"In your hands, the birth of a new day... " (Limahl)

20 January 2008

PhOtOmOm Geocoin: new icon!

Update: PhOtOmOm geocoin


One of the delights of geocaching for me is aquiring different geocoins. Each geocoin comes with its own unique icon. When I discover a new tyoe of coin, a new icon is added to my personal profile on geocaching.com. It's a bit like virtual stamp collecting, I suppose.

Last year, I picked up a PhOtOmOm geocoin whilst on an epic round trip of Wales, which also included Cheshire and Staffordshire. The coin was carrying the "generic geocoin" icon. Basically, the "generic" icon is the "poor man's option" - it cost's more to commission a new icon, so many geocoins just have the cheaper, "generic" icon.

Generic geocoin icon


However, logging on tonight, I notice that there is a new "PhOtOmOm Geocoin" icon, in the shape of a blue camera, on my profile. PhOtOmOm must have splashed out a bit more for the icon. So - effectively a new geocoin find - I didn't have to get my feet wet for it!

Outing to the Vale of Glamorgan

Traditional caches:

Who was Here 2: Daleks in Penarth


Southern Compass


Travelbug:


"Tommy Atkins"


Geocoin:

"Highly Addictive" geocoin


A surprisingly good run of form since Christmas was continued by two caches in the Vale of Glamorgan. Despite its name, the county of the Vale of Glamorgan has very little to do with the famous "south Wales valleys", the former coalfield north of Cardiff.

Aside from the town of Barry, the Vale of Glamorgan is a mainly well-to-do, middle class area focused on the gentile market town of Cowbridge. It is one of the minority of seats in Wales where the Conservatives are obvious challengers. They came close to winning in the National Assembly Elections and the constituency will be a key target for David Cameron in the next UK election.

Part of "British Wales" in Dennis Balsom's seminal "3 Wales Model", it could even be argued that the Vale has more in common with the Cotswold area of England than with the Welsh valleys (a good Welsh politics exam question!). No doubt, The First Minister (Rhodri Morgan) and the Presiding Officer (Dafydd Elis-Thomas) - who both have their slubrious country residences in the Vale - would disagree!

My caching today was facilitated by a fortuitous early getaway from work. My first cache was a piece of unfinished business from August 2 last year, when I was working at the old regime. I had found a cache on Cardiff barrage, but failed to find the "Dr Who" themed cache by Pezzini. The cache was located in a fairly untidy playing field in Cogan - basically an adjunct of Cardiff.

The second cache was located at Rhoose Point, on the Glamorgan Coast Path. "Southern Compass" is also the most southerly cache on Wales' mainland. The cache contained both a travelbug and a geocoin, which I duly knabbed. The "Highly Addictive" geocoin was emblazoned with the motto: "Geocaching is highly addictive. Don't start". Quite!

"Highly Addictive" geocoin pictured in front of inscription marking Wales' most southerly point, at Rhoose.

Unfortunately, I failed to locate a second cache in the vicinity, which was probably located under any one of 1000s of rocks on the shoreline nearby. Weather was getting gloomy and I called it a day, taking my newly acquired geoswag back west.

10 January 2008

HoW: Llangennech

HoW: Llangennech


Picked this one up on an early morning commute into Cardiff. It is one of a number of caches placed by "Eclectic Penguin" around the Loughour Estuary area. This cache forms part of a series he has done, based on the Heart of Wales railway line. Cache was found in an eerie marshy area near to the station.

8 January 2008

Evening commute

Rock Point (traditional geocache)


"Monty the Christmas Moose"


The cache sounds as if it should be on some outcrop of Gower or Shetland. In fact, it was a surprisingly easy cache-and-dash just of the M4 at Bridgend. Located on the common above the village of Coity, I was done and dusted within about 15 mins.

I had been attracted to the cache by the presence of a geocoin, according to the website. Unfortunately, it seems that someone had taken the geocoin without logging it out on the web. tut tut. Nevertheless, glad to get my hand on a suitably seasonable travelbug - my first of 2008. It's mission is to visit Santa in Lapland.

First cache of 2008

Pembrey Harbour Micro (traditional cache)

Since moving to Burry Port in August, I have been considering placing caches in various locations around the area. However, placing a cache takes time (researching the area and potential hiding places, verifying the co-ordinates, labelling and deciding on the contents of the cache.

Of course, other matters have taken priority with me, so it has been left to someone else to plant a cache in one of the locations I had been eyeing up - Pembrey Harbour. This is a nifty little micro cache that is magnetised and stuck behind the metal pole that hides a lifebuoy. Found it in the darkness whilst on a walk in the howling wind and rain.

4 January 2008

Festive caching

Regular caches:

Little Eden Bug Hotel


Watery Wales 1: Llyn Pendam


Watery Wales 1: Llyn Rhosgoch


Watery Wales 1: Llyn Syfydrin


After a monumental and very emotional December, it felt strange to be back on the hunt for tupperware boxes again. December 29th saw my first caching since early November. Caching was made possible by a drive up to Ceredigion for the annual golf get-together in Capel Bangor. Gareth "Trombone" Roberts won it last year, and he defended his title with 3 shots to spare this year.


The first cache was found in complete darkness around 7am, near the National Botanical Garden of Wales in Llanarthne. It was supposed to be a travelbug hotel. Alas, no trackables of any kind. Nevertheless, it was nice to be off the mark. The main agenda, however, was the completion of the "Watery Wales 1" series of caches, placed by my fellow "Abercacher", forcesofnature. The "Watery Wales" caches are based around small lakes in the barren hinterland to the east of Penrhyncoch. I had done one of the four caches back in Easter. However, this was my first opportunity to knock off the remainder. This I did with the gloom closing in, and time running out.

Now up to 143 cache finds, thoughts turn to my indulgence of a geocoin to commemorate my "150th find", whenever that milestone occurs...

1 January 2008

Opaque Goblet retained


Congratulations to Gareth "Trombone" Roberts on retaining the coveted Opaque Goblet for 2007. He did it last year, as well! Here he is captured in a typical pose. You'll all agree this one's a real 'boner!