Category: Events

News & New Caches 143

There has been lots of caches published since our last post:

GCAV1CG YOSM #0115 Porth Ysgaden by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T2
GCATH1R Abersoch REBORN by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1.5
GCATH2E Dune Discoveries by rubenxamber Traditional D2/T1.5
GCATJC8 Abersoch’s Beachside Mystery by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1
GCATJD5 Abersoch Pre-Beach Treasure by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1

View from Sailors Secret

GCATJBM Sailor’s Secret by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1
GCATRHJ Lobster’s Lair: Potted Treasure by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1.5
GCATRGX Dockside Delight by rubenxamber Traditional D1/T1.5
Multi
GCAV82C It’s all Shakespeare to me by Clueless_Goose Multi D3.5/T1.5
Earthcache
GCATK97 Royal Charter Memorial by 74jen Earthcache D2.5/T3
Mystery
GCATXCK Age of AI by Clueless_Goose Mystery D3/T2.5
Wherigo
GCATD9A YOSM #1127 Douglas Hill by Clueless_Goose Wherigo D2.5/T3
Event
GCAV1Z4 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 69 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1

Cosmic Quest Challenge

The Cosmic Quest starts on July 22nd and runs to September 1st with the possibility of three souvenirs available, two to be individually earned and one by the geocaching community reaching a target of 15 million fuel points.

See the table below for information about how many units of fuel different geocaching actions generate:

Activated a trackable1
Attended an Event3
Received a Favorite point on an owned geocache2
Found an EarthCache5
Found it*1

*Logged a Found it on any other cache type, excluding Webcam Caches.

Players can earn the Super fuel cacher souvenir by generating 20 units of fuel and players can earn the Ultra fuel cacher souvenir by generating 100 units of fuel.

News & New Caches 142

We have several new caches to report. Is this due to a slight improvement in the weather?

GCATDNK Bwlch Cwm Dulyn by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T3.5
GCAT0GF YOSM #1113 Twthill by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T2.5
GCAT0H8 YOSM #1114 Penmynydd by Clueless_Goose Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAT0J2 YOSM #1115 Mynydd Llwydiarth by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T3
GCATC9J YOSM #1126 Garnedd Goch by Clueless_Goose Traditional D1.5/T4
GCATCNW Llysfaen Walk by Cymroboi Traditional D1.5/T2.5
GCATDKK Up and over the bridge by CaraThom D2/T3

Premium Member Only
GCAT50Q YOSM #0314 Garn Pwllheli by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T2.5

It is nice to see five new additions to the YOSM series here in North Wales. YOSM is a new numbered series. Ye Ole Survey Monument (YOSM) is a captivating series of caches that pays homage to the remarkable legacy of OutForTheHunt’s YSM series (GC45CC). YOSM caches are strategically positioned at or near Trig Points. These triangulation stations have played a pivotal role as surveying landmarks, contributing to the mapping of expansive territories.

Event Reviews

Ray’s Birthday
GCAN2QB Meet and Greet, Mine’s A Pint. by Bess’s Friends

Happy Birthday Ray from all your geocaching friends. A lovely event to celebrate Ray’s big birthday in the perfect location, the highly acclaimed Bragdy Cybi. And, yes, they can organise a piss up in a brewery!

A Great Day Out
GCCAN2QT Meet and Greet, Tanygrisiau. by Bess’s Friends

What a great day we had. We were picked up by Julie’s taxi, a service I can highly recommend, which we had booked well in advance! Not knowing how long it was going to take us to walk back our taxi was parked in the small parking area by Llyn Mair not the station carpark which gates shut at 4pm. We all followed our guide Ray up through the very pretty woods to Tan y Bwlch station. With plenty of time to spare before our train to Tanygrisiau we enjoyed a coffee from the station cafe. I love these beautiful old steam trains. The journey takes you through some stunning scenery which is enhanced by travelling on the old train.

At Tanygrisiau we joined Ali & Bry for the official bit of the event and of course more refreshments. The walk back roughly following the rail tracks takes you through some beautiful countryside and woodlands. Being in the company of the CO’s we were guaranteed a find of the 3 geocachers en route even though they struggled to spot a couple of the hides due to the increased foliage.

We were very lucky with the weather, though overcast it stayed dry and was not too hot. Of course our day would not be complete without a P&P stop….. the Oakeley Arms Hotel obliged.

A very BIG Thank You to our hosts for the day….. Just need a few more caches along the route to give us an excuse to repeat the adventure!

Cost of the train from Tan y Bwlch to Tanygrisiau was adult £7.50 dogs £1.00. We purchased our tickets with cash on the train.
The 5.5 mile walk took us 2.5 hours.

News & New Caches 141

A couple of new caches, an Ad Lab with bonus and 3 events all published since our last post.

GCAT9KQ Phone Home by Caio, Ifan a Tomi Traditional D1.5/T1.5

Premium Member only
GCAT6AN Emily’s walk – we see swans! by CheesyPasta Traditional D1.5/T1.5

Adventure Lab and Bonus Cache

Magnificent Murals created by RichieBlod nonsequential
This Ad Lab takes you on a tour of murals painted by Ffion Roberts-Drakely around Amlwch. The starting point is the pay & display carpark but the stages can be done in any order. There is a bonus cache, see below for details.

GCAR7B1 Magnificent Murals Bonus Cache by RichieBlod Mystery D2.5/T2

Events

GCARYZH SideTracked – Rhyl by GeotrainTGV Event
When: 29.6.2024
Where: The Sussex (Wetherspoons), 20-26 Sussex St, Rhyl LL18 1SG
Time: 12.15-13.15pm

GCAT1ZG War Memorial #2024 ~ Porthmadog by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T2
When: 30.6.2024
Where: The War Memorial, Porthmadog
Time: 3-3.30pm

GCARZ12 SideTracked – Colwyn Bay by Wandafree Event
When: 30.6.2024
Where: The Picture House (Wetherspoons), 24-26 Princes Dr, Colwyn Bay LL29 8LA
Time: 2-3pm

Event Reminder

GCARMJM 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 68 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Thursday 27th June 2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

For this months Nosh & Natter we are back at the Snowdonia Parc, Waunfawr

Cosmic Quest, the Next Challenge

For anyone who tried to decipher last weeks message from HQ but didn’t succeed here it is in plain English:
Hello, earthlings! We have come across a reference to “Geocaching.com” on a metal creature roving the planet Mars. It seems this ‘geocaching’ is an activity meant to further exploration and community. We would like to better understand this interesting human activity and we are traveling to Earth to learn more. We only hope we’ll have enough fuel in our spaceship to keep exploring!

The Cosmic Quest starts on July 22nd and runs to September 1st with the possibility of three souvenirs available, two to be individually earned and one by the geocaching community reaching a target of 15 million fuel points.

See the table below for information about how many units of fuel different geocaching actions generate:

Activated a trackable1
Attended an Event3
Received a Favorite point on an owned geocache2
Found an EarthCache5
Found it*1
*Logged a Found it on any other cache type, excluding Webcam Caches.

Players can earn the Super fuel cacher souvenir by generating 20 units of fuel and players can earn the Ultra fuel cacher souvenir by generating 100 units of fuel.

News & New Caches 140

Another very quiet week for geocaching, just one new event and a couple of reminders:

GCARXD8 SideTracked – Abegale and Pensarn by Bradshaw65 Event
When: 28.6.2024
Where: Abergele & Pensarn Station
Time: 12.15-12.45pm

A quick event at this popular railway station. Note plenty of free parking.

Event Reminders

This is TONIGHT!

GCAN2QB Meet and Greet, Mine’s A Pint. by Bess’s Friends
When: 14.6.2024
Where: Bragdy Cybi, Unit 4a, Penrhos Business Park, Holyhead. LL65 2FD
Time: 6.30-9pm
Join Bess’s Friends to celebrate Ray’s big birthday at the highly acclaimed Bragdy Cybi. We can recommend the beer and let’s see if they can organise a piss up in a brewery!

GCCAN2QT Meet and Greet, Tanygrisiau. by Bess’s Friends
When: 18.6.2024
Where: lakeside Cafe, Tanygrisiau
Time: 12-12.30pm

News & New Caches 139

Since our last post a new Earthcache, Event and 3 Traditionals have been published:

Earthcache
GCARH7C Church Micro 15169…Llanfairpwllgwyngyll by ECOBAKE Earthcache D2/T2

Traditional Caches
GCARHF1 Y Foryd: Hide the Bird by Clueless_Goose Traditional D1.5/T1.5

Premium Member Only
GCAR9TA Pack your trunks by Skylark65 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCARJBP Nant y Pandy by CheesyPasta Traditional D1.5/T1.5

Event
GCARMJM 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 68 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Thursday 27th June 2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

For this months Nosh & Natter we are back at the Snowdonia Parc, Waunfawr.

Moe’s Tavern Event Update

photo courtesy of RichieBlod

We had proposed Sunday 14th July for this event but after checking the tide timetable we find high tide is in the middle of the afternoon, so we are postponing this event until Sunday 15th September.

Event Review

GCAQVE7 9 Usual Suspects Celebrate Their Virtual Award by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1.5

It was so nice to sit outside in the warm sunshine on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon to catch up with our regular attendees and to meet cachers holidaying locally. The brave and energetic climbed the 115 steps to the top of the tower to enjoy the spectacular far reaching views. We would like to thank Delyth and her team for the delicious refreshments and making us all so welcome. I’m sure we will be back here…

A few pictures of our day:

Asian Hornets in Europe

Are you aware of Asian Hornets?

The following is taken from the RSPB website:

The Asian Hornet poses a significant threat to the UK’s wildlife and the RSPB urges the public to report any sightings to the relevant authorities.

Asian Hornets in Europe

Asian Hornets were inadvertently brought to France in 2004, most likely in a shipment of goods imported from east Asia. Since arriving in France, the species has spread rapidly. It is now present across France and is moving into adjoining countries.

The threat from Asian Hornets

The Asian Hornet is a non-native species in the UK, as it hails from east Asia and could not arrive in the UK naturally.

The concern around the Asian Hornet is that it is a significant predator of bees. In France, it has consumed large numbers of bees, including the well-known European honey bee and many lesser-known solitary and colonial bee species. Nature conservation organisations, including the RSPB, are concerned about the impacts of Asian Hornets on bees, as these pollinating species are an essential component of well-functioning ecosystems.

How you can help

The Governments of the UK have robust strategies in place to respond to any reports of Asian Hornets in the UK. However, the Governments can only enact these strategies once Asian Hornets have been reported to them.

Consequently, the RSPB urges everyone to be vigilant for Asian Hornets and to report any suspected sightings to the relevant authorities.

Full details of how to ID Asian Hornets and who to report them to can be found here.

Have you seen an Asian Hornet?

Any suspected sightings should ideally be reported with a photograph via the Asian Hornet watch app or the online reporting form. For more details on identification and reporting please visit the Asian Hornet alert page.

Identify Asian Hornet 

The following is from the Bee Keepers Association website:

  1. Does it look very black?
  2. Has it got a wide orange stripe on 4th segment of abdomen?
  3. Do its legs look as if they have been dipped in yellow paint?


                                                                                          Image by David Walker and used courtesy of NBU

News & New Caches 138

Just a couple of event reminders:

Event Reminders

GCAPJD7 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 67 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1
When: Thursday 30th May 2024
Where: Anglesey Arms, Harbour Front, Caernarfon LL55 1SG
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

GCAQVE7 9 Usual Suspects Celebrate Their Virtual Award by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1.5
When: Sunday 2rd June
Where: Anglesey Column
Time: 3-4pm
We are returning to the Anglesey Column to celebrate the publication of our virtual cache. Why place our virtual cache here? Because from the viewing platform at the top of the column you look out over our ‘patch’. Refreshments will be available from the cafe, but no purchases have to be made to attend this event. We can highly recommend the cakes……

June Solstice 2024 Souvenir

The solstice on June 21st marks the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere. To celebrate the solstice HQ are issuing a souvenir, to qualify simply find a cache of any type of geocache including events and Adventure Lab stages between 19th – 21st June.

News & New Caches 137

We have a new traditional, a virtual and event to report since our last post:

GCAQY0Z YOSM #1086 Moel-Y-Tryfan by meltdiceberg Traditional D2/T3.5
YOSM is a new numbered series. Ye Ole Survey Monument (YOSM) is a captivating series of caches that pays homage to the remarkable legacy of OutForTheHunt’s YSM series (GC45CC). YOSM caches are strategically positioned at or near Trig Points. These triangulation stations have played a pivotal role as surveying landmarks, contributing to the mapping of expansive territories.

GCAJJEB Anglesey Column by 9 Usual Suspects Virtual D1/T2

GCAQVE7 9 Usual Suspects Celebrate Their Virtual Award by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1.5
When: Sunday 2rd June
Where: Anglesey Column
Time: 3-4pm
We are returning to the Anglesey Column to celebrate the publication of our virtual cache. Why place our virtual cache here? Because from the viewing platform at the top of the column you look out over our ‘patch’. Refreshments will be available from the cafe, but no purchases have to be made to attend this event.

Event Review

GCAPJB8 9 Usual Suspects Visit Llanfaglan Church by 9 Usual Suspects

On a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon we visited the beautiful redundant St Baglan’s Church, Llanfaglan, a Grade 1 listed building now cared for by the charity Friends of Friendless Churches. To walk through the door is like taking a step back into history. Our guide, Ifor Williams, shared with us some of the secrets of this site which has been sacred for more than fifteen hundred years.

After our tour we headed down the road to the ‘pirate ship’ for a picnic accompanied with all the usual geochat and banter.

For more information and history of this lovely little church click here

Here are a few photos of the day:

News & New Caches 136

Apologies for our lack of recent post but we should now be back to normal. Two new caches have been published since our last post, both on Anglesey:

GCAQEZF The Wonderful Walk by hryaaw Traditional D2/T2
GCAQPMF Stream Dream by Whovian2829 Traditional D1.5/T2.5

Event Reminders

GCAPJB8 9 Usual Suspects Visit Llanfaglan Church by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Sunday 19th May 2024
Where: Llanfaglan Church
Time: 2.45-3.15pm

Yes, this is tomorrow!

We will be meeting our guide Ifor Williams at 2.30pm by the kissing gate at the beginning of the footpath that leads to the church. From here there is a short walk across the field to St Baglan’s. The tour will last between 30-45 minutes. After the tour we will be heading down the road to the ‘pirate ship’ for a picnic. Please bring your own food we will be supplying hot and cold soft drinks.

Please be aware that parking at our meeting point is limited, there is parking further down the road close to our picnic spot.

For anyone who has not found the multi cache there will be an opportunity to gather the information.

GC8DH3W Church Micro 12800…Llanfaglan by 9 Usual Suspects Multi D2/T1.5

May N&N

GCAPJD7 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 67 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1
When: Thursday 30th May 2024
Where: Anglesey Arms, Harbour Front, Caernarfon LL55 1SG
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

News & New Caches 135

We have no new caches or events to report since our last post.

Blue Switch Day

On May 2nd, 2000 the U.S. government opened up accurate GPS technology for public use, prior to this day the technology had only been available to the US military. The very next day the first geocache was hidden and the beginning of the game we all love. Known as Blue Switch Day geocachers like to commemorate this day by finding a cache and earning a souvenir.

To earn this years Blue Switch Day souvenir simply find one geocache, attend an event, or Adventure Lab® Location between 2nd to 5th May, 2024.

Llanfaglan Church Event Update

GCAPJB8 9 Usual Suspects Visit Llanfaglan Church by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Sunday 19th May 2024
Where: Llanfaglan Church
Time: 2.45-3.15pm

We will be meeting our guide Ifor Williams at 2.30pm by the kissing gate at the beginning of the footpath that leads to the church. From here there is a short walk across the field to St Baglans. The tour will last between 30-45 minutes. For anyone who has not found the multi cache there will be an opportunity to gather the information.

GC8DH3W Church Micro 12800…Llanfaglan by 9 Usual Suspects Multi D2/T1.5

After the tour we will be heading down the road to the ‘pirate ship’ for a picnic. Please bring your own food we will be supplying hot and cold soft drinks.