2019-01-08 51 -1

Dan Q also wrote about this expedition on his blog. For more details and higher-resolution pictures, see this expedition's log at https://danq.me/2019/01/08/geohashing-expedition-2019-01-08-51-1/

Tue 8 Jan 2019 in 51,-1: 51.7964538, -1.2843027 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

A34 near Peartree Interchange, Oxford.

Participants

• Dan Q (whose birthday it is!)

Plans

It's my birthday on YYYY-01-08 (Birthday geohash achievement, here I come!), and even though I have to go into work (boo!), I note that my graticule's geohashpoint falls only about a kilometre and a half of a diversion from my usual cycle route to work. The A4260 and A34 are basically a deathtrap for cyclists, so depending on conditions and traffic I'll probably divert via the Oxford Canal towpath from Kidlington to Peartree, park up near Peartree Services, and then finish on foot. And then go to work, I guess.

Expedition

Success! A relatively easy (but sometimes scary: the traffic's a bit nuts on some of the major roads that provided the shortest route) journey to the hashpoint area, followed by a slightly-scary crossing of the road to the hashpoint, which turned out to be right by the crash barriers at the central reservation. The crash barriers provided a great place to tie a "The Internet Was Here" sign.

On my way away from the hashpoint, at 09:19, I hid a geocache: ("2019-01-08 51 -1, 09:19", OK049E, GC827X6). The geocache is of the "puzzle" variety - the person looking for it is likely to discover geohashing (if they haven't already) as part of their research into the secret location of the cache.

Read more:

• YouTube video of my expedition (also available here) - this also includes proof of my date of birth
• Tracklog (GPX) showing my route

Achievements

Dan Q earned the Birthday Geohash Achievement by reaching the (51, -1) geohash on his 38th birthday, 2019-01-08.

Dan Q earned the Last man standing achievement by being the the only hasher world-wide to go on a geohashing expedition on 2019-01-08.