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I have set myself the task of visiting the 100 Oldest Live Caches in Devon. Some are now 10 years + old, becoming somewhat dated and will surely soon be archived. However, many are clearly worthy of maintaining in good condition. e.g. GCN6NR which is in the process of being adopted by Wheelybarrow.
Another I am concerned about is GCN9HY. From a selfish point of view, I’m half way through this excellent series and have been taking my time completing it. All of a sudden I’d better get my skates on as I notice it is to be archived. I have not contacted the owners as I think I’m too far away to help.
Are there any more of the best in danger? G.H.I too find it disappointing that some of the oldest and perhaps best caches are being archived and I’ve already posted a note on the Ten Tors Challenge Bonus cache asking plymplodders to re-consider.
In my opinion there are 4 great series left on Dartmoor:
Ten Tors Challenge by plymplodders placed in 2005
Dartmoor Myths & Legends by Cantor Clan placed in 2005
Alphabet Challenge by Windrush placed in 2007
Heart of Dartmoor by muddypuddles placed in 2009These series are not placed in a straight line or loop and therefore take you to most parts of Dartmoor and would normally take several visits to complete. I’ve already adopted the Myths & Legends series and it would be very good if somebody could adopt the Ten Tors Challenge series before any more are archived. The reviewers seem not to be allowed to unarchive a cache purely for adoption, so caches need to be adopted before they are archived or the owner persuaded to unarchive them first.
Whilst on the subject it is very good to see that Red Roaming has adopted other Cantor clan caches in order that they can continue.
This has gone way off topic so I have split it into a new topic “Density of Dartmoor’s Caches” and will let this one continue as before.
To me an old cache implies that it has achieved most of the criteria suggested on the geocaching site for hiding a cache, a great view or something nearby of interest, that kind of thing. Though I have to accept that what I deem as a good cache may not appeal to others, just as puzzles don’t appeal to me! I’d be sad to see the Ten Tors Challenge series go as that got me started as I gradually built my confidence in my GPS and ventured further and further on to the moor. Caches often outlive the owner who’s moved on, or got tired of caching, I can recall several cachers from when I first started who have dropped off the website now. I guess nothing is ever meant to last forever.
Thought I would add my pennyworth on this subject as I agree that it is a shame that caches get archived and therefore unavailable for various reasons. Fuelled by Dave’s adoption of Cantor Clan’s excellent series Myths and Legends, I contacted the Cantor Clan offering to adopt any caches that they would perhaps be archiving. They kindly agreed and offered some caches which are not too far away from me, and which continue to provide many visitors from far away a safe and sensible caching experience on Dartmoor [but not the real Dartmoor as we locals know] and hopefully will continue to do so.
The “downside” of this adoption process was that the geocaching website contacted me soon after with regard to the several Needs Maintenance notifications on these caches, some of which were not recent. I have managed to get to all but one so far but they were all in need of a new log, often a new container and clearing out of odd pieces of paper. Embarrassingly I couldnt find 2 [despite having found them all several years ago] so left new containers! It was very interesting to note that several had moved several feet from the original site making them easier to access. I might have just been unlucky for this to happen but if anyone is thinking of adopting old caches, be prepared to have to go to “tidy them up”! However now I have done that, I am happy that they are all as good as a much newer one to find.
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