User:Benjw/Expeditions

Although I'd read the original xkcd geohashing cartoon the very day it came out in May 2008, I hadn't even considered that anyone might take it seriously. Then in December that year, while looking up geocaching on the net, I discovered that several people actually did, and decided to give it a go myself. I didn't have a GPS at that point, so the first hash I was able to find without one was in January 2009. It was fun, so I bought a GPS in time for my second hash later that month.

After an initial surge of enthusiasm, the necessity of doing some university work rather took over, and I've hashed rather sporadically ever since, with odd periods of interest -- usually triggered by a hash close to home -- followed by long stretches of inactivity. I'm also very bad at writing up my expeditions promptly, so some of these reports may be incomplete. I will finish them. Eventually.

This page lists all my expeditions in date order, most recent first. Also see my bike expeditions page for a list of just those expeditions made by bicycle, and my shiny ribbons page for the achievement awards I've won while hashing.

2014-04-02 52 0 (Wed): #87. Bike hash in grassland next to the River Cam in Waterbeach; I'd been just 110 metres away for a geocache in 2009.
2014-03-16 52 0 (Sun): #86. The side of a field over the road from Cambridge airport. An easy bike hash after lunch at The Castle.
2014-02-08: Retrohashed yesterday's 2014-02-07 52 -1 hashpoint as it was just off my M6 route to Hereford. First time I've retrohashed without being on the way to/from a current hashpoint.
2014-01-28 52 0 (Tue): #85. The side of a field in Sawston, next to a river and just off the footpath from Whittlesford. Popped over for a walk while on my lunch break.

2013

2013-08-09 52 0 (Fri): Failure #8. Enjoyed a gentle cycle to Cottenham as the set was setting, but the hashpoint was in a private paddock.
2013-08-05 52 0 (Mon): #84. The Faculty of Education's front lawn, on Hills Road. Drowned rat bicycle Tron hash at 5:30pm, then cycled home with MrsBenjw.
2013-08-04 52 0 (Sun): #83. Another riverbank, near Upwell, but no cows this time. Arrived at 00:35 after an FTF on a nearby geocache.
2013-08-03 52 0 (Sat): #82. A riverbank with cows at the appropriately-named Eau Brink, near Kings Lynn. Drove up with PaintedJaguar for a double midnight hash.
2013-07-29 52 0 (Mon): #81. Another bicycle outing, 43.7 km up to Wicken Fen and back for a hashpoint on a stream bank, defended by nettles and rushes.
2013-07-20 52 0 (Sat): #80. A bicycle geohash, and my fourth Saturday meetup. Met PaintedJaguar at 16:10 on a residential road in Sawston.
2013-04-26 52 0 (Fri): #79. On the grass verge of the A14 eastbound, at the bottom of the Histon slip road. A mere 2.14 km from home.
2013-04-26 52 -0 (Fri): #78. In the middle of the A1198 south of Papworth Everard. Speed-raced through it, then went back on foot for photos, dodging the oncoming traffic.
2013-03-12 52 0 (Tue): #77. Field geohash, very close to 2012-09-15 52 0 and 2012-09-12 52 0, but I went by car this time as it was a lot chillier.
2013-03-03 52 0 (Sun): #76. A field geohash between Royston and Saffron Walden. Found some old geocaches and then the hashpoint, by which time it was dark.
2013-02-18 52 0 (Mon): #75. An extremely muddy field geohash north of Mildenhall air base. Found some geocaches and watched the sun set from the hashpoint.
2013-02-12 52 0 (Tue): #74. A muddy and chilly field south of Haddenham. Bumped along a very waterlogged droveway to the hashpoint, with some geocaches on the way.

2012

2012-10-31 52 0 (Wed): #73. The north bank of the River Cam in Chesterton. A 5.6 km walk geohash and meetup with Transhumanist. Later cycled back to meet up with PaintedJaguar.
2012-10-20 51 -0 (Sat): #72. A footpath in woodland just outside Winkworth Arboretum, south-east of Guildford, while visiting family.
2012-09-26 52 0 (Wed): #71. Public transport hash by train to Elmswell, on the Ipswich line; then walked a mile and a half to the hash on some grassland next to a footpath.
2012-09-25 52 -0 (Tue): #70. Field geohash in Great Eversden. Sticky mud and splendid views across the west end of the village. A double hash in less than 20 minutes.
2012-09-25 52 0 (Tue): #69. Field geohash behind the Lodge House at the University radio telescope in Harlton. Was there for work anyway!
2012-09-19 52 0 (Wed): #68. A residential street in Hunstanton. Went on a very enjoyable public transport hash by train and bus after work.
2012-09-18 52 0 (Tue): #67. The back of a house in Cherry Hinton. A rather shorter bicycle hash late in the evening after orchestra practice.
2012-09-17 52 0 (Mon): #66. Humungous bicycle hash (126.5 km) to Stoke Ferry and back, out via Mildenhall, back via Ely. Took seven hours and nearly killed me.
2012-09-15 52 0 (Sat): #65. Only my third Saturday meetup! A bicycle hash; the trip out was almost identical to the one three days ago, then I simply biked the same route back home again.
2012-09-12 52 -0 (Wed): Failure #7. Got as far as Earith with Dr-spangle before heavy rain and impending sunset persuaded us to call it a day.
2012-09-12 52 0 (Wed): #64. Field geohash in Coveney, just west of Ely. Bicycle hash and meetup with Dr-spangle again.
2012-09-10 52 0 (Mon): #63. Potato field geohash (just for a change) in Littleport, close to 2010-08-13 52 0.
2012-09-10 52 -0 (Mon): #62. Lamb's Lane, a track from Glatton village up to a private airfield. Meetup with Dr-spangle.
2012-09-09 (Sun): Retrohashed 2012-09-06 52 0 because it was just 3km from today's hash, and I hadn't had time to get to it on the correct day.
2012-09-09 52 0 (Sun): #61. Field (well, hedge) geohash in the dark at 8:20pm, between Six Mile Bottom and Brinkley.
2012-09-07 52 0 (Fri): #60. Field geohash in the dark at 10:45pm, just southeast of Burwell.
2012-08-24 52 0 (Fri): #59. In a field off Grange Road, Duxford, very close to 2009-03-11 52 0. Another bike double hash; my longest bike expedition so far, totalling 80.8 km.
2012-08-24 52 -0 (Fri): #58. In a field in Guilden Morden, very close to 2009-03-11 52 -0. Another bicycle hash.
2012-08-20 52 -0 (Mon): #57. In a field in Longstowe. Another bike double hash, on my own this time.
2012-08-20 52 0 (Mon): #56. A hedgerow in Grantchester. Easy bicycle hash!
2012-08-19 52 0 (Sun): #55. In a field in Longstanton, just north of the A14 junction. Bike double hash with Ali0sha.
2012-08-19 52 -0 (Sun): #54. In a field just north of Boxworth. Bicycle hash, and meetup with Ali0sha on a ride from Oxford.
2012-08-17 51 0 (Fri): #53. In a field just off a footpath in Clavering, Essex.
2012-04-14 55 -3 (Sat): Failure #6. In private land just off a minor road, close to the M74 on the way to Glasgow.

2011

2011-09-05 53 -3 (Mon): #52. A stroll through some rainy Welsh fields with cows in this Virgin graticule, with fish and chips on the way back to the B&B.
2011-09-03 52 -2 (Sat): #51. Wedding anniversary geohash on a Staffordshire village pavement, on the way to a holiday in Wales.
2011-05-01 53 -2 (Sun): #50. Field geohash just off a footpath under the M6, west of Audley, Staffordshire, on the way home from the party.
2011-04-30 52 -2 (Sat): #49. Speed racer on the M6 on the way to a birthday party in Staffordshire.
2011-02-20 52 -0 (Sun): #48. Went on to a field geohash off a footpath in the Northampton grat.
2011-02-20 52 0 (Sun): #47. Met Sourcerer on a minor road east of Little Chesterford, with a speed racer.
2011-02-09 52 0 (Wed): Failure #5. Walked to Milton but was thwarted by Keep Out signs in case of old mine shaft collapse.

2010

2010-11-02 52 0 (Tue): #46. In a field north of Stansfield, Suffolk. Geocached in the dark on the way home.
2010-10-28 52 0 (Thu): #45. In Thetford Forest, about a mile north of the 2 August hashpoint. Treated to some music by the nearby RAF base.
2010-10-20 52 0 (Wed): Failure #4. Between woods and a field, north of Bury St Ed's. Tried to get permission but was warned about a nasty gamekeeper.
2010-10-12 52 0 (Tue): #44. In a field west of Soham. 43.5 km bicycle geohash along roads, cycle paths, droveways, bridleways, towpaths, farm tracks and footpaths. Bumpy.
2010-10-11 52 0 (Mon): #43. On the A14 just north of Newmarket. Speed racer at 8:39 pm, turned round and went home again.
2010-10-02 52 0 (Sat): #42. On a public footpath just east of Stretham. Arrived about 6:30 pm. Hash collision a mere 10.9 metres away!
2010-10-01 52 0 (Fri): #41. Under a hedge in a field near Harston. Tried in the afternoon and got the wrong field. Success at about 7pm.
2010-08-16 52 -0 (Mon): #40. On a cricket field in Castor, Peterborough. Arrived at 03:32 for a Triple Hash, then home to bed!
2010-08-16 52 0 (Mon): #39. In a cornfield in the middle of the Fens. Arrived at 01:41 straight from the last expedition. Long walk to the hashpoint.
2010-08-15 52 0 (Sun): #38. In a cornfield northwest of Littleport. Arrived at 23:49 and stayed until midnight watching the stars.
2010-08-14 52 0 (Sat): #37. Off a public footpath in Easty Wood, near Cavendish, Suffolk. Enjoyed a beautiful sunset as I drove home.
2010-08-13 52 0 (Fri): #36. At the edge of a cornfield in Littleport. A brief afternoon visit as the rain got worse.
2010-08-11 52 0 (Wed): #35. In a field full of corn stubble just south of Soham. Arrived in the dark at 10:30pm.
2010-08-10 52 0 (Tue): Failure #3. Halted by "keep out" signs on the track leading to the hashpoint near North Pickenham, Norfolk.
2010-08-02 52 0 (Mon): Failure #2. Conservation land on Lakenheath Warren; restricted access during summer months.
2010-07-30 52 0 (Fri): #34. On the verge of a small road near Saffron Walden. I visited in my lunch break.
2010-07-27 52 -0 (Tue): #33. In a field of corn in Conington (Northampton grat). Attempted a double bicycle Tron achievement.
2010-07-27 52 0 (Tue): #32. On a public footpath running through a golf course in Longstanton. Attempted a double bicycle Tron achievement.
2010-07-22 52 0 (Thu): #31. A speed racer hash, at nearly 70mph on the exit slip road from the A11 into Six Mile Bottom.
2010-07-19 52 0 (Mon): #30. In a field near Little Shelford that I'd been to before; hash collision honorable mention (260m).
2010-01-19 (Tue): Retrohashed 2009-01-15 51 0, my first ever expedition, as it was very close to today's hashpoint.
2010-01-19 51 0 (Tue): #29. Car-park in London Stansted Airport. Just after the anniversary of my first hash, and spatially very near to it, too.
2010-01-07 52 0 (Thu): Failure #1. Field in Hauxton, near Cambridge. Asked permission but didn't get it.

2009

2009-09-30 (Wed): Inverse-retrohashed 2009-10-01 52 -0 because it was on the way home anyway. Planned to make it for real the following day but didn't have time.
2009-09-30 52 -0 (Wed): #28. An international meetup with Pi and srs0 in some bushes in Ampthill (Northampton grat).
2009-09-29 52 0 (Tue): #27. On the road in Fordham, but too near a junction for a speed racer.
2009-04-27 52 -0 (Mon): #26. Another speed racer in Eastrea (Northampton grat). Only 22 minutes elapsed since the last hash, probably setting a record for the quickest double hash.
2009-04-27 52 0 (Mon): #25. Speed racer in March. Completely forgot to get out of the car!
2009-04-24 52 0 (Fri): #24. In a garden in More's Meadow, Great Shelford. 14.4 km Bicycle geohash and Ambassador hash.
2009-04-23 (Thu): Retrohashed 2009-04-03 52 0 because it was on the way home anyway.
2009-04-23 52 1 (Thu): Planned to cycle another 83 km on to Stowmarket (Norwich grat) for an all-bicycle triple hash, but ran out of time and energy to make it before the last train home.
2009-04-23 52 0 (Thu): #23. In the road on Wort's Causeway, Cambridge. Double bicycle hash, 59.8 km by the time I got home.
2009-04-23 52 -0 (Thu): #22. In Waresley Wood nature reserve, Great Gransden (Northampton grat). Bicycle hash (25.5 km) and Hash collision honourable mention (370m).
2009-04-09 52 0 (Thu): #21. In a bush on Foulden Common, a bit north of Mundford/Brandon. Third Consecutive Geohash. Found a deer on the hashpoint.
2009-04-08 52 0 (Wed): #20. Field Geohash outside Burwell. Intended to cycle but still tired from yesterday. Second Consecutive Geohash.
2009-04-07 52 0 (Tue): #19. 44.3km Bicycle Geohash to a farm in Dullingham, near Newmarket. Ambassador needed but successful.
2009-04-03 52 0 (Fri): #18. Very short Bicycle Geohash (7.4km) on the pavement of Hills Avenue, Cambridge. Cubicle Geohash almost honorary mention.
- Also retrohashed this point on 2009-04-23.
2009-03-28 52 0 (Sat): #17. Saturday meetup Field Geohash in Ousden, near Newmarket. Just missed the hail storm.
2009-03-24 52 -1 (Tue): #16. On the pavement outside a park in Leicester (Birmingham grat). Intended to meet Joe Hardman but he didn't show.
2009-03-23 52 0 (Mon): #15. The side of a house in Hauxton, near Cambridge. Intended Ambassador but nobody home.
2009-03-19 52 0 (Thu): Planned a Field Geohash between Stretham and Ely, but didn't actually make it in the end.
2009-03-16 52 0 (Mon): #14. Field Geohash in Kentford; second Consecutive Geohash, and a Public Transport Geohash (train, and 8.4km on foot).
2009-03-15 51 -0 (Sun): #13. Woodland in North Watford (London West grat). Minesweeper level 4. A friend of mine checked this one out for me the previous day.
2009-03-11 52 -0 (Wed): #12. Field Geohash in Guilden Morden (Northampton grat); second part of a Double Geohash.
2009-03-11 52 0 (Wed): #11. Field Geohash in Duxford. Lovely views over Thriplow.
2009-03-09 52 -0 (Mon): #10. Field Geohash in Peterborough (Northampton grat), as the sun set. Third part of a Triple Geohash.
2009-03-09 52 0 (Mon): #9. A field (surprise, surprise) near Outwell. Second part of a Triple Geohash.
2009-03-09 52 1 (Mon): #8. Woodland owned by the UEA, just outside Norwich. First recorded hash in this Virgin Graticule.
2009-03-06 52 0 (Fri): #7. Another field in Ashdon, Essex, a mere 850m from the hash on 4 Feb. Found a restored windmill and lots of sticky mud.
2009-02-28 52 0 (Sat): #6. My first Saturday meetup, an Ambassador hash on a stud farm east of Newmarket. Met Stephen Turner at 4pm.
2009-02-04 52 0 (Weds): #5. In a snowy field, just off a bridleway outside Ashdon, Essex.
2009-02-01 52 0 (Sun): #4. On the edge of a very cold field, nearly on the Roman road 750m from Horseheath village.
2009-01-31 51 0 and 2009-01-31 51 -0 (Sat): Intended to go on a double expedition to Saffron Walden and Letchworth, but didn't feel well enough.
2009-01-26 52 -0 (Mon): #3. Second part of a Double Geohash, near Peterborough (Northampton grat). Found a geocache nearby for a Hash Collision honorable mention.
2009-01-26 52 0 (Mon): #2. Near March. First in my home graticule, and first with my new GPS receiver. Ambassador Geohash, although no persuasion was needed.
2009-01-15 51 0 (Thurs): #1. First hash, near Stansted Airport (London East grat). No GPS yet, so location found with a Google maps print-out for a No Batteries Geohash.
- Also retrohashed this point on 2010-01-19.