Geocaching is a great way to get outdoors and explore places you may never visit otherwise. It’s also a great hobby to have when travelling to new places, adding “side quests” to your adventures.

So, what is Geocaching? Geocaching is like a treasure hunt. It can have you rummaging through bushes, climbing a tree, paddling down a river, and even solving puzzles along the way. Geocaching has been around since the year 2000 and has evolved many times to take on its modern-day form. Now all you’ll need is a phone with good signal, a pen, and possibly a pair of tweezers. The Geocaching app is free to download on your phone, but to get the full experience you will need to be a premium member, giving you access to all Geocache. A pen or pencil is required to sign your name in the log books you’ll find, and some of them may be so small that you’ll need some tweezers to pull them out.

This week I started my geocaching adventure. I had the app downloaded, bought the premium membership, grabbed some key items, and set off on my adventure. For my first find, I started with the Cache that was closest to home; my local nature reserve on Callington Road. With my companion Banjo (my dog) leading the way, I set out on a beautiful Friday afternoon.

I was able to easily navigate my way to the waypoint on the map, due to it being January there was no problems with big overgrowths and brambles that would normally be in my pathway during the summer. Just a long muddy and puddly trail stood between me and the treasure, which I was 100% prepared for with my boots and my determination.

On arrival at the destination area, I kept a lookout for anything that stuck out, which could possibly be an interesting location for a Geocache. I set my eye upon an interesting looking tree, which was acting as a sort of canopy for its surrounding area. This particular cash was listed as “micro” sized on the app so I was looking extra carefully, as from my research I found that they could be just the size of my pinkie finger. After rummaging around this tree for about 10 minutes I had no luck. I opened the app looking for a hint, “In the ivy” was the clue given. I then expand my search to the surrounding area, eyes fixed on the ground where most of the ivy could be found. I search for another 10 minutes, constantly referring back to the app to try and find more clues. Even Banjo was getting restless, being a Spaniel, he began to dig and dig, until he started making craters in the ground.

It was at this moment I realised I needed to take a step back and revise my plan. I take Banjo on the rest of his walk, take him home, and prepare once more to get back out there and complete my mission. I looked at photos of other people finding this particular Cache, which is one of the features on the app. I now knew I was looking for a black box, just bigger than my hand, with a green lid. It turns out that the “micro” sized description was misleading. I grabbed a pair of gloves to be even more prepared for the rummaging, and I set off, this time without the distraction of my digging Spaniel.

This time I got stuck in. Down on my knees, brushing through the ivy just off of the narrow trail, exactly where the waypoint was marked. I began to think that the location on the map wasn’t completely accurate down to the last meter. I was right. As I turned my attention to the other side of the path, and again got down low for a rummage, I saw it. A bright green lid stuck out to me. I reached in and pulled out the blacked-out box, unscrewed the lid, and browsed the treasures. I swapped a bracelet for a keyring I had on me, although the treasures were mainly kid’s toys, I’ve decided I’m going to keep a collection of things I find. I signed my name in the log book and my journey was complete. Mission accomplished!

By Sam Pollock