Quality not Quantity

I was having a chat with Frantica on the official site message board last night discussing caching plans for today. I said that I wasn't sure whether to go for numbers in the time I had available. Frantica said "Quality not Quantity" so I looked through some lists to see I had planned.🤔 I found a little series of tree climbs in Shorne in Kent that would, if successful, give me two new D/Ts on my grid.

At 0615, I parked up at the Cascades Leisure Centre and had a quick find of ho ho ho! a trad hidden low down in a fir tree. I then set off for Astroclamber a 1/4.5 trad wondering what was in store.☹️ When I got there, I was supremely confident as there were plenty of low branches. I clambered up the pine tree and quickly found the cache. After signing the log sheet, I had a look in the direction of Essex and descended the tree.👍🏻

Roboclamber was not as difficult but it was a 1/4 and quickly bagged. I had a respite with a low trad with Trees, Trees and More Trees, before moving on to the final new D/T of the morning. Cyberclamber was a 1.5/4.5 trad and the more difficult of the three climbs.😬 The first step was the hardest and then it was a fairly reasonable climb.🌲 So three climbs, two new D/Ts and it's not 0700 yet!😎 Another quick find at maple syrup and I was on my way back to the car.

I was hoping to find the multi at the CM in Chalk. After working out the coords, I had a pleasant walk down the lane to GZ. I poked my head into the tree line and looked straight at the amusing host. It made me laugh but he looked bored.☹️ As I departed, I saw the splendid old barn in the photo. How I'd like to own that but it will remain a pipe dream.😢

Now I was going to pick off a few more trads before setting off to get home for 1000. I bagged a quick trio of trads on the outskirts of Shorne and then I went after the nearby puzzle CM. I'd worked this one out some time ago and I quickly found the well place cache. I was on a roll so had a go at the multi VS in the centre of the village. I had the coords soon enough but could see that the GZ was some way off over the fields so left it for another time.

I had another solved puzzle nearby, Scammell's Soduko, down through the woods. My GPS was bouncing about but I found some great hiding places but not the right one.☹️ However some other cachers found part of the cache later and put a throw down cache in. I have asked them for a hint.😉

So 13 caches found, three great tree climbs, two D/Ts for the grid and two CMs. A great morning's work wandering around just across the QE2 bridge in Kent. 🤗

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