Scrambling through the undergrowth in Telford’s Granville Park reporter CHRISSY SYMMONS discovers the joy of Geocaching.
The world of geocaching has been a secret whisper but as more people begin to get hooked the word is spreading.
So one sunny Friday afternoon I travelled to Granville Country Park and Nature Reserve in Donnington Wood to find out more.
I met with geocache expert Angela Akkor, Christy Tuer, marketing & promotions officer for environmental maintenance at Telford & Wrekin Council and Councillor Stephen Bentley, cabinet member for Environment and Regeneration, ready for a great outdoor treasure hunt.
Firstly Christy explained the basics.
“Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices,” she said.
“The basic idea is to locate hidden containers filled with little toys and treasures, called geocaches, and then share experiences online”
Christy said the sport is quickly becoming mainstream with people travelling from as far as Cypres, Yorkshire, Warwickshire and Kettering to take part in Telford’s Geocache trail.
After pulling on my wellies Angela lent me her GPS system and we entered in the first set of co-ordinates to find the cache.
Telford and Wrekin is said to have around 500 caches and my team and I were about to discover some of the 10 that are hidden in the park.
So in the sunshine we made our first steps towards the secret location of the geocache. After following the twisting and moving digital needle the GPS began beepeing. We had arrived at the treasure’s location.
Looking up from the gadget I realised we had climbed between overgrown hedges into a little woodland clearing with fallen trees, ivy and many branches over head.
Knowing we were in the right spot we scoured the area for the hidden treasure box.
But finding it was harder than I imagined as we overturned rocks and moved aside plants and shrubs.
With a little help from Angela we located the box (I can’t tell you where because that would spoil the fun!) and excitedly looked inside.
The box, or cache, was full of little trinkets, seed packages from Telford & Wrekin Council, old collector pennies and a note book.
Inside the note book geocachers had signed their name to prove they had successfully completed the challenge. With pride Councillor Bentley and I signed our names.
As we placed the lid back on the box and returned it to its hiding place Angela explained how goecachers would take a trinket and replace it with another.
She also told of a story of how trinkets were taken to other locations and could be tracked via the internet.
Some had even crossed oceans to other countries.
Angela herself had just come back from Turkey where she had enjoyed a spot of geocaching.
She said she had only been geocaching for a few months and had now become hooked .
“I don’t know what we did before we started geocaching. It’s a great way of getting out and about with a little treat at the end for the children.”
She said it was hard for her now just to take a normal walk without looking for a hidden cache.
Finding the cache was brilliant and I felt as if I had already gotten somewhat addicted as I pleaded with the team for us to try and seek out another of the boxes.
So we entered in more co-ordinates and we were off again.
It was a great afternnon exploring the green areas of Telford and now everytime I go for a country walk I find myself myself pondering “is there is a geocache lurking near by?”
For more information on geocaching visit www.telford.gov.uk/Environment+and+planning/Parks+and+open+spaces/GeocachinginTelfordandWrekin.htm or www.geocaching.com
Geocaching lingo…
So to be a true geocaher it seems you have to know the special terms so here is a quick guide for you.
Muggles– No, this isn’t from the latest Harry Potter movie but is actual a geocaching term for non-geocahers who accidently discover a hidden cache.
Muggled – This is when said Muggles take prizes they haven’t earned…boo!
Trouble with Muggles – This is when geocahes have to wait for loitering Muggles to leave the area before revealing a cache so it’s location is kept a secret.
Doggles – dogs who unearth the secret location of a treasure box.
TFTC –Thanks For The Cache.
Cache and Trash - The more environmentally-minded geocachers who pick up litter on route and report any fly-tippers.
Cache and Dash – Where people use their cars and sat navs to locate road-side caches.
Nano Cache – Tiny magnetic caches hidden in the cities under park benches and on lamp-posts in the cities.
There are no prizes in theses but there are a small rolled up piece of paper where you can sign