It’s time to cache in
The UK celebrates Take a Walk in the Park Day today, so what better way to celebrate the occasion than by trying your hand at geocaching? In this episode, Robyn and Erin – two members of our team here at GORP – have been issued a challenge to go geocaching together for the first time.
Geocaching is an activity that involves finding collections of items (or caches) hidden by a dedicated worldwide community. The items are usually small, hollow tubes which, when opened, reveal small trinkets left behind by other geocachers. Think Pokémon GO, but instead of discovering and capturing virtual creatures, you can find real-life objects and leave your mark.
The pair spent a (rather cold!) spring afternoon scouring Bute Park in Cardiff for the precious tubes. Have a listen to hear them struggle to find a tube behind a metal box, wonder whether they’ve found the treasure or just broken a park gate, and get way too excited about His Dark Materials.
Geocaching is accessible to all, regardless of whether you live in a bustling city or a quiet village. The episode takes place entirely in a city park, proving once and for all that you don’t need to stray from your home city to embrace nature and embark on an outdoor adventure.
All you need to do is download the app and allow it to see your location. The app will then show you where you can find the nearest geocaches. Follow the map towards the geocache you are aiming for – and if you are stuck on where to look, there is the option to view a hint that others have left behind.
If you’d like to know a bit more about geocaching (and how to get started yourself), give our explainer article a read.
Now that you know the basics, go give geocaching a try!