and challenges logging took me until 8th July.
Not sure I would try to tie into so many events again but it was fun for this trip and some of the pressures perhaps good training for the three week motorhome trip in a America later this year.
