Crockenhill

I’d planned to pop over the QE2 Bridge into Kent for a couple of hours to get a few JJ caches this weekend. The weather report forecasted snow for this weekend but Saturday seemed the better day so here I come. Here’s how the morning went.

The first cache of the day was a challenge - Non-Traditional Types Cache on the B258 on the way into Crockenhill. I approached GZ at 0730, the snow began to fall. I had a quick find here so off to the next cache on my list. This was the start of a haul of challenge caches. The WTF series are ideal for the cacher who travels overseas on holiday or business. The first one for me today was WTF 80. The qualification was to have found three Virtual caches in a country overseas. I qualified and the cache was an easy find.

Having added WTF 81 to the tally, I was in Crockenhill. I found the VS, worked out the coords for the multi and soon had that in hand. I had been able to solve the CM All Souls mystery at home and soon found this very cunningly placed cache. By this time the snow was chucking it down. The last time I encountered snow this heavy was in a white-out in the French Alps some years ago. I was starting to wonder if being out was a good idea.

However as I was parked outside the CM Baptist, it seemed silly not to get the info for the multi for another time.😀 Having got this, I set the GPS for home and drove off but the snow suddenly eased. I parked up to have a think and found myself outside CM Cemetery. Sod it, I’m here so I’m going for it. With this Shackleton mentality, I can do anything. I mean the explorer Shackleton not the cricketer.🤔 I soon had this multi in hand and noting WTF 2 was close, I donned my cagoule and set off Up the field margin. There was no-one to say “I may be some time” to but it was a good half mile walk there and back. I must have passed WTF 1a but didn’t stop as I didn’t qualify.

Back in the car, I was determined to keep going and found WTF 3 and 4. I was hoping for a nap hand with WTF 5. A 5/5 cache needing 20 caching countries found. With 23 clocked up, I qualified but couldn’t find the cache.☹️ I had planned a walk into the country from here but the snow had not let up and there was nowhere to park near the footpath trailhead. This little expedition would have to wait.

I altered my plans and set out for a few cache and dashes. I picked up the CM Baptist multi and then the JJCL83 trad. The cache is in the telephone box which has been sealed up by BT. Cachers have claime the cache by attaching a photo of the sealed box so I did too. I also took a photo of the adjacent LB3246/3 post box. Well you’d expect that of me, wouldn’t you.😀

There was a Coal Post, #203, up the road. I’d only seen one other before near Harlow so I had to look for this one. I had a very quick find of a trad behind the coal post shown in the photo. I’d managed to solve a mystery or so I thought. JJR3 “a bit easier” was based on binary code and I’m sure I was right.🤔 There was no checker to check my coords and no cache where I thought it would be.

There was time for one more cache so I looked to see what else was around and spotted SideTracked Swanley, a 3.5/2 trad nearby. I had a quick find here. Now it was time to head for home hoping that the snow around the tunnel and the A13 wasn’t as bad as it was here.🙁

7 Mystery 3 Multi 3 Traditional

#6923

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