User:Srs0

About Me

I have been geohashing on and off, when I have time, since the first week of geohashing. Specifically, May 27, 2008 was my first geohash. I tend to geohash a lot more in the summer, when I have a smaller workload.

There are a few places that I consider to be my "home" graticules:

• Vancouver (49,-123) is where I spend most of my time, as a student at UBC.
• Calgary NW (51,-114) is where I spent most of my childhood (although I was not born there), and is a place that I still often visit to see my family.
• Würzburg (49,9) was my home in Germany, where I spent eight months (May to December 2009) as part of a co-operative education placement in Technische Physik at the Universität Würzburg. For those eight months, thepiguy and I had the pleasure of exploring Germany and other parts of Europe, using Würzburg as our base.
• Toronto (43,-79) is not yet a home graticule, but will be shortly. I have a summer research position at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus) lined up for May to August 2011.

The time it takes me to complete an expedition write-up varies drastically. I often update the day of (or the day after) the expedition, but I have also been known to take several months. However, I do get around to everything eventually.

I discovered XKCD through slashdot on December 11, 2006. Specifically, this article is the one that led me to XKCD (Map of the Internet IPv4 space).

I love photography, particularly when the subject is the natural world. Some of my favourite pictures that I've taken while geohashing can be seen here (updates very infrequently).

Upcoming Expeditions

• No immediate plans, but that doesn't mean that I won't be geohashing!

Statistics

• Expeditions: 51
  • Successful: 45
  • Failed: 4
  • Retro: 2
• Saturday Meetups: 11
  • Successful: 9
  • Failed: 2
• Graticules Visited: 23
  • North America: 3
  • Europe: 19
• Geohashers met: 35
  • North America: 13
  • Europe: 21
  • North Americans in Europe: 1
• Countries Visited: 6
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • Czech Republic
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Austria
• Virgin Graticules: 2
  • Vancouver, Canada
  • Kempten, Germany
• Largest geohashing meetup: 12
• Longest consecutive geohash: 4
• Most geohashes in one day: 5
• First expedition: 2008-05-27

Expeditions

Memorable

A short list of my most memorable geohashing expeditions and why, sorted chronologically:

• 2008-05-27 Vancouver: My first expedition.
• 2008-09-21 Vancouver: A water geohash, at sunrise, in an inflatable raft, while meeting Robyn for the first time.
• 2009-06-02 Bamberg: The expedition where I broke my wrist (geohashualty #1).
• 2009-06-07 Kempten: A big meetup on a lake under the tallest mountain in Germany.
• 2009-08-28 Bamberg: A quadruple hash, with Danatar and thepiguy, on the way to the Big Berlin Meetup. This was the first of the four hashpoints.
• 2009-08-29 Berlin: The Big Berlin Meetup!
• 2009-08-30 Dresden: A quintuple hash, with Danatar and thepiguy, on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. This was the first of the five hashpoints.
• 2010-05-21 Surrey: Eleven people hiking up a mountain at night.
• 2010-08-12 Vancouver: I almost become a geohashualty for a second time, but manage to escape with superficial injuries.

Complete List

Bold for Saturday expeditions, underlined for virgin graticules.

Successful: 45

Failed: 4

Retro: 2

2008-05-27 Vancouver My first geohash!

2008-05-31 Surrey My first "official" (Saturday) geohash.

2008-07-19 Vancouver Ended up biking to Nanaimo and back, but ran out of time to make the actual hashpoint.

2008-09-07 Vancouver A short bike ride away.

2008-09-21 Vancouver An epic water sunrise geohash!

2008-10-11 Vancouver A geohash close to the airport. With lots of candy. Yum.

2008-12-03 Vancouver An irresistibly close geohash while avoiding studying for exams.

2009-05-09 Bamberg My first geohash in Germany! In the middle of a field.

2009-05-10 Würzburg Another German geohash, full of insanity. Those were steep and slippery hills!

2009-05-21 Mannheim Geohashiversary 2009 in Heidelberg!

2009-05-23 Würzburg Mouse Over Day 2009 in a forest!

2009-05-25 Würzburg A close forest geohash on a beautiful evening.

2009-05-27 Würzburg Thepiguy and my hashiversaries! Unfortunately in the middle of a field, but we got to just over 100m before no trespassing! I'm counting it as a success since I could easily have reached it, but respected the farmer's crops. Officially, some would say it's a failure.

2009-05-28 Würzburg In a forest up a very steep bank (which Danatar found a way around, but Thepiguy and I just went straight up).

2009-05-29 Bamberg Not in a forest! In fact, it was on a small road by a golf course!

2009-05-30 Stuttgart In a forest beside a firing range.

2009-06-02 Bamberg In a beautiful field! However, I became a geohashualty on the way home...

2009-06-07 Kempten On the Eibsee, in a boat, with 8 other people, in a virgin graticule, ... (the list goes on)

2009-06-24 Würzburg By Rottenbauer, my first geohash without thepiguy!

2009-07-17 Würzburg A midnight hash in a field near Würzburg!

2007-07-22 Würzburg Another midnight hash in a field near Würzburg!

2009-07-25 Würzburg A 14km walk geohash to the "Flugplatz Würzburg-Schenkenturm" (a small airfield).

2009-08-28 Bamberg Right beside a highway on the way to the Big Berlin Meetup. Ultrahash part 1/4.

2009-08-28 Erfurt In a remote forest on the way to the Big Berlin Meetup. Ultrahash part 2/4.

2009-08-28 Halle (Saale) In the middle of a harvested field, just past sunset, on the way to the Big Berlin Meetup. Ultrahash part 3/4.

2009-08-28 Erfurt In a harvested field, at night, on the way to the Big Berlin Meetup. Found evidence of a previous geohasher (Ekorren). Ultrahash part 4/4.

2009-08-29 Berlin The Big Berlin Meetup! Twelve people from around Germany meet in a forest.

2009-08-30 Dresden In a harvested field with a beautiful view on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. Monsterhash part 1/5.

2009-08-30 Leipzig In a forest near former railway tracks on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. Monsterhash part 2/5.

2009-08-30 Chemnitz In a harvested field, overlooking a picturesque lake, in the Czech Republic, on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. Monsterhash part 3/5.

2009-08-30 Erfurt In private property in the small town of Buchau, on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. Ambasador geohash! Monsterhash part 4/5.

2009-08-30 Gotha In a hillside meadow on the way back from the Big Berlin Meetup. Monsterhash part 5/5.

2009-09-03 Bamberg On the edge of a road in Winterhausen. My first bike geohash (and first time riding a bike) since the geohashualty!

2009-09-06 Würzburg Just into a field near Zellingen. Another bike geohash.

2009-09-13 Bamberg In a forest by Hundsfeld, which is by Rothof, which is near Rottendorf. Biked most of the way home in the rain.

2009-09-14 Fulda Right on the edge of a field by Elfershausen-Trimberg! Three horses watched us. WARNING: Graphic pictures included of a dead deer found at the exact hashpoint (not joking).

2009-09-20 Würzburg In a grassy area, just off the path, in Rottenbauer. A very easy geohash!

2009-09-27 Paris Admitted to the area by a drunken French man who liked to talk!

2009-09-30 Northampton Took the train from London to Flitwick, then got a ride with Benjw for the last few km!

2009-10-02 London West Took the train to Stonehenge in the morning, but detoured to Reading on the way home for a geohash!

2009-10-03 Swindon An ambassador picnic hash in a farmer's field, near Winchester!

2009-10-03 Swindon A retro hash done to Sermoa's 2009-08-30 cubicle geohash.

2009-10-12 Würzburg Canadian Thanksgiving 2009 in a field in Germany!

2009-10-24 Szombathely A failed geohash in Austria, south of Vienna. A private residential community beside a private lake.

2009-10-31 Bamberg Halloween geohash! A cold bike ride to a sugar beet field.

2009-12-13 München A final German geohash, in the snow!

2010-05-21 Surrey Geohashiversary 2010 on a mountain near Vancouver. 11 person meetup!

2010-05-27 Vancouver A retro hash on my hashiversary done to my very first geohash (2008-05-27).

2010-06-13 Vancouver A No Trespassing geohash in Squamish on a beautiful day.

2010-07-01 Vancouver The Vancouver graticule blesses us with a true Canada Day miracle!

2010-08-12 Vancouver On southern Wreck Beach. On the way home, I barely avoided becoming a geohashualty (yet again)...

2010-12-19 Calgary SW In a snowy field near St. Mary's College.

Graticules Visited (23)

Chronologically listed (bold are home graticules, underlined for virgin):

• (49,-123) Vancouver, BC, Canada: 2008-05-27
• (49,-122) Surrey, BC, Canada: 2008-05-31
• (49,10) Bamberg, Germany: 2009-05-09
• (49,9) Würzburg, Germany: 2009-05-10
• (49,8) Mannheim, Germany: 2009-05-21
• (48,9) Stuttgart, Germany: 2009-05-30
• (47,10) Kempten, Germany: 2009-06-07
• (50,11) Erfurt, Germany: 2009-08-28
• (51,11) Halle (Saale), Germany: 2009-08-28
• (52,12) Brandenburg, Germany: 2009-08-28
• (52,13) Berlin, Germany: 2009-08-29
• (51,13) Dresden, Germany: 2009-08-30
• (51,12) Leipzig, Germany: 2009-08-30
• (50,12) Chemnitz, Germany: 2009-08-30
• (50,10) Gotha, Germany: 2009-08-30
• (50,9) Fulda, Germany: 2009-09-14
• (48,2) Paris, France: 2009-09-27
• (52,-0) Northampton, United Kingdom: 2009-09-30
• (51,-0) London West, United Kingdom: 2009-10-02
• (51,-1) Swindon, United Kingdom: 2009-10-03
• (47,16) Szombathely, Hungary: 2009-10-24
• (48,11) München, Germany: 2009-12-13
• (50,-114) Calgary SW, Alberta, Canada: 2010-12-19

I've visited enough graticules in Germany that I figured I'd make country and region maps. Click here to see them!

Geohashers I've Met (35)

Chronologically listed:

• 2008-05-27
  • Thepiguy: We went geohashing together on our first expedition.
• 2008-05-31
  • Unknown Guy: He stopped by, in his car, for all of ten seconds. Didn't give us a name before driving off. He was running off to work.
  • Warren: Rode his motorbike from Bellingham.
• 2008-09-21
  • Robyn: Met her before dawn, in time to inflate rafts for a water sunrise geohash!
• 2008-12-03
  • MylSh: Dragged him along to the geohash. He's gone on a few others since then.
• 2009-05-09
  • Danatar: Met him in the middle of a field during my first geohash in Germany.
• 2009-06-07 (Eibsee Expedition):
  • Zb: Saw me looking lost in the München Hbf and led me to a good place to get pastries. Then we waited for the others to arrive.
  • Dawidi: Recognized him next in the München Hbf, thanks to his awesome geohashing shirt.
  • Hans: Arrived with Dawidi, and he was the next I saw at the München Hbf.
  • Tomcat: Also arrived with Dawidi and also met him at the München Hbf.
  • Ekorren: Next to arrive at the München Hbf, with Danatar and Thepiguy. He led us to a couple geocaches too!
  • Baerenfell: The last person I met at the München Hbf.
• 2009-08-29 (Big Berlin Meetup):
  • Jerrome: The first new person I met at the Berlin Hbf.
  • Relet: The second new person I saw at the Berlin Hbf.
  • Lyx: The third new person I saw at the Berlin Hbf.
  • Davidc: The fourth new person I met at the Berlin Hbf.
  • Pari: The fifth new person I met.
  • JUB: The sixth new person I met.
  • Hessophanes: The seventh and final person I met.
• 2009-09-13
  • Hermann: Met him at the Würzburg Hbf. He came all the way from Hamburg!
• 2009-09-27
  • Xore: At the Paris hashpoint, though he arrived after closing time. A fellow North American in Europe meetup!
  • NeThuS: Also too late for the closing time, but still met him! He arrived as we were leaving, and has the newer version of my DSLR.
• 2009-09-30
  • Benjw: At the Flitwick train station.
• 2009-10-02
  • Sermoa At the Reading train station. She has an awesome google phone, and knows how to use it!
  • Macronencer At the Reading train station, beside Sermoa. He has an iPhone, and knows how to use it!
• 2009-10-03
  • DavidMiller, along with his wife and children, in Winchester.
  • Mapaholic at the hashpoint. He arrived while the farmer was confirming our insanity!
• 2009-05-21
  • Elbie at UBC, en route to the geohashing day 2010 festivities. Known her for years, but finally "met" her while geohashing!
  • Arbron, gracious enough to give us a ride from UBC to the bottom of the mountain.
  • Wade, while preparing to hike the mountain.
  • Rhonda, also preparing to hike the mountain, and started out in bare feet.
  • Yangman, preparing to hike the mountain with a full backpack. He was prepared.
  • Denise, a passenger of the third vehicle and a first time geohasher.
  • Kyle, the driver of the third vehicle, and a first time geohasher.
• 2010-06-13
  • air384 and I have been together for a while and best friends for years, but this was our first expedition together.

I know several other UBC geohashers, but I've not been on a geohash with them, so their names are not on the above list.

Ribbons

The ribbons were taking up a lot of space, so I've moved them to their own page. Click here for my ribbons!