2022-05-21 53 9

Sat 21 May 2022 in 53,9: 53.5738186, 9.7422621 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

on the premises of a riding centre in Hamburg-Rissen

Participants

• π π π (talk)

Expedition

Geohashing Day expedition!

I'd always wanted to celebrate Geohashing Day, but the past three or four years, the coordinates were quite inconvenient (actually, Mouseover Day 2020 and 2021 would've been doable, but I wasn't committed enough). This year, Mouseover Day fell on Geohashing Day, so I only had one chance – and the coordinates were okay, but not great. I would've had to transport my bike on a bus, which is usually quite a hassle, and it would've taken at least 4-5 hours.

Fortunately, my mum wanted to take me to IKEA in Schnelsen to look for a shelf and was willing to drive with me to Rissen afterward, conditional on us visiting the Elbe too. So we went to IKEA in the morning, found a shelf, then drove 20 km to Rissen in her electric car.

I couldn't tell from the satellite imagery whether the hash was on a meadow or in someone's garden or somewhere else, but when we walked along the nearest road, we saw that a riding centre was located between us and the hash, and it had a very clear sign that you were not allowed to enter without an appointment. There was no getting by on the sides either, so we opted to try it from the back. We walked along the street until we reached a shared driveway from which you could enter the fields behind. There was a low fence, which my mum was not willing to cross, so I continued alone onto the meadow, and then across it towards the coordinates.

Reaching another fence, I now realised that the hash was located on the premises of the riding centre, right at the edge of a paddock. Unfortunately, I saw several people working at the centre, though the hash itself was hidden from view. I devised a plan to creep to the hash along a building, which started just behind the fence and ended only 10 m from the hash, but quickly perceived that it was very risky: Even if nobody was currently on the paddock (which I did not know), I could see somebody inside the building, and it very likely had eastward-facing windows. The chance of being spotted was too high, and I knew from the sign at the entrance that they were very strict. Also, I obviously didn't want to disturb the horses. I seriously considered yelling at the workers and asking for permission, but once I had gathered enough courage to attempt it, I couldn't see them anymore. There was still someone in the building (who might've even noticed me at the fence), but he stood at the far end and wouldn't've head me yelling. So I looked up whether you get the Geohashing Day achievement even if the expedition is unsuccessful (you do), took a few pictures with Norma (including one in homage to Danatar), and walked back to the car, feeling somewhat down about the abortive celebration. Closest approach 46 m.

We then drove a kilometre to the lighthouse on the Elbe, where we descended the cliff and scrambled onto the rocky bank. Even this far from its mouth, the Elbe is almost 2 km wide, though it is divided in half by the artificial island Neßsand. We watched the river for a while and then went back; me taking with me a cool branch I found, which I planned to work into a walking stick. My mum looked up whether there were any geocaches in the area, and there was indeed one nearby (a short multi), which we naturally had to find. We walked 750 m to the first station, right past the Wittenbergen Lighthouse, and found the hint near a huge rusty anchor, but sadly couldn't convert it into usable coordinates and went back to the car empty-handed.

Photos

will follow shortly (10 pictures)

Achievements

No Trespassing consolation prize

π π π earned the Prize poultry Consolation Prize by chickening out on the (53, 9) geohash on 2022-05-21 because he was too afraid to be caught by the riding instructors nearby.

π π π earned the 2022 Geohashing Day achievement by trying (and failing) to reach the geohash in the (53, 9) graticule on May 21st 2022.