2021-02-21 41 1

Sun 21 Feb 2021 in Tarragona, Catalonia: 41.5150144, 1.9838062 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

In a small gully called El racó del Pau Canyadell (the corner of Pau Canyadell) next to the Can Canyadell stream between Rubí and Castellbisbal.

Participants

SastRe.O

Plans

I will grab my bike sometime in the morning and attempt this geohash. The orography seems however a little complicated. It looks like the hash has fallen in a small gully called El racó del Pau Canyadell (I mention it because I am surprised it is even named) which flows into the stream of Can Canyadell which separates the municipalities of Rubí and Castellbisbal, as mentioned.

My first impression was to approach it from the west but I see some issues:

1. I would have to take a rather busy road with my bike and I don't feel secure doing so.

2. Topography maps suggest the slope from this direction might be to complicated and there are no paths (nor on OSM or on other platforms) approaching the hash from west.

So I will try it from east, riding from Castellbisbal along the Crest of Can Riquer. It might require some more altitude gaining than necessary but I hope it will eventually allow for an easier approach to the hash coordinates. Crossing the stream should not be a problem, since it should have water only after rains.

The last part of the path I am planning on taking is not on OSM (but on other cartography), so I might be aiming for some OSM contributions after this expedition, if everything goes as planned.

Let's say, between 3-4 hours if I am in the mood of some geocaching?

Expedition

I grabbed Frühlingskiefer at 9:00 and took of. A little cloudy, a little windy, but not so cold. The first part was as expected. Starting uphill but soon enough I was already in Castellbisbal, and starting a partial juggernaut tracklog. Just go north. Can be appreciated in the tracklog.

Ok, the first part of Castellbisbal was rather ugly. Just factories and parked trucks. Then I approached a motocross circuit, and there the more like forest trails started. I have never been in this part of my county and it's different than I anticipated. A few fields and lots of masies most of them old or in bad condition. Once up in the crest the wind was more noticeable.

A few hundreds of meters ahead the tracklog of my GPS warned me that it was time to deviate and go down to the stream. Here started the more adventurous part. The path was not that apt for my bike, but it was for only a few hundred meters. At least the slope was ok. And in the end of this path I was around 120m to the hash.

And then I realizes I forgot something very important at home... I had my helmet, keys, wallet, water but I forgot... A frigging machete! The amount of bushes and thorns. Jeez, lucky for me I was wearing long sleeves and trousers, the consequences could haven been fatal :P

I try it, believe me I did, but it was impossible to cross that sea of thorns.

“	Crossing the stream should not be a problem, since it should have water only after rains.	”
—myself planning this expedition

Man, that was such a naif assessment of the situation. I didn't even reach the stream. The only thing that relieves me, is that even if I had approached the hash from west, although I may had end up closer and even trick the circle of uncertainness of the GeohashDroid, knowing very well where the hash fell, I would have probably earned a Cliffs of Despair consolation prize.

Second hash I attempt in my county and second failure. Man, man, man, well, it's not so bad. The curse will be broken.

On the way back I managed to redeem myself a bit, finding a geocache that hasn't been found in +3 years and had a pair of DNF, and after some second breakfast consisting in home-made Rotweinkuchen and a few mandarines, I had again the energy to go back home.

On the way back the paths where more crowded. It's Sunday and since last weekend we can go outside of our municipalities and wander through the county (COVID restrictions), and you can feel it. On Sundays everybody parks the car at the foot of the mountain if they even find space and go walking there. A little too crowded for my taste, but I can't complain since I have the same right to be there as them.

Hope next expedition is a success (in terms of reaching, otherwise it's always a success discovering new places).

Photos

View of Castellbisbal.  One of the many Masies in the area.  Do you see the path? It's ok, me neither.  Between the two pines, the gully I was aiming for.  Parking Frühlingskiefer.  Sea of thorns that could not be crossed.  View of the Tibidabo from there.  The crest of Can Riquer.  Ruins of a masia where I found the mentioned geocache.  Second breakfast.

Achievements

SastRe.O earned the Done with Nature consolation prize by failing to reach the (41, 1) geohash on 2021-02-21. Forgot the machete at home.

Even thought I didn't reach the coordinates, OSM can still benefit of the experience.

SastRe.O earned the OpenStreetMap achievement by contributing to OpenStreetMap based on their expedition to the (41, 1) geohash on 2021-02-21.

Other Geohashing Expeditions and Plans on This Day

Expeditions and Plans

2021-02-21
Tarragona, Spain	SastRe.O	In a small gully called El racó del Pau Canyadell (the corner of Pau Ca...
Kaiserslautern, Germany	Santu, Pedro the dog	was very close to the Eiswoog, a small lake in the forest around Ramsen.
Hannover, Germany	Fippe	located on a field in Ramlingen.
Hamburg (West), Germany	π π π	on the corridor of a building of artist's studios along the Veringkanal...

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