News & New Caches 75

Firstly we would like to thank everyone who responded to our ‘Event Suggestions’ in our last post. Looks like we are going to have a busy fun filled year. We will shortly be publishing an event calendar for 2023.

One new Adventure Lab plus bonus has appeared since our last post.

Premium Member Only
GCA4HY7 Y Felinheli Hike Bonus Cache by escapefromwork Traditional D2.5/T2

Adventure Lab

Y Felinheli Hike by escapefromwork Nonsequential

This Adventure Lab explores the pretty village of Y Felinheli, situated on the banks of the Menai Straits with beautiful views across the water to Ynys Mon. Remember to collect the bonus information.

Event

GCA4W8J 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 54 by 9 Usual Suspects D1/T1
When: Tuesday 28th February, 2023
Where: Anglesey Arms, Harbour Front, Caernarfon LL55 1SG
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

For this months Nosh & Natter we are returning to the Anglesey Arms, Caernarfon, I’m assured that they will be open for food……… Please note this event is on Tuesday 28th.

Event Reminder

GCA4ENX 9 Usual Suspects Visit Martin & Linda by 9 Usual Suspect D1/T1
When: Sunday 19th February, 2023
Where: Bryntirion Inn, Llandderfel, Bala LL23 7RA
Time: 12-1pm

We are heading to the Bryntirion for a couple of reasons, Sunday lunch and to discover this Adventure Lab cache ‘Whodunnit at the Bryntirion Inn?’
Join us as we play detectives to solve the classic murder mystery and then find the bonus cache.
GC9G549 Whodunnit at the Bryntirion Inn – Labcache Bonus by PhilPamAndRob Puzzle D3.5/T2.5
There is no online menu but for Sunday lunch there will be a choice of roast beef, lamb, or chicken and 3 vegetarian options for £11.95.
Need a lift? Contact Pete or Ann.

Valentines Gift from HQ

Geocaching have updated the Geocaching® app so all players can see highly Favourited caches at a glance.  Caches are highlighted by their Favourite point total above their cache icon on the map. To commemorate this occasion, they are giving all Premium members an extra 10 Favourite points to award. Furthermore, to recognise that there wouldn’t be caches to find and give Favourite points to without our community’s ingenious hiders, all Premium members who own a geocache, will receive 20 extra Favourite points.
This caused great amusement in our household due to Naturesbyte’s reluctancy to parting with favourite points, he has accumulated the grand sum of 237 unused points, with the addition of the ‘bonus 20’ his total currently stands at 257. Can anyone beat this?

News & New Caches 68

A quiet time of year for new caches, just a traditional and adventure Lab with bonus.

GCA33ME Dinas Dinlle Adventure Lab Bonus by Ann@Birdbrook Mystery D1.5/T2

Premium Member Only
GCA29EV Any SIGN of Daniel? by RichieBlod Traditional D2/T1.5

Adventure Labs

Dinas Dinlle created by Ann@Birdbrook Sequential
This Adventure Lab is best done on a nice day to appreciate the views and the beautiful coastline. The final stage is very close to the bonus cache which should be a nice easy find.

Event Reminder

GCA31ZX 9 Usual Suspects Present Ski Sunday by 9 Usual Suspects Event
When: Sunday 14th January 2023
Where: Plas Gwernoer, Nantlle LL54 6BB (Pete & Ann’s)
Time: 2pm – 4.15pm

Ski Sunday is coming to the Nantlle Valley. We have 2 races planned, downhill and slalom with prizes for the top 3 on the leader boards. Wrap up warm, join us either as a competitor or spectator for a fun filled afternoon. The Cache Bar will be open, snacks, fondue and hot drinks will be available on a self service basis.

Parking is at the house, please note our gateway is very narrow and the pillars are not forgiving!

Unlike the video below we can guarantee perfect snow conditions for our afternoons racing.

So why not join us, we are sure there will be plenty of banter and lots of laughter.

Souvenir Reminder

There is only a few days left to earn the Full Sail 2023 souvenir. It is only available until the 8th January, to earn find any geocache, attend an Event, or complete an Adventure Lab® Location.

Future Event

Does anyone want to join us to find the Adventure Lab, Whodunnit at the Bryntirion Inn? and the bonus cache GC9G549 Whodunnit at the Bryntirion Inn – Labcache Bonus, followed by a Sunday lunch event at the pub. Proposed date is Sunday 5th February. Interested? Please contact us through the comments or message 9 Usual Suspects geocaching account.

Mawddach Trail

The Mawddach Trail runs between Dolgellau and Barmouth, approximatly 9.5 miles (15km) along the disused Great Western railway line and closely follows the southern edge of the beautiful Mawddach estuary. It is flat with a fairly even surface making it suitable for both cyclists and walkers. There are stunning views across to Diffwys and the Rhinogs, and up the estuary to Y Garn and the Arans beyond Dolgellau. Nearly the whole of the estuary is listed as a site of special scientific interest, there are two RSPB reserves, Taicynhaeaf and Arthog. See the map below for parking etc.

Map www.mawddachtrail.co.uk

We needed somewhere to test our latest geocaching equipment acquisitions, electric bikes. This trail looked perfect with 2 series of lab caches, 4 traditional, a mystery and virtual cache all on the trail. With a few slight divisions we managed to pick up another 3 traditional caches. We decided to find geocaches on the outward bike ride and lab caches on the return trip.

Start of the trail at Pont y Wernddu

We parked in the small car park at Pont y Wernddu which is 8 miles from Barmouth and very close to
GC7XVA3 BRIDGE OF RIVETS by Chipshop Traditional D2/T2. ( a cache we had already found)

Naturesbyte close to GZ

Our first stop was for a 2009 cache that had been on our solved list for a very long time, a very easy find as at GZ it was laying in full view with the lid partially open. Luckily the cache is double ‘boxed’ so logbook and contents were dry and in good condition. We left it well hidden!
GC1WK0E Mawddach Mystery by Gwyddno Mystery D2/T1

Path leading to the cache

Our next stop was for another even older cache, this time 2005.
GCQKMW Mawddach Trail Cache by Tywyn Team Traditional D3/T3
As it is a short distance off the trail Pete drew the short straw and went up the hill into Coed Garth for the cache while I guarded the bikes.
Here on the information board is a quote from John Ruskin, (Victorian painter, poet and philosopher)  “that only one other journey in the world had views to compare with the one from Dolgellau to Barmouth, and that was the journey from Barmouth to Dolgellau”

The trail looking towards Barmouth

It was quite a long ride to the next cache, but very easy cycling and surrounded by beautiful scenery.
GC4ADY5 Black Bridge by Linny bin Traditional D1.5/T1.5
So far we had been very lucky with very few other trail users, here it all changed. The bridge was a very popular spot, we managed to find the cache in a lull of cyclists and walkers but it took ages to replace. While waiting we watched a pair of shelducks, little egret and a heron feeding in the mud as well as appreciating the views.

Naturebyte with the cache

Our next stop was for a recently published cache, there had only been 3 finders before us. The cache is definitely hidden on an old piece of rail track.
GC9QRY8 Mawddach Meander – An Old Rail or a Pole? by CazzaB80 Traditional D1.5/T2

Close to GZ

We made a slight detour off the trail for our next find
GC9G4QF Mum and Dad enjoyed the view by svl379 Traditional D1/T1
It was then back the way we had come, through the gate and along the lane to another recently published cache. While I followed the arrow naturesbyte found the cache! A very beautiful spot.
GC9QRZR Mawddach Meander – Secret Houses by CazzaB80 Traditional D1.5/T1.5

View near the cache

Our next cache was back on the Mawddach Trail, the closer we got to Barmouth the busier the trail became. We took far too long to find this cache, our excuse, there was an awful lot of walkers and cyclists. We eventually found it in a ‘traffic’ lull where we both had previously looked!
GC9QRWP Mawddach Meander – Barmouth Junction by CazzaB80 Traditional D2/T1.5

The cache is hidden some where in the picture

The next cache is one we had already found way back in May 2019 while having a weekend in Barmouth with the Moseleys when there was only 3 of them.
GC7B6PQ Barmouth Bridge by SidAndBob Virtual D1/T1

Team Convoy back 2019!

Here is my log on this cache ‘To walk over this bridge has been on my ‘to do’ list for a very long time, so while spending a long weekend in Barmouth with Team Convoy we took the opportunity to discover this virtual, walk across the bridge and return by train. A great day, beautiful 360 degree views and several caches what more can you ask for. Favourite point awarded for taking me somewhere I had always wanted to go! 3,462nd cache TFTC.’

After navigating the incredibly busy bridge we headed for the ice cream shop in Barmouth for a ‘surprise’!

The end of the trail.

It was now time to do the return journey and complete the Adventure Lab Mawddach Trail – Western that we started ages ago before attempting the eastern series.

Mawddach Trail – Western created by TAG

Mawddach Trail – Eastern created by Lime Candy

Seen on the return journey

We highly recommend this trail, choose a day with good weather to make the most of the views. CazzaB80 is intending to place more caches along the trail which will give us an excuse to return!

A Challenging Adventure Lab

Ye Olde Survey Monuments Tribute Adventure by GAGB 10 stages non-sequential

We are featuring this Adventure Lab as one of the stages is in our area at the top of Snowdon. Ye Ole Survey Monuments, YOSM for short, GC45CC, was a travelling Virtual cache owned by outforthehunt. The cache moved around the country, to claim a find you were looking for a specific survey monument, trig point, pillar, surface block, rivet or bolt. Like all travelling caches, this cache was archived by Groundspeak in 2017. At the time, it had 25,076 finds by 3,528 cachers and 651 favourite points. The Adventure Lab takes you to the 10 most visited YOSM locations in Great Britain. This Adventure Lab cache will be an adventure! If you complete all of the stages you will have travelled the length and breadth of Great Britain. Good Luck!

Snowdon Summit, Gwynedd – YSM0598
Blorenge, Gwent – YSM0272
Flax Bourton (R), Somerset – YSM0415
Brean Down, Somerset – YSM0348
Woodhenge, Wiltshire – YSM0223
The Ring, Gloucestershire – YSM0269
Pittern Hill, Warwickshire – YSM0540
Mersea Gun Emplacement, Essex – YSM0623
Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire – YSM0300
Kinnoull Hill, Perth – YSM0385

The Adventure Lab was published in 2019 and at the time of writing this there has only been 7 people complete the challenge.

GAGB is the Geocaching Association of Great Britain, it is free to join, for more information visit their website: http://www.gagb.org.uk

YOSM Today

Naturesbyte at YSM290 Hough Hill .

After the original cache was archived the cache GC76962 Ye Ole Survey Monuments Memorial Cache was published to allow finders of YOSMs to still record their finds as a note to enable their ‘statpics’ to be updated, see below. Sadly the YOSM website is broken and a list of all YOSM sites is not currently available.

statpic sample

News & New Caches

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!

Crown of the Carneddau by Clueless_Goose

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.

Click on this link to apply Request your Free Kamp Koral badge trackable

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.