2008 - Geocaching

Those familiar with Geocaching will not need any explanation of how to play the game, except in regard to this week's event.

For those unfamiliar the old fashioned Treasure Hunt turned into Letterboxing (of which we also have an event) and, now, into the hi-tec geocaching. There are technical (and expensive) requirements for participating. You need a GPS and a computer with internet access and a compatible USB lead - or at least the ability to borrow them.

From the internet you can download into your GPS the co-ordinates of the whereabouts of all the items you are going to hunt. Your GPS will then point you to them (or pretty near) and you then start the treasure hunt. You'll be looking for a waterproof container of some sort - from the straightforward (one in Wycoller is an ice-cream box, another a film container) to the incredible. The skill of master hiders knows no bounds, but I'm not revealing any of their secrets here.

On the internet you can also find how big the object is; how difficult the hider thinks it is to find; and how hard it is to reach the area in the first place. There's also a coded extra hint.

Many caches contain objects which are moved on (and replaced by something else) by the finder with the movement recorded on the internet log. These aren't intended for this and we don't want the "valuable coin" (see para 7) removed although any other items inserted by geocachers can be moved in the usual way.

When you've found and examined it, replace it as before so that casual passers by won't see and disturb it - if they do it will ruin the game for everyone else because we can't check them all on a daily, or even monthly, basis.

That's it.  So now how are we running this particular event.

With a Festival of nine days we intend to hide 9 objects giving them the name PWF2008-1 (2 etc) plus an extra name (e.g. Pendle Summit) so that there'll be one to find each day - although you can find them all in one day if you can run fast enough!  PWF2008-2 will be on a walk on the second day of the Festival - and you'll not be surprised to learn that its on the Boulsworth Letterboxing/Geocaching walk. PWF2008-3 will be on a walk the next day and so on. Just because we've given them a number doesn't mean that that's the only day when a walk will pass nearby some will be passed on walks several times. Most will be straightforward plastic box caches scarcely hidden, but others will be rather harder. None will be incredibly difficult to find. We intend to publish them on 1st June to (hopefully) co-incide with the Brochure becoming available.

Regular geocachers already know how to record their find on the internet, but it's very obvious anyway - and you'll want to do this cos it's part of the fun of the game.

In each cache there will be a coin of huge value. Keep a record of what this is. If you find all nine caches and let me know what the coin is in each one you may get some momentous prize (max value 50p !), but it's the participation that counts not the winning (where have I heard that before?). You'll also appreciate that the caches will be there for at least six months, so you've got both before and after the Festival period to find them.

As already mentioned each day a walk(s) will pass close to one of the geocaches.  However the walk leader will not know where the cache is (maybe not even that there is one - he or she may well not be a GPS user) and you mustn't expect the party to wait  whilst you search - if necessary you will have to find your own way back to the start, or return later.  Except for the Sunday Letterboxing walk we really expect that most people will find the caches at some other time.

In addition to being on the internet theco-ordinates follow. We have also arranged an introduction day at Colne Library at 2pm on the first day of the Festival (Saturday 30 August).

The three main geocaching websites for us are:

Worldwide go here

North West England go here

Yorkshire go here

Have fun.

Geocache Co-Ordinates

PWF2008-1 Pendle Summit N53.52.079 W002.17.990

PWF2008-2 Abbot Stone N53.49.089 W002.06.856

PWF2008-3 Noyna Rocks N53.52.722 W002.08.958

PWF2008-4 Laneshaw Bridge N53.52.042 W002.07.240

PWF2008-5 Shuttleworth Moor, Earby N53.54.125 W002.07.870

PWF2008-6 Lister Well Road N.53.53.551 W.002.12.030

PWF2008-7 Thursden N53.48.736 W002.09.038

PWF2008-8 Boulsworth Descent N53.49.240 W002.06.142

PWF2008-9 Robert Wilson’s Grave N 53° 55.319 W 002° 04.850