Reply To: The DNF Lament

#900
Avatar photoDartmoor Dave
Keymaster

Dartymoor, there is no point in disagreeing with me over difficulty ratings. They are defined as follows:

* Easy. In plain sight or can be found in a few minutes of searching.
** Average. The average cache hunter would be able to find this in less than 30 minutes of hunt.
*** Challenging. An experienced cache hunter will find this challenging, and it could take up a good portion of an afternoon.
**** Difficult. A real challenge for the experienced cache hunter – may require special skills or knowledge, or in-depth preparation to find. May require multiple days / trips to complete.
***** Extreme. A serious mental or physical challenge. Requires specialized knowledge, skills, or equipment to find cache.

You don’t need a D5 for 2.5 hours of searching, according to the guidelines you only need a D3. We are so used to overrated caches that sometimes it is worth looking at the guidelines.

I think muddypuddles’ Tavy Treasure Trail is a good example of a D5 cache. I can’t believe anybody achieved this in less than 10 hours, certainly not 2.5 hours. Judy and I took 10 trips! It might be argued that it isn’t really extreme and isn’t a serious mental or physical challenge, but I don’t think any of us who have completed it would accept that argument!