Tag: News

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

News & New Caches 124

Two new caches, a traditional and earthcache, to report since our last post.

GCAKH87 B5113 by hyruleknight007 Traditional D1.5/T1.5
It looks like the parking is a bit out or it is a very long walk.

Premium Member Only
GCAKEDN Moe’s Tavern by MrMagnaDefender Earthcache D4.5/T5

Event Reminder

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

Ski Sunday is returning to the Nantlle Valley. We can’t guarantee perfect snow conditions for our afternoons skiing but we are sure there will be plenty of banter and lots of laughter.
This year we will be attempting the ski jump! Will we discover another ‘Eddie the Eagle’?
Wrap up warm, join us either as a competitor or spectator for a fun filled afternoon. Light refreshments including hot drinks and, of course, the Cache Bar will be available throughout the afternoon. 

When: Sunday 18th February 2024
Where: Plas Gwernoer, Nantlle LL54 6BB
Time: 2-5pm

Please note parking will be at the house not in the field.

Piratemania 2024

Look who has made the cache page for this years Piratemania:

Will you be joining this famous pair? We are still waiting for camping booking to open but you can log a ‘will attend’ here:

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

News & New Caches 123

One new cache and an update on our Leap Day celebrations:


GCAC12F Banksy on Tour by RichieBlod Puzzle D3/T1.5 Premium Member Only

Leap Day Update

We can now confirm there will be 2 events, a CITO and a new series of 29 caches going live as part of our Leap Day celebrations.

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

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

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

North Wales Wildlife Trust

North Wales Wildlife Trust are holding several events over half term, these events are free, open to everyone, children and adults alike. If interested booking for these activities is essential, follow the link to their web page.

Love Your beach! Porth Neigwl Beach Clean, Nr Abersoch
When: Wednesday 14th February, 2024
Where: Porth Neigwl, Abersoch, Gwynedd
Time: 11am-2pm

One in a series of winter beach cleans with aim to remove lots of rubbish and help local wildlife. As well as cleaning the beach they will be looking for shark egg cases and nurdles.
The event organiser speaks basic Welsh, please feel free to use Welsh or English during this event.

Activity Day at the Spinnies Aberogwen
When: Thursday 15th February, 2024
Where: Beach Carpark, Spinnies Aberogwen
Time: 12pm-3pm

A bit of half term fun aimed at everybody, whether you come with a family or not. There will be a walk around this small coastal reserve, have a look for birds and do some fun activities for children.
Bring sturdy footwear, warm clothing and some snacks or a packed lunch..
The event organiser speaks Welsh, please feel free to use Welsh or English during this event.

Traeth Borth Wen and Porth Y Corwgl Beach Clean, nr Rhoscolyn, Anglesey
When: Sunday 18th February, 2024
Where: Traeth Borth Wen carpark Rhoscolyn, Holyhead LL65 2NJ
Time: 10.30am-1pm

One in a series of winter beach cleans with aim to remove lots of rubbish and help local wildlife. As well as cleaning the beach they will be looking for shark egg cases and nurdles.
The event organiser speaks basic Welsh, please feel free to use Welsh or English during this event.

What are Nurdles?

Taking action on nurdle pollution | Fauna & Flora

Nurdles are small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil, that are melted down to make almost all plastic products. Billions of nurdles are used each year to make products, but thousands of tonnes also spill directly into the environment around the world.
For more information on nurdles go to THE GREAT NURDLE HUNT

News & New Caches 122

We have a couple of new events published since our last post:

Events

The following two events are part of our Leap Day celebrations, hopefully there will be some new caches published on the 29th February to keep everyone busy between breakfast and dinner enabling everyone to earn the Leap Day souvenir.

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

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: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

Leap Day 2024 Souvenir

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

Event Review

GCAHCV4 9 Usual Suspects Pop a Lock 2-4pm The Cabin, Cwm y Glo, Llanberis

We have to thank Cemlyn for being a brilliant tutor in the art of lock sport and for arranging the venue for this event. We all learnt a lot about locks, maybe they are not as secure as we would like to believe, enabling some of our attendees to acquire new skills to enhance their geocaching abilities.

Cemlyn has arranged a discount code for anyone that wishes to purchase any lock picking equipment from uklockpickers.co.uk
It’s a one man band and really looks after his customers.
GIFT code for 10% off.

The Facebook forum he is on mostly is the UKlockpickers one. Full of really nice people.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/17548013766/?ref=share
He is known as Richard Jones on there. One of the so called group experts.

Cache series near Piratemania 2024

Are you going to Piratemania? The following may be of interest if you are, especially if you are already planning caching days, the message comes from Hampshire Geocachers FB regarding archiving series near Piratemania:

‘The following series from mikes54 and GilDean will be archived in September, and a new large series will replace them in late October, or early November from mikes54.
The cache series that will be archived are:
The Detectives
The Comedians
The Thing
Oh Balls
CHS, CHL, CHLS
Plus a few other individual ones in the area.
If anyone has them solved and wants to collect, they should do so before end of September 2024.’

News & New Caches 121

We have one new event and an event reminder:

GCAJE8C Carrotking 🥕👑 @ White Rabbit 🐰 by Carrotking Event
When: 10.3.2024
Where: Promenade Shelter, Llandudno
Time: 5-5.30pm

This is one for your diary. Carrotking is visiting our area from Vorderer Odenwald, Germany and would like to meet up with other geocachers to discuss our great hobby.

Event Reminder

GCAHCV4 9 Usual Suspects Pop a Lock 2-4pm The Cabin, Cwm y Glo, Llanberis
When: Saturday 27th January, 2024
Where: The Cabin, Brynrefail, Llanberis
Time: 2-4pm

Why not join us for a lock picking workshop where our expert Cemlyn, MFW, will be on hand to demonstrate and instruct us on the use of racks, hooks, combs and jigglers, he may let you have a play with his bump and ball picks! All tools will be provided.
Light refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon.

Cemlyn has got a complete lockpick set for sale if anyone is interested in picking up the hobby.
He has it listed at £40 but will offer it for £35 to anyone in this group.

Big Garden Birdwatch Weekend

Big Garden Birdwatch is the UK’s biggest citizen science wildlife survey. By taking part, you can help the RSPB understand how our garden birds are doing right now. Spend an hour watching the birds in your patch, between 26 and 28 January, and record the birds that land.

For further information and record your sightings go to Big Garden Birdwatch

News & New Caches 120

Since our last post we have one new Earthcache and an Event:

GCAJN3E War Memorial #1977 ~ Bangor by 74jen Earthcache D2/T1.5

Events

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

Ski Sunday is returning to the Nantlle Valley. We can’t guarantee perfect snow conditions for our afternoons skiing but we are sure there will be plenty of banter and lots of laughter.

This year we will be attempting the ski jump! Will we discover another ‘Eddie the Eagle’?

Wrap up warm, join us either as a competitor or spectator for a fun filled afternoon. Refreshments including hot drinks and, of course, the Cache Bar will be available throughout the afternoon. 

When: Sunday 18th February 2024
Where: Plas Gwernoer, Nantlle LL54 6BB
Time: 2-5pm

Event Reminders

We have 2 events in the forth coming week:

GCAHZKC 9 Usual Suspects – Nosh & Natter 64 7-9pm Snowdonia Parc, Waunfawr
When: Thursday 25th January, 2024
Where: Parc Snowdonia, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4AQ
Time: 7pm to 9pm or when the last person leaves

First N&N for 2024. Please note this event is on Thursday night not Wednesday.

GCAHCV4 9 Usual Suspects Pop a Lock 2-4pm The Cabin, Cwm y Glo, Llanberis
When: Saturday 27th January, 2024
Where: The PortaCabin, Brynrefail, Llanberis
Time: 2-4pm

Why not join us for a lock picking workshop where our expert Cemlyn, MFW, will be on hand to demonstrate and instruct us on the use of racks, hooks, combs and jigglers, he may let you have a play with his bump and ball picks! All tools will be provided.
Light refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon.

Virtual Cache Award Update

Are Virtuals BACK?!? - PodCacher: Geocaching Goodness

Thank you for all the comments and ideas of where to place our Virtual Reward Cache. There are so many places here in North Wales that deserve a virtual cache from historic sites to fantastic landscapes, we are spoilt for choice. Should it be placed some where accessible to everyone or maybe a trek to a location that is rarely visited? So many questions to be answered that we have decided to hold an event to discuss all the possibilities followed by a vote to decide the final location.

Watch this space for further details.

News & New Caches 119

A couple of new earthcaches and an Ad Lab in a stunning mountain location with a bonus cache to report since our last post.

GCAJDN7 Victorian Drinking Fountain by 74jen Earthcache D2/T1
GCAJ9AC Alveolar Weathering by MrMagnaDefender Earthcache D2.5/T2.5 note Premium Member only

Yr Eifl created by Clueless_Goose Sequential
This Adventure Lab explores the mountain ranges of Pen Llŷn. The adventure begins in the car park and takes a gradual uphill climb to Bwlch yr Eifl, then onward to the top of Mynydd Gwaith. You will then head back down to the bwlch and up Garn Ganol to the summit of Yr Eifl and highest point on Pen Llŷn. You’ll finally follow the trail to Tre’r Ceiri and ultimately head back down to the car park picking up the bonus cache:

GCAJ5A0 Yr Eifl by Clueless_Goose Mystery D2.5/T4

Geocaching Statistics for 2023

Most geocachers like numbers and statistics, to fill a grid is often what drives us to find those extra and more difficult caches. Geocaching HQ put together stats:

9US Event Stats

2023 was a very busy year for 9 Usual Suspects here is some statistics on our achievements:
We hosted 26 events, 11 of which were Nosh & Natters and 3 were CITO’s.
We had 70 geocaching accounts register a find on an event with our event at the SS Denham the most popular having 40 logged attended, a record for us and one that will be difficult for us to beat.

Can You Help?

We are looking for someone with a sewing machine who would be prepared to make us some camouflage bags to be used in a new series we are planning to publish as part of our Leap Day celebrations.

We will be supplying all materials. For more details please contact us either in the comments below or email us at talktous@9usualsuspects.uk

News & New Caches 117

A couple of new caches to report since our last post:

GCAH73T Happy Christmas 2023 by escapefromwork Traditional D1/T1.5
GCAA66Y War Memorial #1964 – Colwyn Bay by The Magna Defender Earthcache D1.5/T1.5

Event Reminders

GCAGXT5 9 Usual Suspects Say Goodbye 2023 by 9 Usual Suspects

Our last event of 2023 and a chance for a quick catch up before the New Year Celebrations begin. There is no better way to start your celebrations than meeting up with your geocaching friends!
A new venue for us, we will be in the garden room. This is a small venue so please log “will attends” to ensure we book enough space for everyone.
When: 31st December, 2023
Where: Scoops, 8 Palace St, Caernarfon LL55 1RR
Time: 11am-12pm

GCAGY4V 9 Usual Suspects Say Hello 2024 by 9 Usual Suspects

Our first event of 2024! Why not join us at Traeth Lafan Nature Reserve?
When: 1st January, 2024
Where: Bangor LL57 3YH
Time: 12-12.30pm

Depending on how awful the weather is, after the event we invite you to join us to explore part of the new section of the Wales Coastal Path and find the following cache:

GCA9KNY Bath House Ruins View by Qniu25 Traditional D2/T2.5

Please note after all the rain we have had this path will be wet and muddy.

Happy New Year

We would like to take this opportunity to Thank everyone for their support and wish you all a very Happy New Year, may 2024 be a year full of fun and adventures.

News & New Caches 116

Only one event has been published since our last post:

GCAHCV4 9 Usual Suspects Pop a Lock by 9 Usual Suspects Event D1/T1

Vintage Original Antique Padlocks for sale | eBay

Have you ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock?
Why not join us for a lock picking workshop where our expert Cemlyn, MFW, will be on hand to demonstrate and instruct us on the use of racks, hooks, combs and jigglers, he may let you have a play with his bump and ball picks! All tools will be provided.
When: Saturday 27th January 2024
Where: The PortaCabin, Brynrefail, Llanberis
Time: 2-4pm

December Solstice Souvenir

Around the world, people celebrate the solstice in many different ways. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the shortest day of the year.

Geocaching HQ have created a souvenir for geocachers to celebrate the December solstice. To earn this souvenir, geocachers must find a total of 12 geocaches, Event Caches, and/or Adventure Lab® Locations between December 17–23, 2023. Why 12 caches? Because December is the 12th month of the year.

2024 Souvenirs

Here are the confirmed souvenirs for 2024:

  • Greetings 2024: January 1–8
  • 2024 hider: January 1–December 31
  • Leap Day 2024: February 29
  • Cache In Trash Out®, Season 1: March 1–May 31
  • Blue Switch Day: May 2–4
  • June Solstice: June 19–21
  • International Geocaching Day: August 17
  • Cache In Trash Out®, Season 2: September 1–November 30
  • World Postcard Day: October 1
  • International EarthCache Day: October 12–13
  • December Solstice: December 20–22
  • Farewell 2024: December 24–31