Shortly after starting Geocaching™ I started to record our trips both through photography and with GPS tracking. The later records the exact route we took on our walks. This guide is the culmination or a years adventures laid out in a manner that I hope others can use to plan a day out. Each walk is circular and was completed by us as a family. Some are harder than others and there is a difficulty rating for each based on mainly feedback from my two children – who better to offer opinion than a four and six year old. The rating is numeric as follows:
1
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Easy going flat level ground and should be completed in 2/3 hours without a lunch break. Children will still have energy left – be warned!
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2
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Some terrain may prove harder to negotiate either because of changes in elevation and/or due to the walking surface (rough track / muddy). Expect to complete in 3 hours without the need for a major rest break.
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3
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Length of walk will necessitate regular breaks and maybe a lunch break depending on your progress. Terrain is likely to be mixed (road / pathway / track) and will prove challenging at points. Expect children to be in need of some encouragement along the way and be moderately tired at the end of it. Set aside 4 hours at least to complete.
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4
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A days walking that will require a lunch break and regular stops. Terrain will be mixed but the going will be moderate (limited number of elevation changes). There may be some obstacles to negotiate and a degree of intelligence required when following the route (some pathways may be unsigned etc). Children will be generally tired at the end of the day.
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5
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Hard going all the way round with potentially dramatic and numerous elevation changes and/or very boggy wet ground during ‘rainy seasons’. A full day walking (6 hours) that will require regular stops and a lunch break. Children will sleep for a week!
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Headline Information
Each walk is headed by some statistics to give you a feel for what to expect.
Length
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Estimated Duration
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Difficulty
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Distance In Miles
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HH:MM for little legs
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1-2 (see above table)
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Elevation
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Terrain Types
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Smiley Rate
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Min To Max On Route
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Path / Track / Field / Road
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Total Caches/Distance = average finds per mile
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When I first started to venture out I looked for a source of reliable material that I could use to plan trips in advance and ultimately take with into the field. I found nothing to suit my own needs hence this guide.
