Polar Bear’s Folly

I knew when I started this streak that the Wherigo and the Virtual would be the problem caches. I already have the Wherigo but the Virtual caused me much thought. To get this one, it would either be a day trip into London as there were a few there that I haven’t or up into Cambridgeshire for Polar Bear’s Folly - I can see my house from here! As I have been spending most Tuesdays recently in either the east or west of the county, it was a no brainer really. I had my plan for the day sorted, start in Sawston, off to see the Polar Bear and ending up in Burwell. 🤔

I parked up in Sawston as dawn broke and had breakfast in a little bakery cafe that I found sometime ago. After a sausage sandwich and coffee, I made my way the 100 yards or so for a quick find of the elusive WM Sawston trad. This was my third visit which is why I know about the cafe.

I drove out towards Wandlebury CP and parked up in a layby going south on the A1301. After donning my boots, I set off through the park following my iPhone and getting closer to the virtual. When I got there, I found only a trig point pillar from which I had to gather information. Intrigued by the cache title, I found out that this is the highest point in Cambridgeshire and there are no obstructions between here and the North Pole.🤔

There was one other cache to find in the Park and that was the 1/3 Wandlebury Wormwood Hill v2.0. The well hidden cache was on top of what I reckon to be a burial mound and was a bit of a creamer to climb. It was much easier on the way down and back to the car.

I drove for a few minutes until I reached the small village of Fulbourn. After finding the trad War Memorial (but not one of the series), the multi CM and the trad RST, I was off to Little Wilbraham. However there was a linear list of caches leading to an interesting field puzzle just outside the village that deserved attention.🤔

I found a decent lay-by at the trail head and set off. I quickly picked up the letterbox Smiley Stamp and carried on north. There were all trads in this section. I found the LB at Great Wilbraham common and then Deserted. I failed at Windmill View but decided to leave it and have another try on the way back.

My target, the LB Puzzle Bridge, a 3.5/3 trad, eventually appeared. Once in hand, the puzzle was one of these “impossible“ to open wooden boxes. I sat on a large log and tried to work out what to do. I had done one similar to this before but this one was a different type. I resorted to Youtube and eventually found a tutorial which helped me open the box. However the Geocaching Gods had their revenge when the log that I was sat on turned out to be internally decayed and collapsed, sending me sprawling backwards. I managed to find everything and re-assembled the box, replacing the cache as found. As I started to cross the bridge, I realised that the gods were holding onto my glove but after a short search, I retrieved it. I had another try for Windmill View on the way back but it still eluded me.

I then started a familiar pattern, driving through the Wilbrahams, Bottisham, Lode, Longmeadow and the Swaffhams, picking up VSs, WMs and VHS but had a couple of DNFs in Swaffham Prior. I was really pleased to discover the gem of a RST at Bottisham & Lode.

I had unexpected memories when I tried for the Always on Tour multi in Swaffham Bulbeck. This had been placed by uncannieannie, a cacher whose event I had intended in Riga, Latvia, a couple of years ago. Her name is taken from the title of an Ian Dury & The Blockheads track and the multi was based on an obscure folk/rock singer. When I found the cache, even that had a musical theme.

I finally got into Burwell, a place that I had been hoping to get to for weeks but other caching on the way had always prevented that. I was hungry and thirsty so wanted a cafe. I knew that a couple of weeks ago, a Village Hall Week event had been held in the Elk Coffee Shop so I wanted to repay the favour. There were so many home-made cakes on offer, it took me a while to settle on the Peanut Butter Brownie and the side order of an Americano.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the town locating multis and trads but failing at the multi commemorating the WM. I found the reverse wherigo In Search Of Edward’s Jane which led me a merry dance. I ended the day gathering the info for the WW2 Searchlight Battery multi. I’ll pick that up another time as there are many more interesting caches to find in Burwell.😀

1 Letterbox 1 Virtual 1 Wherigo 8 Multi 16 Traditional

#10869

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