News & New Caches 153

We have no new caches or Ad Labs to report since our last post, but hopefully there will be some new caches published before our next post!

Event Reminders

GCAXW19 CITO 2024 Season 2, Let’s Plant Trees! by 9 Usual Suspects
Where: Plas Gwernoer, Nantlle
When: Sunday 6th October, 2024
Time: 2.00pm-4.30pm
For this CITO we will not be picking up litter, but we will be planting a variety of native tree seeds to grow until they are large enough to plant in our local shared spaces next autumn. Our area has been hit very hard with the ash die back virus, the loss of these beautiful ash trees is changing our landscape and woodlands. Our aim is to replace these lost trees with a variety of trees that are resistant to this virus.

We ask all attendees while out and about geocaching to collect a few seed/berries to bring to this event. We will be supplying compost, pots etc. By attending this event you will earn CITO Season 2 Souvenir for 2024.

GCAWCCH London Calling on Tour: Caernarfon by goldpot Event D1/T1
When: Tuesday 8th October 2024
Where: Tafarn Y Porth (Wetherspoons)
Time: 4-4.30pm
Meet a London Calling committee member, goldpot, at an informal caching event to chat about all things geocaching and promote the Block Party event in London in 2025.

Event Review

GCAX1YV 9 Usual Suspects Visit Harlech Castle by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1.5

During September, more than 200 of Wales’ historic sites, landmarks and hidden gems were open to visitors free of entry charges as part of Open Doors – Wales. Funded and organised by Cadw the ‘open doors’ ranged from castles, grand houses, churches to smaller less well known historic sites several of these which were not normally open to the public.

We took the opportunity of free entry and guided tour to host an event at Harlech Castle.

A Brief History

Harlech Castle is a concentric castle built between 1283 and 1290 as part of Edward 1’s Iron Ring of Castles. Taking only seven years to complete at a cost of £8,190 it was one of Edwards cheapest castles. It’s location on a near vertical cliff face made it impregnable from almost every angle. When it was first built a channel connected the castle to the sea and was accessible by a long stairway, this allowed supplies to be delivered when the castle was besieged. Harlech Castle was established with a garrison of just 36 men: a constable, 30 men, including 10 crossbowmen, a chaplain, a smith, carpenter and stonemason.

Reconstruction of the castle in the early 14th century

At the end of 1404, the castle fell to Owain Glyndŵr becoming his residence, family home and military headquarters for four years.
The castle also endured a seven-year siege during the Wars of the Roses. This is the longest siege in British history. It is said that the beautiful tune ‘Men of Harlech’ was composed during this siege.
In 1986, Edward’s castles in Wales were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our Event

We met in the castle carpark and was very surprised by the number of attendees as the weather forecast was awful. The locals were joined by attendees from Germany and South Wales, it is alway nice to have visitors. After the normal admin, geochat and TB swapping we all headed into the castle for the tour and to explore some of the not so public areas! Luckily the rain just about held off until after the event and the tour. We can highly recommend visiting the castle and taking the guided tour, our guide Sian was excellent.

A few photos from our day:

World Postcard Day Souvenir

The geocaching community is currently celebrating World Postcard Day. To earn the souvenir attend any event from now to Saturday 5th October, 2024.

News & New Caches 150

A couple of new traditional caches and events published since our last post:

GCAXA2K Welcome to Holyhead by Glaslyn1 Traditional D2/T2
GCAXN5G Dyffryn Nantlle by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5 Premium Member Only

Events
GCAXW35 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 71 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Thursday 26th September 2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

Souvenir Updates

Cosmic Quest Challenge

This challenge finished on Sunday 8th September. After extending the challenge by a week there was a final boost of points from the geocaching community ensuring the 15 million point target was achieved enabling the Cosmic Quest: Lift off souvenir to be awarded to all participants. Here are the stats for this challenge issued by Geocaching HQ:

111,205 players earned the Super Fuel Cacher souvenir by generating 20 units of fuel
40,829 players earned the Ultra Fuel Cacher souvenir by generating 100 units of fuel
18,981 earned the secret Discover the Spaceship souvenir by discovering a special Cosmic Quest virtual trackable

I find it surprising how few geocachers took part, after all it is a global game!

September Equinox

The September equinox represents a moment of balance in Earth’s orbit with nearly equal amounts of daylight worldwide. As the reverse of the March equinox, it marks the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. Geocaching HQ created a souvenir for geocachers to celebrate the September equinox. To earn this souvenir, geocachers must find a total of 3 geocaches, Event Caches, and/or Adventure Lab® Locations between September 22nd–28th.

CADW Open Doors

A quick reminder that CADW Open Doors has many historic sites, landmarks and hidden gems open to visitors free of entry charges throughout September. Here are a few of the places open this weekend:

Bodnant Gardens

Bodnant Gardens are open Sat 14 Sep – Sun 15 Sep 2024 from 9:30 – 17:00
It was created over 150 years, with plants collected and brought to Britain from far afield, and with the incredible vision of generations of the McLaren family. It’s a haven of rarity and beauty, with a stunning backdrop of the Carneddau mountains of Eryri.

Plas Newydd House and Gardens

Plas Newydd House and Gardens Sat 14 Sep – Sun 15 Sep 2024 from 10:30 – 17:00
The ancestral home of the Marquess of Anglesey sits majestically on the shores of the Menai Strait, a family home enjoying breathtaking views of Eryri. The house is home to a Waterloo-inspired military museum, works of art, regular exhibitions and, at its heart, Rex Whistler’s famous 58-foot fantasy landscape painting.

Rug Chapel

Rug Chapel Sat 14 Sep – Sun 15 Sep 2024 from 11:00 – 15:00
Step inside 17th century Rug Chapel and prepared to be wowed by its decorative flourishes.
Tours will be at 11am and 3pm. No booking required.

To find out what is open in your area click on this link CADW Open Doors

News & New Caches 149

Sionyn68 has been very busy during his summer break with 12 new traditional caches and a very nice field puzzle taking you to the highlights of the Penygroes area:

GCAXBC8 Ffordd Clynnog by sionyn68 Traditional D1/T1.5
GCAXBMK Ailgylchu by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAXBFR Mynwant Macpelah by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAXBD5 Costa del sol 2 by sionyn68 Traditional D2/T2
GCAXB92 Visit Penygroes – industrial Estate by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAXBMP Hyfryd by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAXBHE Talsarn by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAXBB9 Penygroes Station by sionyn68 Traditional D1/T1
GCAXBE3 Y Rhwyg o Golli`r Hogiau by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5

GCAXBKJ Eglwys Dolbenmaen by sionyn68 Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAXBJX Capel Tai Duon by sionyn68 Traditional D2/T2
GCAXBKW LLANWNDA – LLANLLYFNI by sionyn68 Traditional D1.5/T1.5

GCAXBET Pant ddu by sionyn68 Mystery D1.5/T1.5

Three new Earthcaches have also been published in our area:

GCAXD5P Penmaenmawr Prom – Going Green 🟢 by MrMagnaDefender Earthcache D3.5/T1
GCAXD4N SideTracked Caernafon by MrMagnaDefender Earthcache D3/T1.5
GCAXD7G Sir Hugh Owen by MrMagnaDefender Earthcache D3/T1

Event Reminder

GCAWQYQ SideTracked – Holyhead by RidgeGrovers Event D1/T1.5
When: Friday 6th September 2024
Where: Lidl Car Park
Time: 12.45-1.15pm
A quick meet before RidgeGrovers take the ferry to Dublin.

CITO 2024 Season 2

CITO Season 2 started on the 1st September and runs until 30th November. We are planning to host a litter pick, probably around our regular area in Caernarfon and a tree seed planting event at 9US HQ with tree associated activities. For this event we plan to plant a variety of different seeds, grow them on and then next year host an event to plant the resulting trees. We ask everyone while out and about geocaching this autumn to collect a few seeds and berries, eg acorns, rowan etc, to bring along to the event. We hope to get both events published very soon.

Zip World Autumn Sale

For a weekday booking from now until Friday 25th October Zip World are giving their subscribers up to 50% off 5 of their adventures here in North Wales. Anyone interested in joining us? Further details contact us.

**VELOCITYZip World Penrhyn Quarry**
The world’s fastest zip line.
**~~From £94~~** **From** **£47**

**QUARRY KARTS Zip World Penrhyn Quarry**
A mountain karting adventure.
~~**From £43**~~ **From £21.50**

**TITAN** **Zip World Llechwedd**
A shared zip line adventure.
**~~From £52~~ From £26**

**CAVERNS** **Zip World Llechwedd**
An incredible underground adventure course.
**~~From £71~~ From £35.50**

**ZIP SAFARI** **Zip World Betws-y-Coed**
An epic treetop adventure course.
**~~From £44~~ From £22**

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 trackable	1
Attended an Event	3
Received a Favorite point on an owned geocache	2
Found an EarthCache	5
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 130

A new virtual cache on Anglesey has been published since our last post:

GCAJGPY Wonderful Views by familykemp Virtual D1.5/T3.5

Event Reminder
GCAMVAX 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 66 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: 28.3.2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

Event Reviews

GCAMJH4 CITO 2024 Season 1 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T3.5
GCAMM4Z 9 Usual Suspects Cake and a Brew Event D1/T1
Saturday 23rd March saw us picking litter at our regular site Parc Dre, along the Afon Seiont and the woodland behind Tesco’s. We manage to extend this area to include part of Lon Eifion cycle path allowing attendees to find some of the caches placed for Leap Day.

Despite the awful weather forecast of rain, sleet and snow, the day stayed dry though very cold. Surprisingly there was a very good turnout of hardy volunteers filling the trailer with all of the normal cans, bottles, fast food containers and general rubbish. After everyones hard work we regrouped at ‘base camp’ for hot drinks and cake which was accompanied by lots of geochat and general banter.

Here are a few photos:

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Drained & Exposed

We have all admired Thomas Telford’s incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct over the River Dee. Have you ever wondered what holds the water? This video may give you second thoughts about crossing the aqueduct either on foot or by boat.

For a great adventure we can highly recommend hiring a narrow boat from Anglo Welsh for a day trip from Trevor to Chirk. Cross the aqueduct, pass through the tunnels, cruise the picturesque canal, before turning at the Chirk turning point. An ideal place to have a P&P stop plus lunch at the Poachers Pocket before the return journey to Trevor. The cost of a days hire is very good value at £120 for a weekday or £180 for a weekend or Bank Holiday. Maximum of 10 passengers.

There are several geocaches and an Adventure Lab along the route.

News & New Caches 129

Two new earthcaches and a couple of new events to report since our last post:

Premium Member Only
GCAMJCN Great Orme and Little Orme adventure by seanx90 Earthcache D2.5/T4.5
GCAMJA8 Bardic Circle by seanx90 Earthcache D1.5/T.15

Events

GCAN1D5 9 Usual Suspects Visit Anglesey Column by 9 Usual Suspects
When: 2.4.2024
Where: Anglesey ColumnParc Dre, Caernarfon
Time: 2-4pm

So, are you ready for the 115 step challenge to the top? Please note there is a charge to climb the steps to the viewing platform but not to attend this event.
The cost to climb to the top of the column is for adults £7.50 and for children £3.50.
Please note the climb is not recommended for children under 3 years.

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

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

Event Reminders

GCAMJH4 CITO 2024 Season 1 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T3.5
When: 23.3.2024
Where: Parc Dre, Caernarfon
Time: 11am-1pm
Another CITO Event meeting on the old bridge. We will be litter picking the usual area but hope to extend to include the beginning of Lon Eifion cycle path. An area in desperate need of a tidy up. By attending this event you will earn CITO 2024 Season 1 souvenir and this event will also count towards the March Equinox souvenir.

GCAMM4Z 9 Usual Suspects Cake and a Brew Event D1/T1
When: 23.3.2024
Where: Parc Dre, Caernarfon
Time: 1-1.30pm

Anglesey Column, a Brief History

The column was designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo which took place on June 18th 1815. The building of the 27 meter tower commenced a year later in 1816 and was finished in 1817. It is built of limestone quarried from Moelfre quarry.

On the foundation stone there is an inscription in English, Welsh and Latin:

“The inhabitants of the counties of Anglesey and Caernarvon have erected this column in grateful commemoration of the distinguished military achievements of their countryman HENRY WILLIAM, MARQUESS OF ANGLESEY the leader of the British Cavalry in Spain throughout the arduous Campaign of 1807 and Second in Command of the Armies confederated against France at the memorable battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June 1815. Thomas Harrison Architect.“

It was not until 1860 that the Paget family added the brass statute of Battle of Waterloo hero William Henry Paget, the first Marquess of Anglesey, to a plinth at the top of the fabulous landmark.

The Column was listed grade II as a building of special interest in 1952 – its designation was lifted to grade II* in 1992.

Due to the deteriorating condition of the Anglesey Column it was closed to the public in March 2012. In 2017, the 200th year of the column’s existence, a charity, the Anglesey Column Trust, was set up to look into the possibility of repairing and re-opening the column. Close to £1.4million was raised, with the majority being from The National Lottery Heritage Fund plus donations from local charities and general fund raising. The results are impressive, the column has a new staircase and a general makeover, the original tiny cottage has been extended to provide a cafe, toilets and information centre with nature trails currently being constructed in the grounds.

While visiting remember there are two geocaches here:

GCAJ1GP Tŵr Marcwis by RichieBlod Multi D1.5/T2.5 Premium member Only
GC2G80B Geomon #7 Llanfair PG Blue Schist by The GeoBEATS Earthcache D1.5/T3.5

News & New Caches 128

A couple of new caches plus 4 events have been published since our last post:

Parc y Dre after its recent council make over

GCAMC25 Parc y Dre by Clueless_Goose Traditional D2/T2
GCAMJ97 The White Rabbit by seanx90 Earthcache D1.5/T1.5

Events
GCAMM4Z 9 Usual Suspects Cake and a Brew Event D1/T1
When: 23.3.2024
Where: Parc Dre, Caernarfon
Time: 1-1.30pm

GCAMVAX 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 66 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: 28.3.2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

GCAMKWG Six Peaks Adventure – Hello from Llandderfel by terrapintim & GeoPaul Event D1/T1
When: 22.4.2024
Where: Bryntirion Inn, Llandderfel, Bala, Gwynedd, LL23 7RA
Time: 7-8pm

GCAMKV0 Six Peaks Adventure – Snowdon Meet & Greet by terrapintim & GeoPaul D1/T4
When: 23.4.2024
Where: Snowdon Summit
Time: 12-12.30pm

Old Anglesey Aluminium Site Demolition of Chimney Stack

Orthios Site in Holyhead Continues With Demolition

March 20th sees the demolition of the iconic 122 meter chimney stack which has stood for last 50 years at the old Anglesey Aluminium site. The demolition is to make way for the new Anglesey Freeport.

Would you like to push the button? Holyhead RNLI are running a fund raising draw in the memory of their crew member Iwan Williams to press the button signalling the demolition.

Single prize draw entry starts from just £3. Entrants to the draw must be 18 years-old or over, but the winning entrant can bring a friend or family member to accompany them to the event (this person can be under 18).

To enter visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/holyhead-chimney-stack-prize-draw

Village Hall Week 2024

The Village Hall Series started in 2013 with the first cache placed by GeoJaxx in Denmead, Hampshire. It has steadily grown in popularity and currently can be found in 72 counties in England, Scotland, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The geocaches can be set in any hall which is used by the community for local groups or available to hire for private functions (but not social clubs and halls for members only). They have various names including village hall, community hall, parish hall, reading room, church hall to name a few. There are thousands of halls within our communities so there is plenty of scope for the series to grow considerably.

There are very few Village Hall caches here in North Wales and only one event in the whole of Wales but the following profile badges are available to download for:

Placing a cache/Hosting an event
Attending a village hall event
Finding a village hall cache

News & New Caches 126

We have a few new caches to report since our last post:

GCAJ1GP Tŵr Marcwis by RichieBlod Multi D1.5/T2.5 Premium member Only

As part of our Leap Day celebrations 29 new caches went live on Lon Eifion. There is a varied mix of D/T’s and containers, some easy and some not so. Warning, there are no hints but there may be clues in some of the titles. The lack of hints is reflected in difficulty rating.

GCAJNTY Lon Eifion, Another Tree by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNTZ Lon Eifion, Araneae by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1.5
GCAJNV0 Lon Eifion, Afon Seiont by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D4.5/T1.5
GCAJNV2 Lon Eifion, BOT by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNVC Lon Eifion, Posted by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNVE Lon Eifion, The Crossing by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D4/T1.5
GCAJNVJ Lon Eifion, Rail Bridge by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D3/T1.5
GCAJNVP Lon Eifion, Fron Goch View by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNVQ Lon Eifion, Gated by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNVW Lon Eifion, Meet Ivy by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNWJ Lon Eifion, Meet the Bison by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAJNW6 REALLY SideTracked – Bontnewydd by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D5/T1.5
GCAK6FF Lon Eifion, Afon Gwyrfai Bridge by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1.5
GCAK7VY Lon Eifion, Fence by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6FZ Lon Eifion, Meet Nagini by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1.5
GCAK6GC Lon Eifion, Gate Crossing by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6MK REALLY SideTracked – Dinas by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D1.5/T1.5
GCAK6MY Lon Eifion, Meet Kermit by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1.5
GCAK6N1 Lon Eifion, Hole in One! by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6N4 Lon Eifion, Meet Hazel by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D3/T1.5
GCAK6N6 Lon Eifion, Rotcelfer by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1
GCAK6NC Lon Eifion, Deathly Hollows by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6NE Lon Eifion, Meet Roland by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6NJ Lon Eifion, Gates by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T1.5
GCAK6NP Lon Eifion, Oak Tree by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D4/T1.5
GCAK6NW Lon Eifion, Sycamore Gap by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2/T2
GCAK6P3 Lon Eifion, Design by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D2.5/T1.5
GCAK69C Lon Eifion, Tafarn Pennionyn by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D3.5/T1.5
GCAK6PA Lon Eifion, Inigo Jones by 9 Usual Suspects Traditional D3/T1.5

Leap Day Events Review

To celebrate Leap Day 2024 we hosted 3 events.

Starting with a breakfast event at Caffi Gerlan, GCAJWJ6, a conveniently located cafe to begin the day’s adventures. During this event our first batch of new caches went live. After hearty breakfasts accompanied by plenty of geochat we regrouped in the car park at Groeslon for the start of our CITO, GCAKA5E, and the walk to Caernarfon.

A grey day but luckily the rain held off. As well as finding the 29 new caches we collected 3 bags of general litter leaving the cycle path looking a lot tidier. Congratulations to Bess’s Friends who found their 8,000 find.

We completed our mission in a record time leaving us with several hours before our final event of the day. Once everyone was reunited with their cars we all headed to 9US headquarters for well earned refreshments before heading back to Caernarfon for our final event, GCAJXR3, at the Anglesey Arms.

A few photos from our day:

CITO 2024 Season 1

Friday 1st March saw the start of CITO Season 1 which runs to Friday 31st May. To earn the souvenir simply attend a CITO event. We are in the process of planning another litter pick around Parc Dre and Afon Seiont area of Caernafon.

Piratemania Update

GCAH4MB Piratemania 16 Dinton Pastures, Eight Bells Nigh!
Where: Dinton Pastures Countryside Park, Sandford Lane, Hurst, Wokingham RG10 0SU
When: July 25th-29th

Booking for Piratemania 16 camping is now open. Have you booked? We have!

Click here to book your berth here Piratemania 16

Event Reminders

To qualify for the Leap Day 2024 souvenir find 4 geocaches on the 29th February, any type of cache including events and Ad Lab locations count towards this souvenir.

Our Plan
Leap Day only comes once every 4 years so why not join us for our celebrations of this special day. Be part of the whole day or catch up with us at one of our 3 events.
We will be starting our day with a breakfast event:

GCAJWJ6 The Extra Day, Leap Year 2024 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Thursday 29th February 2024
Where: Caffi Gerlan, Inigo Jones Slate Works, Groeslon
Time: 10.30-11.15am

During breakfast the first batch of new caches will go live along Lon Eifion before we move to Groeslon for the start of our CITO event:

GCAKA5E Lon Eifion CITO by 9 Usual Suspects D1/T2
When: Thursday 29th February, 2024
Where: Groeslon Carpark
Time: 11.30am

We will be leaving the car park promptly at 11.30am to litter pick the cycle path towards Caernarfon stopping regularly to find the new caches. The second batch of new caches should go live at 12pm. Depending on our progress and the weather we may make a detour to the Newborough Arms, Bontnewydd for a P&P stop. The only other refreshment stop will be Fron Goch Garden Centre. Along our route there is very little litter until we reach Caernarfon. We will leave any full bags at convenient points for us to pick up the next day. The last batch of caches go live at 1pm. We will end our day in Caernarfon with:

GCAJXR3 9 Usual Suspects, Leap Day Nosh & Natter 65 by 9 Usual Suspects
When: Thursday 29th February 2024
Where: Anglesey Arms, Harbour Front, Caernarfon LL55 1SG
Time: 6pm-9pm or when the last person leaves

It is difficult to estimate our arrival time in Caernarfon the distance from Groeslon to the Anglesey Arms is approximately 8.5km so we should arrive with plenty of time before the start of our evening event. Pete will give a lift to drivers to collect their cars from Groeslon.

Feel free to join us at any point of the day, message us through 9 Usual Suspects geocaching account to find our location and the nearest parking spot.

News & New Caches 125

One new cache has been published since our last post:

GCAKTK4 The Old road. by ArfonDJ Traditional D1.5/T1.5

Community Celebration Events

Community Celebration Events (CCE) will return in 2025 as part of the 25th Geocaching Anniversary celebrations. This event type, with its own icon, is a special community party/gathering held during significant milestone years in geocaching. The last Community Celebration Events were hosted between 2020 and 2022 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of geocaching.

Anyone who has opened a geocaching account before 20th February, 2024, placed both a geocache and hosted an event from 1st January to 31st December, 2024 will receive a Community Celebration Event. Those who receive a Community Celebration Event must host it between 1st January, 2025 and 31st December, 2025. Events must be a minimum of two hours, and cannot overlap with events associated with a Mega-Event, Giga-Event, or Block Party. Each primary account hosting a Mega-Event, Giga-Event, or Block Party in 2025 will also receive a Community Celebration Event.

Ski Sunday Event Review

GCAJMC4 9 Usual Suspects Present Ski Sunday 2024 by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T2

After a week of heavy rain we were very glad that the rain held off and it was not too cold on the slopes of the Nantlle valley. A good turn out for this years Ski Sunday with the competitive competition taking place on the ski jump. Pete did a great job in seeing fair play and ensuring everyones jump distances were recorded. With the main action in the tent the refreshments of snacks, fondue, cake and drinks were consumed in the Cache Bar. To celebrate Steve’s birthday Mossfamilymacc brought ample supplies of Prosecco and non-alcoholic Prosecco which was appreciated by everyone and especially by our junior attendees. A big thanks to Pete for the 3D printed event souvenirs, medals and the amazing dragons.

Medal Table
1st GeoJade2013 with a distance of 89.78 meters
2nd Steve, Mossfamililymacc with a distance of 87.35 meters
3rd Welshgirl11 with a distance of 82.96 meters

The Gallery