Turning upside down

 

I have made a big change to my dive kit configuration over the last week. This as resulted in the fact that I was never any good at doing shutdowns in any grace but got there in the end. My last dive on the 5th April at Swanage Pier was the decision maker for me. While kitting up I pulled my shoulder which seems to be a reoccurring thing follow the car accident last year. The following days I spent looking on the internet for the best way to invert my twinset meaning that when diving the tanks are upside down so that reaching the valves is just a matter of reaching behind my backside instead of up and over behind my head.

I found a site that makes stands for twinsets, this bolts to the bands holding the two tanks together and then you can stand the set upside down with no problem of the valves and regulators getting damaged. A quick phone call to Mike at DiveKitUK and the order was placed. It took just over a week for it to be made and delivered and then it was fitted while I had a spare minute at work on night last week. 

The only other change I needed to make was to my low pressure inflator hoses. I decided that I would go with Miflex hoses as these route better due to them being more flexible. I needed to 1.5m hoses and this would of have to be a custom order putting the price around £60 each. I was then pointed in the direction of using regulator hoses with an adaptor on it to connect to the inflator on my wing and drysuit. This make it around 40% cheaper than custom lenght hoses.

All the pieces were put together today and will get tested in the North Sea on Saturday.

 

Whitespace and Werewolf

Today was a great day. After completing both Whitespace and Werewolf with a lot of help from other cachers it was time to find the two boxes in the wild.

Whitespace - GC1AF96

My 800th Find.
After walking around the moors to pick up two other caches because i'm rubbish at maths and would have missed a milestone here otherwise I made it to GZ. The sun was covered by cloud and the wind was as cold as it was when I left the car nearly one and a half hours before.
The hunt for this cache started about 4 months ago when I looked at the cache page and got stumped on the first hurdle, staring at the cache page thinking what the hell. Tried all sorts but it wasn't until I looked at it on a windows computer at work that I found the starting point. It was then the second puzzle that got me but got a hint from PCT at the After the gold rush event. I needed help for the 4th and 11th puzzles and a big thanks for this has to go to Emma (Scorpionqueen) and Mick and April (Nandad). The chance to get up onto the hill have been thin on the ground so with an invite to go looking for another great cache I decided to head for this one as well. I took a seat to watch the world go by while I signed the log and took some photos. Spent 5 mins having a brew and just enjoying the location. Took the Evil Wind geocoin to help it on its journey. Thanks for a great cache and all your hard work in setting it.
Its now time to meet up with some other cachers to head off for the other cache that will make this on great caching day.

Werewolf - GC1NH60

After my solo stomp to Whitespace it was great to have some company for this one. The puzzle was hard going but with some great hints from LFC4eva and Mongoose and a lot of hard work that really did give the brain a workout I got the numbers on Thursday evening. Then I arranged with Don (Syllogiser) to head over the hill on a joint find. The trip in total took us around 3 hours at a steady pace. The cache site was made in good time and then the hunt was on. The hint is very clear but it took some getting to put our hands on the cache. Taking a seat to sign the log and take in the views I was gutted to find out that I had put my camera back in the car after getting back from Whitespace and didn't replace it in my bag. Will have to wait for the email from Don with his pics on. Thanks for a great puzzle and a fantastic place for the cache, this is what I enjoy about caching. Beats searching for a nano in the city centre.
Congratulations to Syllogiser on this, his 1000th find

A Grand Day Out in The Jungle

Spent the day caching in the area around Brook Bottoms while completing The Jungle Book and Wallace and Gromit series. I was advised to do the Jungle Book one first. There is 6 traditional caches in this series in which you will find the numbers that will leave you to the final cache - GC1H3K5 Shere Khan's Lair. The caches are well placed and involve a circular walk from the car park. The final cache is at ------ well that would be telling wouldn't it. There was one other cache not in the series that I picked up on the way round called Down By The Riverside which has a very clever hide. On the final stretch of the walk back to the car I came across a section of the Thelemere Aquaduct which to me is a great piece of engineering. On returning to the car it was time for a quick brew before heading of to find the lair. I had read the previous logs and one of then came in very handy. This was a great series to complete so what was in store with The Wallace and Gromit series.

It was now time to commence The Curse of the Were Rabbit - GC1KZ09. On the way along the river there was a cache to be picked up which was Bugs from the brook which took me to the other side of the river. After finding this I decided to stay to this side of the river which meant I had the big hill to climb first, getting it out of the way. There is 11 traditional caches in this series with plenty of variety in the caches, placement and hints making it a crack job done by The Phantom Camel Train. At just over the half way point I had all the numbers I required so took a seat on a style to work out the final location and a spot of dinner. By now the sun was out and as I walked across the field from here I could see Blackpool Tower and The Big One on the horizon. The final part back along the river was very muddy but thats part of the fun, I think. The search for the final saw me climbing up hills and sliding back down for no reason at all. Find it, not a rabbit but a very nice ammo box. Sat on a nearby fallen tree while I signed the log before returning the cache to its burrow.

This is a must do day out for everyone, CRACKING.

WWW - Tacklers Trail and Roddlesworth Section

Thursday 19th March saw another assault on a section of the LEGEND caches that have been placed on the Wittion Weavers Way. I arranged to do these with a friend from work who I introduced to geocaching. So off set LogieB and myself for Crookfield Road Car Park and the start of our adventure. Starting at the nearest cache, WWW - I Can See Great Hill we then carried on in a anti clockwise direction around the trail. This meant we got the big climb to view of Winter Hill out of the way early on. The sun was shining making it a very pleasant day with no heed for a coat which only came out of the bag so that I could find my sandwiches. Lunch was eaten at Darwen Tower which great views over Darwen and Blackburn. The climb to the top gave even better views. After lunch we only managed 3 more caches before falling into the pub at the bottom of the hill in Sunnyhurst. After a refreshing pint of strongbow it was then onto the rest of the trail and also the Roddlesworth Section. A great days caching taking in 44 caches and 13 Miles. The route taken can be viewed at Wikiloc by clicking here.

Friday 13th - A Misty walk on Winter Hill

Friday, March 13th was the first chance I had had to return to Winter Hill and find Pete37038's cache that was placed in January, you know the one - I'm Slipping, just a short walk down Deans Ditch from the Transmitter. I parked at the car park on George's Lane and walked along Belmont Road to the path the goes around the back of the mount that Rivington Pike is on. As I walked around the mount the mist was so dense that I couldn't see Rivington Pike. I left the path here I took to the open moor. There is a rough path from many people walking to the transmitter that you can follow and this was extremely muddy in places. Five days earlier there was a cache published that was along this path so I took the opportunity to grab it as well. This was In the middle of nowhere, thats the cache name and its true to its word. It was a straight forward find once I was looking in the right place. I sat on the small bridge while signing the log and then it was onward towards the top of the hill and I'm Slipping. The only reference I had as I couldn't see the transmitter or the pike was the elevation reading on my GPSr and the OS Map that I was carrying. On arriving at the top I took a quick photo, the one above, of the maintenance cradle for the transmitter and still no sign of it. I continued around to Deans Ditch and followed the wall down to the cache site. This is the third time that I have been along here. The first time was to get a FTF on Egg Hillock and then a return visit to get Counting Hill as I missed it the first time round. One arriving at the cache site I looked for about 5 minutes and then spotted it peeping out from under the hint on the other side of the wall. I signed the log and took a geocoin out before return the cache and heading back along Dean's Ditch. I decided to take the path over Smithills Moor instead of just going down the road. This would give me the opportunity to try to find Will Yo' Come O' Sunday Morning. Passing the shooting lodge I got a phone call from Pete number for a phone a friend which soon had him finding the cache he was looking for. I was successful in find Will Yo' Come O' Sunday Morning and it didn't take me long either. The last time I was here the ground was covered in snow and my hands were freezing with the cold. It was then time to head back to the car which was a simple walk along Coal Pit Lane and then taking the footpath over to Winter Hill Road and then down the hill to Wilderswood and the car. The track can be viewed here on Wikiloc.

WWW - Reelers Trail and Houghton Section

Today was a solo adventure on a second visit to the Witton Weavers Way. The plan was to do the Reelers Trail and also pick up the Houghton Section. Setting off from the village of Abbey and picking the Reelers Trail up at the village pub I headed off in a anti-clockwise direction around the Reelers Trail picking up the odd traditional cache on the way. Following the cache trail I passed Roddlesworth Reservoir heading down and across the dam face towards Head Over Heels, should be renamed arse over tit in this case but I managed to stay upright. After finding this cache it was then back up to the path above around the reservoir which was a mission on its own. Note to self, don't leave your trekking pole in the car when its been raining and you are likely to encounter mud.  It was now back to the main job and the caches of The Legend. A short walk among the trees and 3 more caches found before heading north and uphill. After this it was then on towards Tockholes and this is where my latest purchase came in very handy. It was out with the OS map to figure out which way to head. I did take the wrong path at first but soon corrected this by walking past some small cottages and then down the road toward Old School Lane. Here I went left and again it was only for the paper map that I found my way. A stomp across the fields and another cache found and it was back on tarmac and the other end on Tockholes from where I was before. I made the quick walk up the lane to collect a cache in Tockholes - No 3 of the treat series before back tracking to return to the Reelers Trail. It wasn't long before I made it to the M65 and the noise of the traffic thundering pass. Between here and reaching Cherry Tree I made one mistake with my navigation and only realised this when I came upon a sign saying No Public Access, a quick check of the map and it was back the way I came before rejoining the path and making my way towards Broken Stone Road. On the farm track up to Broken Stone Road I passed a ewe with her new born lamb that still had its umbilical cord attached. A quick photo session and then back on the trial.

On reaching Cherry Tree the weather changed to the normal rain so it was on with the waterproof pants which paid off on the final leg of the trail when the heavans opened up. I walked along the road to the Leeds Liverpool Canal and continued down the towpath. I had set my GPSr to find Riverside Regeneration Land and this was going to be my downfall in completing the Reelers Train but as I wandered down the towpath I checked my GPSr only to realise that I had just passed Industrail Zone so I had to turn round and go back, luckily it was only by about 500ft. I gracefully hopped up the wall and soon found the cache. It was then back off along the canal for one more cache before heading off onto the Houghton Section. This was to be a very testing walk along the banks on the River Darwen. After finishing the Houghton Section it was back to the Reelers Trail walking around Hoghton Towers Estate and along the Canal picking up Gruffys NW Nutters cache on route. On getting back to the Reelers Trail it was over the bridge and along the side of the canal for the next two caches before dragging my feet uphill towards the M65 again. It was now the final slog back to Abbey Village and the car. So eight more caches to go, mud, river crossings, mud, hills and did I metion mud. On the approch to the Reelers Trail Cache I had my only fall on the day and went flat out on the hill side. The good thing about this was when I picked myself up I spotted the cache on the other side of the fence in its hide. 

The rain started to come down heavey now so all I wanted to do was get back to the car and head home for a cup of tea. So after a grulling 14 miles and a total time out of over 8 hours I made it back to the start with a total of 39 finds and two more parts of the Witton Weavers Way completed. I have upload the track from my GPSr to Wikilo and that can be viewed here

I think I may wait for the weather to improve before tackling the next section, this had to be the wettest caching day I have had, but it was fun in parts.

Witton Weavers Way - Beamers Trail

Yesterday was the first attempt at the new Legend Series of Letterbox Hybrid Caches. Mongoose39Uk aka Tony had posted on the NW Caching forum on Monday night to see if anyone was up for a walk on the Beamers Trail. This takes you to the very north of the series, apart from a small number of caches on the Houghton Section. Meeting at 9:30 at Witton Country Park we headed in an anti-clockwise direction. Passing some ground workers that were constructing a new play area and carving animals into old trees it was uphill out of the park and into the country side. Going of the logs we were following Grandad John and 1Gromit along the trail until we got to Riverside Ruins and the log had not been signed by them. It turns out that they had gone off to grab some of the Houghton Section Caches and we passed them coming back to get this one meaning that they were now following us. The walk was 8.8 miles long and took 3 hours moving and 2.5 hours stopped, most of this talking. Now the big question is have i got the Legend bug, just spent the last half hour looking at the next stage but have decided to stay local has its work tonight.