EHB

I had once walked 101 caches in a day and never thought that I would be able to beat that. However with the publication of the Essex and Herts Border series, I thought that I could have a chance to beat that especially if I had an electric bike. The series has over 300 trads and all of them are 1.5/1.5, all placed to be found.

Now a few challenge caches had made themselves known to me. One was two 100 caching days in a month and then there were the 125 caches in a day and the 150 caches in a day. I definitely have the first one in my sight but today’s challenge was the 125. I had planned a cache and dash run in the car for the first part and then I would take to the bike to do a number of small circular runs. I didn’t expect to find 150 caches today but if I got to 125, I would be happy and I would try for 150 caches in a day later in the month.

So I drove up into Cambridgeshire and dropped down to towards #1. I found the first one at 0541 and did a series of C&Ds down to #23. When I was planning the day, I had seen what looked like a concrete parking area just past here and luckily I was right.

I parked up and assembled the fold-up bike in order to set off on a circular route around to #66 finishing at 0938. There were no problems en route and all the caches were quick finds. Back at the car, it was back to a section of drive-bys down to #75 for 1032.

It was then back to the bike and I set off from #76 down Chestnut Avenue towards the outskirts of Audley End to #83 at 1111. I then had to re-trace my wheels back up the Avenue to #84 for 1125. The next section was all downhill and the journey down to #93 was hairy and quick.🥴 My right hand is still sore from all the pulling on the brake for the back wheel. I reached the last cache in this section at noon.

Unfortunately #94 had been disabled but as it turned out #95 was way back up the steep hill that I’d just come down.🤔 Luckily the next one on my list was #151 just down the road. I pedalled my way up hill and down dale to #160 just outside Arkesden but I couldn’t find #153.

I found the CM Arkesden trad but also found that I had no phone signal so would have to busk the hints until it came back. I have been meaning to write out all the hints on big series in cases like this so it will be an imperative from now on.

I was now going to head back in the direction of the car so rode over #166 but followed the route against the grain down to #147 arriving here at 1328. I decided to backtrack a bit to pick up #148 to #150 rather than leave them hanging.

I had obviously been keeping my eye on the numbers and I was now on 122. I had decided to call it a day at 125 and was looking for the quickest route back to #75. I could see that this would be going through Littlebury Green and there was a line of the series going from #103 down to #95. I decided to pick up the first three just in case.

I haven’t mentioned much about the bike but it was really handy to be able to “turn on the power” when I needed it. I hadn’t been out for a full day before on the bike so wasn’t aware of battery life etc., I could see the battery life gauge slowly falling but by moving up and down the gears, I regained some power. I wasn‘t aware of the remaining terrain and if it was uphill, I didn’t want to run out of battery.

When I reached the Littlebury Green Road, I could see that I was going to up a hill. Luckily I picked up the remaining caches and the battery held out.😀 I wouldn’t have liked to have pedalled up that hill under my own power.🥴 So I had met my first target and as long as I could get at least another hundred this month, I would be happy. However 150 would qualify me for another challenge cache! 😀 By the way, I found the last cache at 1457.

125 Traditional

#12996

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