I think that a major problem is that for so many cachers the PRIME driver is the “numbers”. No matter what they say about a nice walk, visiting beautiful countryside, seeing interesting things, the bottom line is “how many caches are there?” This is why trails are so popular and the more frequent the caches the more popular the trail.
Example 1: Smiths Hill – Dartmoor Photo Trail 2
This cache hasn’t been found since July 2011 and has only ever been found 8 times! It starts and finishes in a layby and is only about 2 miles long. It takes in one of the most beautiful stretches of the Cherry Brook which is hardly visited by anyone, but it is only ONE cache!
Example 2: Dartmoor Red Herring Trail
This cache has only been found once in the last 14 months and has only ever been found 12 times. Again it starts and finishes in a layby and is about 3.5 miles long. It follows the O Brook which is one of my favourite streams on Dartmoor and the scenery is stunning. But it is DIFFICULT although you are rewarded by THREE caches!
These trails should be ideal. They are NOT remote, they are sort of circular, they are between 2 and 4 miles long – BUT you only get a few “numbers” for your effort. When I placed these I wanted quality caches that were something different and I think I have achieved that – but I have to admit they are not popular.
