As “post-pandemic normality” creeps back into everyday life the first local Ale Trail since 2020 has been announced. With an all new route including nine of our favorite pubs to visit. If you have never been on the Ale Trail, in the past there has been a wide variety of beers, including our local microbreweries Purple Moose, Cwrw Llyn, Bragdy Lleu and Cwrw Cader, all served in some of the very best, off the beaten track and hidden pubs that the area has to offer. I hope to see you there. Tickets are £20 in advance, £22 on the day available from all participating pubs from May and online. Full details here
At last we can report the Caernarfon By-Pass is now open seeing an end to the A487 delays and chaos from Llanwnda roundabout to Plas Menai roundabout Caernarfon. The planned opening on Friday was delayed to Saturday because of Storm Eunice. 17 major structures were built as part of the 9.8km scheme and 99% of the excavated materials were recycled and reused on the bypass. The project also includes improved active travel routes for walking and cycling in the area.
New Caches
We have 4 new caches published recently in our area:
GC9NMN1 Rock on by BobPuffin Traditional D2/T1.5 GC9NMMF Roam with a view by BobPuffin Traditional D1/T1.5 GC9NMNN Storm Warning by seanx90 Mystery D1.5/T1.5 GC9N46C A Fine Pair # 1648 ~ Pont Cyfyng by RichieBlod D1.5/T1.5
Event Reminders
We have no events for months and then we have 2 events in the next 7 days!
GC9MVER 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 43 by 9 Usual Suspects Event 22.2.2022 GC9N17R 9 Usual Suspects Go Peering Around the Pier by 9 Usual Suspects D1/T1 27.2.2022
Guess the Cache
Answer to Guess the Cache 5 is the famous landmark on the Nantlle Ridge, a great spot for taking a breather and admiring the views:
GC52GYT QUEEN VIC’S PILLAR RESURRECTED (WBMC 13) by signyred Traditional D5/T5
Guess the Cache 6
The only clue is cache GZ is just out of the photo on the left.
If intending to be there please log a ‘will attend’ so that we can book enough tables/space for everyone. We are planning to have a cache or two going live during the evening enabling us all to earn the Deuces Wild souvenir.
Update from Prague Giga Event 14.5.2022
GC7WWWW 20 Years of Geocaching Prague 2020 – Edition 2022
Latest announcement from the organising committee: “We are working intensively on the gigaevent preparations, although of course nothing is 100% certain at this time. No one knows exactly what the situation will be in May, but expectations are optimistic. Restrictions are gradually being relaxed across Europe and further easing should take place. So we believe that the circumstances will be favourable to us. What awaits us in the coming days and weeks? – Side events will be published soon. – We are finalising the production of special event logbooks. – We are updating the panels for GPS Maze. – And before Easter, we expect the birth of two more new geocachers in the organising team. We have been working on the preparations for the giga event since the summer of 2018. Hopefully this year we can finally make it happen!”
We can highly recommend Prague as a very friendly, beautiful city with some fabulous Geocaching, the above event will be very special.
Guess the Cache 5
This one is proving to be more difficult than I thought, no correct guesses so far…………
Be part of the Million Mile Beach Clean at the Inland Sea on Anglesey and make a difference by helping to care for our environment. GC9N9C1Plas vs Plastic by Sqiaddie101 CITO Event 12.3.2022
Guess the Cache 4
Well done everyone who recognised this cache, a stunningly beautiful section of the Anglesey Coastal path, the answer is: GC1QNT1T Porth Llanlleiana by Ramblin JAM
Guess the Cache 5 This one should not prove too difficult ……..
Virtual Rewards 3.0
As part of 2022 Year of the Hide celebrations Geocaching HQ are releasing up to 4,000 new Virtual Caches.
To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following criteria: 1) You did not receive a previous Virtual Reward. 2) You must own at least two active non-Event geocaches. 3)You must own at least one geocache or Event published within the past four years (February 8, 2018 to February 8, 2022). 4)You must have posted a log on a geocache within the past six months. 5) Your owned geocaches must have at least 20 total Favourite points.
Applications close February 26, 2022. Apply HERE Geocaching HQs random selection takes place on March 1, 2022 when winners will be notified. Winners will have one year to create their Virtual Cache.
GC9N17R 9 Usual Suspects Go Peering Around the Pier By 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1
We have an event on 27th February at Garth Pier, Bangor published this week. After the event we hope to find GC9MJNM Friends and Piers by Clueless_Goose Mystery D3.5/T1.5.
February Reach the Peak Souvenir Challenge
The final stage in Reach the Peak Souvenir Challenge is the worlds tallest mountain Everest.
Everest and the Welsh Connections Did you know that Everest is named after a Welshman? The mountain was named after Colonel Sir George Everest, who was born in Crickhowell, Powys in 1790. Sir George was a surveyor and geographer who worked as the Surveyor General of India between 1830 and 1843.
In 1802 the Great Trigonometric Survey of India was established to identify the world’s highest mountains. Over many years British surveyors used giant theodolites to measure the heights, and in 1852 analysing of the raw data led to “Peak XV” being officially verified as the world’s highest peak.
Although the surveyors attempted to preserve local terms wherever possible, there was no unified name for Peak XV. In November 1847, Andrew Waugh, the then surveyor general of India, proposed that the mountain be named after his predecessor, Sir George Everest.
Although Sir George opposed the suggestion, in 1865 the Royal Geographical Society officially adopted Mount Everest as the name of the world’s highest point.
Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing trained for their famous 1953 expedition to conquer Everest here in Snowdonia staying at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel. Here today many items are displayed connected with their training and the expedition.
Souvenir Challenge
The February challenge starts Monday February 7th, 2022 at noon UTC and finishes Monday March 7th at noon UTC. Geocachers must collect 425 points to earn the Everest Basecamp souvenir and 8,849 points to earn the Everest Summit souvenir. Geocachers who earn all fourteen Basecamp and Summit souvenirs in the Reach the Peak Challenge will also earn the Peak Performer souvenir.
Here are the point values for our climb up Everest:
Completed an Adventure
975
Found a Mystery Cache
900
Found a Multi-Cache
850
Found a cache with 15+ Favorite points
700
Found a Letterbox Hybrid
550
Found an EarthCache
650
Found it*
425
Found an Adventure Location
125
*Log a Found it on any other non-Event cache type, excluding Webcam Caches.
The maximum number of points you can earn for any cache log is 975 points.
GC9MJNM Friends and Piers by Clueless_Goose Mystery D3.5/T1.5 The above cache is the first of its type in this area, as it involves team work and technology 9US are holding an event on Garth Pier, Bangor, Sunday 27th February, 2.30-3pm where hopefully afterwards we will succeed in finding the cache. (Please note the event is listed below but is awaiting review)
GC9MZ3R A Fine Pair # 1647 ~ Dothan by Glaslyn1 Multi D2/T2
Events
February sees the long awaited return of Nosh & Natters. We are back at the Anglesey Arms as some of our other regular venues are currently not serving food on a Tuesday. Please log in advance ‘will attends’ to ensure we book enough space/tables.
GC9N17R 9 Usual Suspects Go Peering Around the Pier by 9 Usual Suspects D1/T1 (awaiting Publication)
Guess the Cache 3
This one proved a bit more of a challenge than I had intended………. it was only when I checked to see who had found it that I discovered only Bess’s Friends, Naturesbyte and myself had completed the task to log the cache. I can highly recommend this fun cache, it is no longer in the dilapidated shed. Congratulations to Bryan for the only correct guess. GC6VJQE GRUNDY BIN (Gadget trail) (read the cache page) by Dr Evil D4.5/T1.5
Guess the Cache 4
This is taken a little away from the cache GZ which is on the right of where the photo is taken.
After several weeks with very little geocaching activity in our area I’m pleased to say this week we have an event, Adventure Lab series, a multi and 2 mystery caches all being published.
Adventure Lab Series & Bonus
This Adventure Lab consists of 4 Lab caches set on four peaks in the Carneddau with a physical bonus cache. I don’t think Ecobake will be doing a slight detour on his way home form work for this series!
GC9MHKC Crown of the Carneddau by Clueless_Goose Mystery D3.5/T4
Event
GC8MAT4 Community Celebration Event – Final Daily Grid by welshgirl11 & gmoseley88 D1/T1.5
Other Caches
GC9MKBP Y Coleg ar y Fenai by Clueless_Goose Multi D2/T1.5
GC9FKR2 Village Hall Series 1141 – Beddgelert by Flowerpot_man Mystery D2.5/T1.5
Is this the first Village Hall cache in our area?
Request your Free Kamp Koral badge trackable!
To celebrate the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff, Geocaching has teamed up with Nickelodeon to release 7,000 limited-edition Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years character badge trackables across the globe.
If more requests are received than trackables available, Geocaching will randomly select people from the U.S. and other countries worldwide to receive them.
Guess the Cache 3
This one is proving a bit more difficult, so far no correct answers even though the cache does have 50 favourite points! Below is another picture clue.
Apologies everyone, Ecobake has kindly pointed out that I missed a new cache on the Great Orme in the last post. Not making excuses, but the date placed for this new cache is 23.11.2020! So……. it didn’t show up in my search. At the time of writing this there has only been one find so 2nd to find is still up for grabs.
GC931C0 Fossil Fiesta by WildeFamily2 Traditional D2/T2
Guess the Cache?
Answer to Guess the Cache 2 is GC1QH55 Penrhyn Slate Train: 2, The Tunnel
Well done everyone that correctly guessed, this weeks cache is a little further a field but once done never forgotten.
Guess the Cache 3
Guess the Cache? Number 3, GZ is in the picture, a clue this one needs teamwork!
Again another very quiet week with no new Geocaches, Adventure Labs or events published in our area. With Covid infection rates falling rapidly in Wales the current restrictions are beginning to be eased from 21st January. If the rates continue falling the rule of six, table service and two-metre physical distancing in hospitality will cease on 28th January, this means we will be able to resume Nosh & Natters in February.
New Souvenir for 22/2/22 – Deuces Wild!
Celebrate Deuces Wild by logging any two geocaches or Event Caches on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 to earn the souvenir. This just happens to coincide with Februarys Nosh & Natter, there might be a new cache or two……… enabling us all to earn the souvenir.
Guess Which Cache?
Well done everyone, the correct answer for Guess the Cache 1 was of course GC852T2 Les’s layby.
Another week with no caches, Adventure labs, or events published in our area.
Trackable Name Badges
Looking for something unique to wear at a Geocaching event? Want everyone to know who you are? Then a trackable name badge might be the answer.
Sporting the latest Geocaching logo as well as Signal the Frog, these durable name badges identify you as a Geocacher and can be supplied with your name, your caching team name and a tracking number.
Waterpoof and hard wearing too! Each badge comes with a safety pin fastening on the rear. Available with White, Mirror Silver, Mirror Gold, Brushed Silver or Delrin plastic.
The cost of the badges is normally £4.45 each but if we can place a bulk order with NE Geocaching Supplies they will give us a discount. If you would like to use an existing trackable code that you own deduct a £1.
For more details and to place an order please contact us through the comments or email us admin(at)9usualsuspects.uk. (replace (at) with @)
