Geocaching - a challenge for mind, body

WILL HARVIE/The Press

HIDE AND SEEK: An example of geocaching.

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People sometimes ask why I use a handheld GPS to hunt for plastic containers in the bush.

For that is the essence of geocaching, a hi-tech treasure- hunt game that harnesses billions of dollars of satellite technology, a handheld GPS and the internet to find almost silly little boxes in out- of-the-way places (see geocaching.com).

My answer boils down to getting to the final location. Like many things in life, the greater the challenge, the greater the satisfaction completing it.

Included in the more than 6000 caches in New Zealand are physical challenges - hill and mountain climbs, three or four-day tramps, kayaking or mountain-biking adventures.

There are also mental challenges - puzzles to solve or codes to crack that reveal the location of the box, known as the "cache".

Most geocaches, it must be said, are not so difficult. They are found in urban areas and carry "difficulty" and "terrain" ratings of less than three (on a scale of five).

The creators of these caches have deliberately set a minor challenge because they want you to see an interesting location or learn some local history. These sorts of caches can have hundreds of "finds", whereas truly challenging ones have been found by only a handful of people. It's rewarding to be one of only a few people to have found a difficult cache.

For a sedentary office worker like me, the most challenging caches requiring planning for a full day out and often involve driving, accommodation, equipment and picking a day with good weather.

The satisfaction gained by reaching the top, and the often amazing views, make hill climbs very memorable. Of course, cameras are essential, not only for the view, but also the sweat on the brow!

At the extreme end, some challenging caches go a step further and require multiple days of tramping to reach them.

One of the most challenging caches I've completed is a Christchurch one called "Sumthing". It has existed for almost a year, but has been found only twice.

Sumthing is a puzzle cache, and requires you to solve a mathematical formula, the answer giving you the final co-ordinates. The second challenge is to find and retrieve the box. I can't reveal the location because that gives the game away, but it's demanding.

It's a rare cache that involves a mental and physical challenge.

Challenging caches often take us outside our comfort zone, making us face our fears or try something new or difficult. There are caches that require you to find them at night (often using small bush reflectors to indicate a path), head underground into caves or conquer vertigo.

Thankfully, putting your hand in a dark hole to find a cache in New Zealand isn't as risky as caching in Australia, where zpoisonous snakes and spiders can spoil a good day out. Sometimes, the challenge can even be finding as many caches as possible in a 24-hour period.

The difficulty doesn't come from any individual cache, but in logistics and routing - finding the most efficient way to get as many caches as possible in the available time.

I was involved in a successful attempt in 2007 to find 195 caches in 24 hours, and it was a very enjoyable day.

Perhaps the biggest satisfaction to a cacher comes from responding to the challenge laid down by the person that hid the cache.

Hiding a cache is little more than saying: "I challenge you to find this using a GPS."

With more than 6000 caches in New Zealand, and new GPS units available for as little as $200, there is bound to be a challenge out there for you. Just remember to start with the easy ones and work your way up.

WHAT IS GEOCACHING?

Geocaching is a free, high-tech treasure-hunt game in which members hide a cache and share its longitude, latitude and other useful information on geocaching.com. Other players go to the co-ordinates using a handheld global positioning system device and find the cache, often a small plastic container.

The box often contains trinkets that may be traded.

Finders record their presence in a logbook in the cache and on the website. The leading New Zealand geocacher has more than 5500 finds; the leading international cacher has more than 36,000 finds.

There are said to be 945,000 caches worldwide. Caching is pronounced "kay-shing" in New Zealand and "cashing" elsewhere.

* Gavin Treadgold was a New Zealand caching pioneer, has almost 5000 finds, and is past president of the New Zealand Recreational GPS Society (gps.org.nz).