Difference between revisions of "2024-02-10 51 -1"

From Geohashing
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== Location ==
 
== Location ==
 
Field between Cumnor and Appleton, West Oxfordshire.
 
Field between Cumnor and Appleton, West Oxfordshire.
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== Plans ==
 
== Plans ==
<!-- what were the original plans -->
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I haven't hashed for long enough that my home graticule got marked as inactive. I've got a little free time this morning, so let's fix that!
  
 
== Expedition ==
 
== Expedition ==
<!-- how it all turned out. your narrative goes here. -->
+
It took two attempts to reach this hashpoint.
Success at 11:06. Details to follow.  
 
  
== Tracklog ==
+
The first attempt saw me set off around 09:40, with a plan to drive over [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swinford_Toll_Bridge the world's stupidest toll bridge] (paying 5p for the privilege), park up in Cumnor somewhere, then work down the Cumnor-Appleton footpath before dipping into the fields (which are likely to be fallow this time of year) to claim the hashpoint. I suggested to take the dog, and the 7-year-old child asked if he could join me too, so the three of us with our eight legs set off.
<!-- if your GPS device keeps a log, you may post a link here -->
+
 
 +
This winter's seen heavy rain around these parts, and the stream that runs alongside the footpath had broken its banks and flooded the fields. The water had receded, but the ground remained extremely boggy. That kind of thick, wellie-sucking mud that means that if you stop walking for more than a couple of seconds, you might as well give up and say you live there now because your boot is never coming back.
  
== Photos ==
+
The kid found the going especially-tough, especially after a particularly-deep puddle splashed over the edge of his wellies, and asked to turn back. The dog was finding it a bit challenging too! So we doubled-back and [https://danq.me/2024/02/10/dan-q-found-gc82xt0-cumnor-minions-dr-nefario/ found a geocache a little way off the path]. We've generally been disappointed by Cumnor's geocaches and especially this series, finding them to be ill-maintained or completely absent, but it looks like the cache owner has been working on repairing and replacing them towards the tail end of last year and this one was soon found. I drove the dog and child home (back across the toll bridge), then came back out myself (paying the fivepence toll a third time). So began the second attempt:
<!-- Insert pictures between the gallery tags using the following format:  
 
Image:2020-##-## ## ## Alpha.jpg | Witty Comment
 
-->
 
<gallery perrow='5'>
 
</gallery>
 
  
== Achievements ==
+
Unburdened by short-legged dogs and damp-footed kids, I made better progress. At points, the path was completely flooded-out, but this gave me an excuse to walk along the "tramlines" of the cultivator that must've been working in the field last year, which put me on a better course to reach the hashpoint. By 11:06 I was well within the circle of uncertainty and declared the mission a success.
{{#vardefine:ribbonwidth|100%}}
 
<!-- Add any achievement ribbons you earned below, or remove this section -->
 
  
<!-- =============== USEFUL CATEGORIES FOLLOW ================
+
Then I plodged back through the mud, changed my footwear, and drove over the toll bridge a ''fourth'' time. The attendant, clearly sick of seeing me driving back and forth, took pity on me and let me off without paying yet another 5p piece, so that was nice.
Delete the next line ONLY if you have chosen the appropriate categories below. If you are unsure, don't worry. People will read your report and help you with the classification. -->
 
[[Category:New report]]
 
  
<!-- ==REQUEST FOR TWITTER BOT== Please leave either the New report or the Expedition planning category in as long as you work on it. This helps the twitter bot a lot with announcing the right outcome at the right moment. -->
+
== Tracklog ==
 +
Zoom in near Cumnor Cricket Club, near the South-East end of the tracklog, to see lots of doubling-back and cache hunting!
  
<!-- Potential categories. Please include all the ones appropriate to your expedition -->
+
{{tracklog |Track_2024-02-10 51 -1 HASHING.gpx}}
<!-- If this is a planning page:
+
[[:File:Track_2024-02-10 51 -1 HASHING.gpx]]
[[Category:Expedition planning]]
 
-->
 
  
<!-- If all those plans are never acted upon, change [[Category:Expedition planning]] to [[Category:Not reached - Did not attempt]]. -->
+
== Photos ==
 +
<gallery perrow='5'>
 +
Image:20240210 101119.jpg | Team from Expedition 1, at a nearby geocache
 +
Image:20240210 105459-path.jpg | This "path" seems to be a stream
 +
Image:20240210 105648-mud.jpg | Muddy boots
 +
Image:20240210 110355-200m.jpg | 200 metres to go
 +
Image:20240210 110636-0m.jpg | Zero point!
 +
Image:20240210 110655-grin.jpg | Silly grin
 +
Image:20240210 110708-north.jpg | View North from the hashpoint
 +
Image:20240210 110711-east.jpg | View East from the hashpoint
 +
Image:20240210 110713-south.jpg | View South from the hashpoint
 +
Image:20240210 110717-west.jpg | View West from the hashpoint
 +
</gallery>
  
<!-- An actual expedition:
 
 
[[Category:Expeditions]]
 
[[Category:Expeditions]]
-- and one or more of --
 
 
[[Category:Expeditions with photos]]
 
[[Category:Expeditions with photos]]
[[Category:Expeditions with videos]]
 
[[Category:Expedition without GPS]]
 
-->
 
 
<!-- if you reached your coords:
 
 
[[Category:Coordinates reached]]
 
[[Category:Coordinates reached]]
 
 
--><!-- or if you failed :(
 
[[Category:Coordinates not reached]]
 
-- and a reason --
 
When there is a natural obstacle between you and the target:
 
[[Category:Not reached - Mother Nature]]
 
 
 
When there is a man-made obstacle between you and the target:
 
[[Category:Not reached - No public access]]
 
 
When you failed get your GPS, car, bike or such to work:
 
[[Category:Not reached - Technology]]
 
   
 
When you went to an alternate location instead of the actual geohash:
 
[[Category:Not reached - Attended alternate location]]
 
 
(Don't forget to delete this final close comment marker) -->
 

Revision as of 12:19, 10 February 2024

Sat 10 Feb 2024 in 51,-1:
51.7210372, -1.3353634
geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

Field between Cumnor and Appleton, West Oxfordshire.

Participants

Plans

I haven't hashed for long enough that my home graticule got marked as inactive. I've got a little free time this morning, so let's fix that!

Expedition

It took two attempts to reach this hashpoint.

The first attempt saw me set off around 09:40, with a plan to drive over the world's stupidest toll bridge (paying 5p for the privilege), park up in Cumnor somewhere, then work down the Cumnor-Appleton footpath before dipping into the fields (which are likely to be fallow this time of year) to claim the hashpoint. I suggested to take the dog, and the 7-year-old child asked if he could join me too, so the three of us with our eight legs set off.

This winter's seen heavy rain around these parts, and the stream that runs alongside the footpath had broken its banks and flooded the fields. The water had receded, but the ground remained extremely boggy. That kind of thick, wellie-sucking mud that means that if you stop walking for more than a couple of seconds, you might as well give up and say you live there now because your boot is never coming back.

The kid found the going especially-tough, especially after a particularly-deep puddle splashed over the edge of his wellies, and asked to turn back. The dog was finding it a bit challenging too! So we doubled-back and found a geocache a little way off the path. We've generally been disappointed by Cumnor's geocaches and especially this series, finding them to be ill-maintained or completely absent, but it looks like the cache owner has been working on repairing and replacing them towards the tail end of last year and this one was soon found. I drove the dog and child home (back across the toll bridge), then came back out myself (paying the fivepence toll a third time). So began the second attempt:

Unburdened by short-legged dogs and damp-footed kids, I made better progress. At points, the path was completely flooded-out, but this gave me an excuse to walk along the "tramlines" of the cultivator that must've been working in the field last year, which put me on a better course to reach the hashpoint. By 11:06 I was well within the circle of uncertainty and declared the mission a success.

Then I plodged back through the mud, changed my footwear, and drove over the toll bridge a fourth time. The attendant, clearly sick of seeing me driving back and forth, took pity on me and let me off without paying yet another 5p piece, so that was nice.

Tracklog

Zoom in near Cumnor Cricket Club, near the South-East end of the tracklog, to see lots of doubling-back and cache hunting!


File:Track_2024-02-10 51 -1 HASHING.gpx

Photos