Knocking off the locals!!!!

What do you do when you have a couple of hours to spare....knock of a few local caches.

It was a nice bright sunny winters afternoon so wanted to get the kids and the dog out in the fresh air for a few hours but not go to far as I have a longer day's caching planned for tomorrow.

I'd already got all the caches uploaded to memory map which had been printed off and laminated so it was just a case of get the kit on and drive the 5 miles to Trentham to pick 4 up that I had been meaning to do for some time.

We started with Sweet Nano as it was only a couple of hundred feet from where we had parked the car. Reading the logs before hand we thought that this one was going to take us ages to find so was pleasantly surprised when Alleghnee placed her little mitts on it almost immediately. I suppose the great thing about having kids around when you are caching, aside from the quality time thing, is that you can just about get away with anything citing childs play, so in high muggle areas they are an absolute asset.

Next on our list was Sweet 5. What a lovely albeit muddy walk to this one. Mind you, this cache will teach me to look where I am going as I got my feet wrapped around a bramble and literally went arse over tit and ended up face down in the roots of the tree. Another easy find on this cache for us, so on to the next one.

3rd cache of the day was Sweet 6. Again had read the logs before coming out on the walk and saw that there had been a few DNF's on this and was a cheeky hide. I must have had my caching goggles on today as I found it in the first place I looked. Bargain!!!! No problems here.

How muddy?

Another one that had been sat on the list for what seems like years is Suit of Caches - King. It was a bit of a slog up the hill to get to this one. Sprocket the dog was having a whale of a time running around and jumping in all of the leaves. Again this cache presented us with no problems at all and it was nice to find a good sized cache hidden in the woods. It always amazes me why people place micros in the woods when there are plenty of places to hide at least a small sized cache. I got the opportunity to place a couple of geocoins that I had had for a while.

Me and Sprocket with the Suit of Caches - Kings Cache

At last 4 caches complete in Trentham so a quick walk back to the car to move onto the next ones. We had to pass all the caches which we completed and as we approached the one closest to the car, we saw somone having a good rummage in the railings. On arrival we introduced ourselves and met Hampk again. The last time we met was at midnight when we had all been racing to get an FTF and got sprung by the police wondering what we were doing in the bushes with torches. After explaining to them what caching was all about they left us to it probably thinking that we were complete nut jobs...well they are probably right, I mean, which normal people go finding tupperware boxes in bushes at midnight!!!! (The Chumps #1)

It took us a little while to find the correct road for this next cache and ended up going down a rough track to get to the lane. We were absolutely amazed to find what we did as this is a place that is fairly close to home and we didn't know it existed.

Brother's Hump is a 4/4.5 rated cache and I now know why. Certainly not for the faint hearted but I was there and there was no way that I was going to go away empty handed. The cache is above a set of caves and with the weather being as it has been for the last few months (or so it seems) the ascent was really rather slippery. Now I'm not known for my bravery where heights are concerned and my legs do tend to go a little bit wobbly when faced with hanging over edges. I ended up crawling to the edge on my belly and hanging on to a tree with on hand and gingerly feeling around with the other. Luckily for me the cache was right where I put my hand pretty much first time. This is probably one of the only times that I have stayed in the same position to sign the log...there was no way that I was moving at all. In the cache I found a TB which had been sat there since 28 Dec 09 so I took the lovely little mole out of hibernation to move on to pastures new. (Matt the Mole TB). Thankfully I managed to replace the cache and descende without a hitch.

Beech Caves - an old World War 2 Ammunitions Storage Facility

Last cache of the day, Bluebells by the M6 was again another easy one. A lovely walk in a beautiful wood running alongside the M6. I drive this route daily and I must admit I have never noticed that there was a wood there. Again it was great to find another large sized cache with lots of swaps. The kids love these types of caches.

So all in all a quick couple of hours caching and a nice way to break up the day. I mean, it also gives me something to write about

Until the next time

Happy days

Claire x

Caching catastrophes...it could have been!!!

Ohhhh the funny things that happen whilst caching. The things that you can look back on and think actually that situation was really hilarious.

Yep one of those happened yesterday..it could have been worse I suppose.

It started ooooooo maybe the night before, or should I say morning of. I got myself really rather well organised for my caching trip, far more than usual I must admit. I had even predicted the rather murky weather and had prepared my maps by laminating them as I had got so sick of having soggy maps half way round the walk. Went to bed, tried to sleep but that just was not happening....5am came and there I was still bloody awake. hey ho I did finally manage to drop off until the alarm went off at 8am to get up....and ooooo the snooze button came in rather handy. Rather too handy as I ended up shouting the kids to get up and rushed around the place trying to be ready for the 10am start that I had given my Mum to be ready for. Yep you guessed it, we were late leaving and finally managed to make it out 40minutes late.

You know when you get that feeling that you have forgotten to do something or forgotten to take something, well I had that feeling but carried on regardless.

Drive down to South Staffordshire was event free and we managed to find a parking space in the local pub carpark close to the start of the intended series that we had planned to do. We set off and completed 21 of the series before sacking it as it had started to snow rather heavily. Always being prepared, I had a back up and decided that the rest of the afternoon we would complete driveby's, so the printed maps came in handy and the satnav got a bashing. Pretty good up till then until we stopped at one of the drivebys. It was at the end of a small lane with the junction onto the main road. So thinking I was being rather clever I spun the car round so that it was facing towards the main road, turned off the engine and we all jumped out to grab the cache. No problems...or so we thought. Getting back into the car, switching the ignition on and nothing.....lights...yes but no bloody response from the engine just that horrible click as you turn the key. Arghhhhhhhh

So here we are stuck in the middle of nowhere with my Mum and 2 kids sat in the car. Thinking yep I can push it, as it is only a little car, I asked my Mum to jump in the driving seat and bump it. But ohhhhh noooooo, she had no idea how to do it even after I explained it...how guilty did I feel making my Mum and the kids push the car backwards (not at all ha ha). The kids thought it highly amusing that we had managed to break down and they had to push. But it was all over and done with in minutes, the car started again immediately so we carried on caching. 36 caches later and finally reaching my 1400th milestone we decided to call it a day and head off home.

Ahh well I suppose that was all too easy, and as I pulled on to the M6 at Gailey it was flashing 40mph. Why I have no idea as at the end of the slip road the actual speed of the traffic was a big fat 0 mph. Why do they have to do that...can they just not put on the signs 0 mph and then I wouldn't have gone on it and found an alternative route. So there we are just sat there grrrrrrr!!! What should have been less than a 40 minute journey took us 2 hours.

And that thing I thought I had forgotten....oh yes, I forgot to lock the back door....Doh!!!!!!

A few from the Gallery

JACK Geokids at the start of the Lapley Loop

Greta (Mum) of The Bignall Boppers and the JACK Geokids

Me doing the honours with the cache (as usual)

Winter wanders

Gosh its so long since I blogged or cached for that matter that I thought I had better get back to doing both. Its been a bit of a busy time lately, Christmas, new relationship and all sorts of general life things that get in the way of the old writing. So here I am, fingers to keyboard about to write about our latest trip out in the great British weather.

Saturday morning was a bit of a rush job, off to Trentham to grab the latest waterproof kit that the place could offer. New coats, fleeces and gloves for the little JACKs were a must as they had grown so much over the last 6 months that nothing fit anymore. Then off to meet the ATA's to plan our shenanigans for the next day. We had planned to do the SMW walk around Leek and Tittesworth then go up the Roaches to grab the remaining 4 but as usual the snooze button on the alarm clock was bashed that much the stupid thing turned itself off. It was only when the geokids hammered on the door shouting are you gonna get up today that we launched into action and got our backsides out of the nice warm and cosy bed.

We had even been that organised the night before, all the packed lunches were ready to go in the fridge, so off we tootled to Leek deciding to bypass the SMW circular and head straight to the Roaches. Some must think we were mad to be venturing out in weather like it was, OK the snow had cleared so we could get there but on getting to the top the kids had a whale of a time jumping in and out of the drifts that were still hanging around. The weather was pretty shocking really, pouring with rain at the bottom turning into snow at the top, but that wasnt going to put us off and to be quite honest, we weren't the only mad ones venturing up there.

Leprechaun JACK and The Mad ATA's

at the start of the walk

1st on the list was Rockhall Cottage, and this one proved to be a very easy find. 1 up to the kids at this point whilst the adults stood around and reminisced at the memories of many a weekend spent climbing or exploring the area when we were teenagers. Not sure if the kids were too impressed at regailing them with the daft stories though.

Next on the agenda was Rocky Roachy and a steady climb between the rocks up to the top. I swear when I was a kid this place was massive and a hell of a climb but either my memory has served me incorrectly or it was because I was a hell of a lot smaller then than I am now but it was really easy climb. I'm sure the rest of the clan would disagree with me judging by the huffing and the puffing that was going on when we got to the top.

Geokids at the top and knackered!!!!

Next stop was Doxey Pool. Now this is a place that I certainly remember from being a kid. I've certainly seen it looking better thats for sure. The weather was so murky at the top and the pool was pretty much frozen over and I'm sure that the legendary mermaid that is supposed to live there would be better off having a holiday in the sun.  Another easy cache find clocked us up to 3 at this point. We were going to go onto the next one which was 1.3 miles away but decided that this one should be left for another day. The weather had really closed in and the rain had turned to snow and as experienced walkers we decided that it wasn't worth getting stuck up there so with the light fading it was time to make our way back down to the cars.

Snowy days!

Now which sane people would go walking in this I wonder?

By the time we had made it down the rock face, the cloud cover had lifted and for the first time that day we could see the beautiful views towards Leek with Tittesworth Reservoir in the distance. Were the kids put off by it.....never, in fact they have asked to go back in the summer to explore the place more, especially when told that wallaby's live there.

Back to the car and after more food and a steaming hot cuppa, we were on our merry way home smiling at another great day out caching.

HAPPY DAYS x