26/2/11 - Ascent to Clent Geotrail

Distance - 6 Miles
Number of caches - 23
First Cache -

Clent Ascent Geocaching at EveryTrail


Someone said that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. I am not sure that this person ever had their brasher boot sucked off their foot in a mud pit!

A new trail came up around 20 minutes drive away. Some hardy cachers have been out mid week with the times of FTF recorded at 1:50am. You can only wonder. I knew this would be popular today, so got to the recommended parking at 8:30am and i was already the second car parked up. On my return, the whole layby was full.

The weather was not good. Last night, I was in BRM to see Sarah Millican at the town hall and on our exit at 10pm, it was chucking it down. This continued through the night and was still going this morning.... but once you have planned something, you are committed to it.. even if fields of mud were the order of the day.



Dressed fot it - Clent in the background

 The cache trail is 23 in total, although for the bonus, I should have read the clues before leaving as research, rather than collecting co-ords is required.  The caches come thick and fast as you make your way across farmland, gently rising to the back of Walton Hill.

I have walked Clent many times, but never from this direction.  Caching has introduced me to some new paths and a different approach.

The caches are all reasonable.... there is one that has a clue of a nano in an ICT in a lane full of ICTs.... didn't fancy my chances with this and there is one that has not been found by anyone (maybe today - as there are loads out!).  The only other DNF was a do not look, as a lady was exercising her dog and just refused to move on!

There is a warning between 19 and 20, where you have to cross a stream.  You can image what it was like today..... the photo doesn't really do it justice.

Get through that then!

I tentatively attempted to cross but the water was right over the top of my boot.... an alternative was found by ducking through the fence and seeing a very ropey man made bridge of thin logs.... precarious, but better than the direct route!

The water is literaly bubbling out of the ground here - so be warned!

The paths criss cross here - even with maps and sat nav, I stuggled to find my way after the crossing - probably the driving rain was making it hard to keep on top of exactly where I was.

Soon back on trail and back to the layby.  This is now full of cars and a lady with an Etrex and a clipboard can only mean one thing.  I told her about the crossing.... I'll check the logs to see others experiences!

A great trail - thanks to basketcase crew for setting it up - its going to be popular.

20/2/11 - Pershore Caching

Distance - 3 miles
Geocaches - 8
First Cache

20/2/10 - Pershore Geocaching at EveryTrail


Where do the weekends go... yesterday was trip to Stratford for a butterfly farm (three caches in the town) to support my daughter in the pursuit of A Level Design.... today was the Albion on TV at lunch, Alex playing football in the afternoon, my dad's birthday and hopefully some time to clear down something off the sky planner.  Plus the fact that I am reading cutting for stone, which appears to be the biggest book..... in the world.  (Top Gear is on in the background as I log caches)

So a short cache trip was in order - and Pershore seems to have a plethora of caches and there is a nice little trail around the hamlet of Wick.

Park up at the bridges and head off in the opposite direction (upsteam) to the usual walk that I complete in Pershore which takes in Tyddesley wood.  This walk is very flat - no wonder it was chosen as an airfield in WW2 and takes in 6 caches on the walk around wick trail plus two outliers.  The final cache, on the opposite side of the bridge has another memento from WW2 - an inland Pull box.  This is the first time I think that I have seen one of these not on the coast.  And yes, there is a cache there.

Had company today, as Mrs Mappiman came with me - finding Wick number 2 when I would have given up.  However, as the camera wasn't charged, no photos.

Finish up after less than 2 hours - hope to see a sandwich van on the way home and fail and make it to the pub to watch a greek broadcast of the game.  Last minute equaliser leaves me in a decent mood.

12/02/11 - Earl's Hill

Length - 5.5 Miles
Geocaches - 4
First Cache

Click on the everytrail link for the walk details.

Earl's Hill at EveryTrail


Can you feel it?  Winter is loosening its steely grip and today heralds the first days of spring.  I can almost taste the Stella, as once again I can use pub beer gardens.  Soon, the conservatory will no longer be out of bounds and I can escape with books & Nick Cave (ipod, not in person).  SAD syndrome is coming to an end and this walk under blue skies marked that occassion.

I am walking all significant hills within a 50 mile radius of home.  There are 83 in total and I must be getting towards the end, as this was a 44 mile drive.

Park up at a picnic area just through Pontesbury village, which we return to at the end of the walk.  This is a varied walk, moving through coppiced woods and out across farmland before we get our first view of the freestanding, 320m hill we are about to climb.

Labradoodle knows the way.

Follow some unusual markers on the way.  I am not sure who this fella is, but its given me an idea......

Its a steep but short climb onto the top.  The reward is fantastic views in all directions (and our first geocache).  I would recommend time taking in all the views.




Top, View East - Middle, View East - Bottom - route down

Drop down into the woods for a completely different descent.  This is just as steep, but at least you have trees to arrest yourself.

Drop down to fields and eventually onto a disused railway line which brings you back into the village.  There are a couple of places to get lunch and a couple of pubs (that are particulary well hidden.  Its still early, so I find Pontesbury Hill Road for the 3/4 mile route back to the car.

Feeling good that we are nearly through the winter.  The Nordic Crime thrillers can go back to the library.

5/2/11 - Droitwich/Worcester Canal

Miles - 3.8
Geocaches - 2
From - http://walks.walkingworld.com/Walk/Hawford-Circular-Canal-Walk.aspx

Worcester/Droitwich Canal at EveryTrail


Quick walk today, as we are off for a Saturday night out and I have to take Ellie shopping.

I have been watching the Droitwich to Worcester canal being renovated for some time now.  The work has finished, and this is the first time that I have walked down there. 

Park up at Lock Lane and get down to the canal.  Towpath is very muddy.  Easy walking for a couple of miles as you have the river Salwarpe to the left and the canal to the right.

There are a couple of caches down here.  The first one is an easy find, but hasnt been found since October, for some reason.  Still - there aren't any people at all down here on a blustery Saturday morning, so its a bit of a forgotten area for walkers.

Cache at Bridge 3

Turns out that I have already found the second cache.  Weird, as I have never been down here before!  This has been moved from its original location which was becoming impaired due to pigs and ploughed fields.  As it happens, I end up visiting it's original location later in the walk, after I head up the Monarchs Way.

Straightforward, flat walk.  Just enough to blow out the cobwebs.