Geocaching

In case you have come here not knowing what geocaching is I'll just say simply that it is treasure hunting using modern methods - i.e. a g p s. (Global Positioning System Receiver).

My family bought me one so that I wouldn't get lost when I was wandering round badly mapped areas such as here. I'd managed for a long time without one and don't think it is any replacement for a map, compass and "mountain sense". It is however very helpful if you need to find a specific location and I soon discovered that geocaching had grown from just this. If you're visiting a new area you don't need a reason to walk it but when re-visiting it is interesting to have an additional objective which, possibly, will take you to a slightly different place - at least that's my excuse.

In the Sierra de los Nieves there are caches on the top of the Cruz de Juanar and El Concha and also Torrecilla. There are several caches in the Sierra Mijas and plenty of others in villages etc. but compared to Britain there are very few in the hills so I thought I'd add a few. Bad weather meant that I only placed two which is fortunate because I'd overlooked that the placer must live within 100 miles of the placement.

So, if you're a cacher, there's an extra two up there - one on one of the extensions on walk 1 on the highest (?) point of the range on Picacho de Castillejos and the other on Walk 3 on the little used route from Marbella to the Cruz. The co-ordinates follow so you can put them into your gps but you won't be able to log them in the usual way so your only satisfaction will be the actual find - and letting me know they're still there! If you want a copy of the submission to Geocaching email me and I'll send you one. Both caches are small and the find is graded Easy but the Terrain Very Hard.

GC19C1V   Juanar 900   N 36° 33.583 W 004° 53.611

GC19C4N   Picacho de Castillejos   N 36° 35.639 W 004° 53.611

Juanar 900 - the sign at the col. You've come up the Juanar path and the Calana one was hopelessly overgrown in 2008	Juanar 900 - the little summit above the Col - the lads are near the cache	Juanar 900 - the cache location (spoiler)	The summit of Picacho de Castillejos (nearly a spoiler) - not a good day when we placed it!