Groundspeak's 31 Days of Geocaching Challenge

Avid cachers will be aware that Groundspeak set geocachers the challenge of logging either a "Found It" or "Attended" log on at least one cache every single day of August 2013. I was having reservations about being able to do this challenge but as the month has progressed, it's been OK. A couple of hairy moments when holidaying in Ireland where I wondered whether I'd manage to get my daily cache, but wonderfully I've had an opportunity to cache every day so far. How are you faring, assuming you've been tempted by Groundspeak to take on this challenge yourself? Comment below! As if to persuade us, a total of 31 souvenirs can be earned to reward us for our craziness, and a lovely little calendar it makes up when completed:

This video made me laugh, as it sums up what goes through a lot of determined cachers' minds this month. This scene has had quite some going over by various people, adding their own captions for whatever storyline they're making, but for the 31 Days of Geocaching challenge, I think this is wunderbar! Geocaching is taken very seriously in Germany, after all!

Geocaching in Ireland

Woo, finally! Cached in Ireland! I've only been to Ireland once before and that was a day trip to Wexford, spending a couple of hours in the rain after a pretty rough crossing from Fishguard. Very pleased to be able to supersede this experience with a ferry crossing from Holyhead which was not nauseating, good weather and a few days travelling the country.

Two new caching souvenirs earned!

Sadly I was only there for a few days, but in that time I got to visit the lovely tourist-friendly town of Kilkenny and peaceful Cavan near the Northern Irish border. I also enjoyed Ireland's own Daniel O'Donnell in concert twice (not really my type of music, but great live). Caching-wise, Ireland is not nearly as bountiful in caches as the UK which made keeping up my August caching streak a challenge but there are some good ones out there up and down the country because they're placed with consideration rather than for the numbers. Would I come back? Yeah, definitely! Shame the ferry crossing from Swansea to Cork has stopped because that would have been ideal. 

To my delight I was able to cache in Staffordshire and Anglesey too on the way there and back (four new counties in total!) Nothing special about the motorway service station cache in Staffordshire but I am very pleased to at long last get the cache at the station in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the longest place name in the UK. Not been here for years and years (since before the concept of geocaching was even conceived) but I was aware of the cache placed at the station and thankfully was able to nab this one before the ferry crossing to Ireland. Being able to pronounce this name has been my party trick for years, and it doesn't look like I'll have anything better to offer any time soon!

Oh, and a new Irish-themed multicache is going to be placed somewhere in Hampshire soon. Just working on the concept for it now! Watch this space!

Memories of the Midlands Mega

A big thanks to cheesescones for making the weekend of the West Midlands Mega 2013 (3rd August) a fantastic experience in every way, with loads of familiar faces met, merchandise bought, trackables discovered, Jasmer and D/T stats increased and of course superb caches found!

At "Glorious Gloucestershire" for my third oldest find to date.

This year's main event was at the Heritage Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire with a number of side events too. Almost unintentionally we ended up doing 11 icons in a day yet again (we'd aimed for this at the Geolympix in Oxford last year!) and it was nice to get another web cam and Wherigo, personally. A couple of CITOs were welcome too, although I have yet to do a CITO in a litter-laden area although I can suggest a few areas! I'm not much of a planner so if anyone wants to hold a CITO, contact me and I'll make some recommendations!

My most unusual find during my CITO milestone - a very waterlogged "30" wreath!

Cheesescones and I both hit a minor milestone whilst away, and both of us managed to make a CITO (one each) the milestone itself. Many miles were covered into various surrounding counties to pick up unusual D/T combos and very old caches. Exhausting, all in all, but fantastic. Hope to be at the Kent one next year. Think Scotland's a little out of my reasonable distance to travel!

A Mega log book!