Bontven en Witven

At home the wooden floor needed another layer of paint, therefore it was best to go caching with the bears. We chose the cache (GCVJ76-WWW 4: Bontven en Witven), a 8 Km walk in meadow area.
Sheep are grazing there.

But also highlanders crossed our path.

At one point we had to wait for a calf to get back to his mother before we could pass by, we didn't want the mother to get upset and attack us or something.

We continued with the nice walk in actually nice weather, not to warm.

We found the box at 13:50. Then we had to drive home, because the bears drank all the water we brought with us, in this meadow area there was no natural water source that they could use.

Vessem

Today it is just me and the bears going caching.
We first went for the cache GC1FJG6-Water vlug, a multi-cache in forest area.

We were able to find the final box at 13:15.

The next challenge was to finish the cache GC10QEN-Cache Halfmijl we started earlier but we couldn't find the information at the first way-point.
Earlier this week we gathered that information and I shot this picture, it looks like a photo from a safari trip.

At home I calculated the coordinates for the next way-point and we could continue today. We found what we were searching for and we could calculate the final coordinates.

Where we found a ammo box at 14:40.

Then we drove by the cache GC15MJM-Dommelkespad and we decided to walk this one as well.
It was just a short walk of less than 2 Km and we found the stash box at 16:00.

Spoordijk

Last Friday I made a bicycle trip along the canal, the first cache visit was the cache GC1MC2P-Rondje spoordijk, for which I had so solve a lot of puzzles at home, but I wasn't able to find the stash-box at the end.

I decided to take a look at it at home. I did and I saw no mistakes, I mailed the cache owner and it seems I gathered the correct information but made an interpretation error with the calculation of the ens location. After this help I made a new calculation and decided to take a look today.

I found the box at 16:45.
On my way back home another cache (GC1J8JK-Ab Imo Pectore) got my intention, it was a front-yard cache and I found it at 17:05.

The Lonely Knight

In the neighbourhood of Laarbeek a cacher named Nekrav is active. He is famous for his Mystery caches, some very difficult. One of the most famous caches is "The Lonely Knight", that I already looked at a couple of times. Made some progress but got stuck. Last week the successor "Return of The Lonely Knight" was published, for me a trigger to solve them both. I managed to do so and today was picked for the field work.
On our way over to the first of the knights caches we picked up the cache
GC1DFW0-Blik op Laarbeek 1:Aarle-Rixtel) at 15:20.
And the cache GC1DFWD-Blik op Laarbeek 2:Beek en Donk at 15:30. With these two we have found all four of the series "Blik op Laarbeek" and can try to find the bonus.

But back to one of the main targets of today, the cache GC1WVQC-Return of The Lonely Knight, we found it at 15:55.

That was one of the knights, now we are allowed to show the next banner:

Next up to the second knight, but first we passed by the cache GC1JDFP-Week 48: zo, nu eerst een … cache that we logged at 16:25.
Then we could find the bonus cache GC1DFZ3-Blik op Laarbeek 5:Bonus and we logged it at 16:35.

And then final the second knight cache (GC1D6MT-The Lonely Knight), logged it at 17:00.
And with both knight caches found we earned this banner:

EKP Series

This afternoon I decided to take the bicycle and make a tour along the canal from Eindhoven to Helmond.
A cacher had made a series of 10 mystery caches (EKP) with simple puzzles hidden on both sides of the canal, that can be reached best by bike, since no cars are allowed there.

The cache (GC12PKN-EKP 10 - Stappenteller) logged at 15:25.
The cache (GC12PKA-EKP 7 - Coordinaten) logged at 15:35.
The cache (GC12PK2-EKP 6 - Legpuzzel) logged at 15:45.
The cache (GC12PJN-EKP 4 - Satellietpuzzel) logged at 15:55.
The cache (GC12PJY-EKP 5 - Weetjeszoekpuzzel) logged at 16:00.
The cache (GC12PJD-EKP 2 - Sudoku) logged at 16:10.
The cache (GC12PJ4-EKP 1 - Willie Wortel) logged at 16:25.
The cache (GC12PJH-EKP 3 - Japanse Puzzel) logged at 16:30.
Also in the neighbourhood of the canal two caches not from the series but ready to found (GC1G3X1-Week 37: de oude trambrug over het Ehv. kanaal) logged at 16:45 and the cache (GC1TMVE-Legosteentje) logged at 16:55.
Then back to the final two caches of the EKP series.
The cache (GC12PKD-EKP 8 - Kakuro) logged at 17:15.
and the last one (GC12PKH-EKP 9 - Decoderen) logged at 17:35.

Then cycling home, the result was 12 caches found, and 55 km with the bicycle. And a lot of resting to do in the evening.

Alchemy Series - Finish

We started this series of caches last week and wanted to continue today.
We found the first elements, and today it was time for the alloy caches, mixing until the Gold cache.

We went with half of the team. So only one bear present.

We found the first alloy (GC1JE23-Alchemie - Soldeersel) at 13:25.
The second (GC1JE28-Alchemie - Zout) at 13:40.
The third (GC1JDMY-Alchemie - Staal) at 14:05.
With this on we had the second line complete.

Then we could calculate the coordinates for the next caches.
The first one (GC1JE2A-Alchemie - Kwik) logged at 14:45.
The second one (GC1JE2B-Alchemie - Zilver) logged at 15:00
And now it was time to go for the gold. The cache description gives two cache locations, the first one we tried gave us no gold, but the second on did.

The last final cache (GC1JE2C-Alchemie - GOUD) that we logged at 15:30, when we discovered a nice golden ammo-box.

Yessss now we know how to create gold....

The Order of Geoknights Part I

Today it was time for our 400th cache.
For this special occasion we picked a 5-star cache with a nice theme, becoming members in the order of Geoknights (GC1DF53-De Orde der Georidders deel I). For becoming knights we have to visit a second cache as well but first this one has to be completed and after that we can start making plans for the second night-cache.
We prepared ourselves well, the counter of found caches was 398, because on the route 2 traditional caches can be found.
At home we thought about what to expect at the start, since a puzzle had to be resolved there.

What we expected was correct, so with just a little puzzling we figured out the coordinates of the next way-point.

At most of the way-points we had to use our brains real hard, but we managed fine.

And then we needed to visit an Inn and find a tag there, but we couldn't search there because a film crew was shooting a documentary about the middle ages and modern Geo-knight didn't fit in that story.

We phoned the cache-owners and they helped us by giving the coordinates of the next way-point so we could continue with our quest.

The way-point were fantastic and fit well in the story about knights.

Time to visit one of the caches that we could find in between, (GC1EP41-Ridder Prosper), logged this one at 13:30.

And also the second cache (GC1EP40-Ridder Konstantin) was later discovered and logged at 14:50, this made our total caches found 399, ready for the last one, the target of today (GC1DF53-De Orde der Georidders deel I).

Here and there we could find some water for the bears to enjoy.

And we had to pass this water over tiny "bridges" which one of the bears didn't find funny at all.

After a couple of more way-points we started to approach the end of the challenge.

And with the information gathered we could find the final box at 17:00.

We were tired after a hike of 6 hours and so were the bears.

The youngest bear is sleeping when we log the cache.

On the way back to the car time to go into the river one more time.

We earned the next banner with this quest:


And last but not least we visited the last knight traditional (GC1CYVQ-Ridder Bratislav) at 17:50.

Driebergen

For a couple of weeks I'm working at a client in Driebergen, and there some caches are hidden, I decided to try to find a couple of those caches after work. The first one was the cache (GCP98D-White Cross), found at 18:10.
The second was actually a real treasure hunt, (GCXF4P-De Schat van Scharlaken Skoenoe), since I needed to use a real treasure map to figure out the last part of the path. But I could find this one at 18:20, and the box looked like a real treasure chest.

Week Series continued

This evening time for a couple of the caches from the week-series.

The first one (GC1DJ7Q-Week 28: het onderduikerskamp “Dennenlust”) logged at 19:50. This was a secret refuge place in World War II so very special indeed.
Next a cache hidden near some meadows, GC19GJM-Week 8: dorpszicht vanuit het boerenland), while logging at 20:20 we had some spectators.

Up to a couple of hit and run caches, the first (GC18Y27-Week 5: het verborgen stroomhuisje) logged at 20:45.
Then the cache (GC195AY-Week 6: Oorlogsmonument "de zwerfkei") logged at 20:50.
And the last of the day the nano cache (GC185TD-Week 1: stuw aan de bochtenweg) logged at 20:55.

Alchemy Series - Part I

In a forest near the Zolder race circuit a series of caches is hidden with an alchemy theme.
The idea is to find 8 elements. That can form alloys when combined by the two of them. So there will be 4 alloys caches. See the next picture.

Today we wanted to find the first 8 caches.

The first we found was (GC1HR1V-Alchemie - Koolstof) at 13:50.
The second was (GC1J6KY-Alchemie - Koper) at 14:15.
The third was (GC1J6H6-Alchemie - Natrium) at 14:35.
The fourth (GC1J6MA-Alchemie - Tin) at 14:50.
The fifth (GC1J6MF-Alchemie - Zink) 15:10.
With ths one we could make our first alloy combination and the result brought us the coordinates of (GC1JE1Z-Alchemie - Messing) that we logged at 15:45.
Then back to the first line of elements.

The sixth element (GC1J6KR-Alchemie - Chloor) logged at 16:40.
The seventh (GC1J6M5-Alchemie - Lood) at 17:00.
And the last one of the first line (GC1J6KX-Alchemie - IJzer) at 17:20.
And with this last one we succeeded in our goal for today.
Then we drove home and passed by (GC134QH-Co&Co: Allé, Sund och Gata?) that we found at 17:50.

Keelven

Today the main cache to do was (GCVGQK-KEELVEN), a cache in an area that was production forest, but has been redesigned in an area for people to enjoy the environment. Lakes have been formed and the straight paths have been changed in curly ones.

At different places benches have been put to sit down and enjoy the nice views.

After a fun walk we could log this cache at 16:20.

The bears while logging the cache.

Time left for some traditionals in this area so we did a little detour to the car and found two caches on the way.
The first one (GC1BZGM-Week 19: het achterland – verbindingspad)
Logged at 16:35.

The second one (GC1DG99-Week 26: het Osserijk en de Keijepaol) logged at 16:45.

Then back to the car to visit the cache (GC1K3TJ-Week 52: op verzoek - bij de oude grenssteen), near a "border stone".

Logged this cache at 17:10.

And then driving by the cache (GC1F3FH-Week 33: binnendoor naar – Nederweert en Maarheeze) near a small chapel.

Found the container at 17:20.

And then the final of the day a hit and run cache (GCHA47-Hg & dirty 1 (Driebos)) logged at 17:35