Challenge Caches (aka – please hide a multi for me…)

Challenge caches are a special type of cache, usually hidden under the “mystery cache” umbrella, but unlike most mystery caches the cache is actually at the posted coordinates.  The catch with a challenge cache is that prior to being able to log a “found it” log, you have to meet specific requirements or face having your log deleted by the cache owner. Challenge caches had been debated for a while an actually banned as well, but they are now mentioned in the guidelines as follows;

“Challenge caches incorporate special logging requirements and are listed as Mystery/Puzzle caches. Typically they require the seeker to have previously met a reasonable geocaching-related qualification (Waymarking and Wherigo qualify too, of course) such as first finding a cache in every county in your state. If you are thinking of creating such a cache, please include a note to the reviewer demonstrating either that you have met the challenge yourself, or that a substantial number of other geocachers would be able to do so.”

In PEI, there are several such challenge caches set out by El Nimrod which include requirements such as having found 100 mystery caches or 100 multi caches or even having found a cache in each electoral district of PEI. In New Brunswick, there are several of these caches as well, such as the New Brunswick Backroad Challenge (by Zonker),  the Alpha-Numeric Challenge (by Northwoods Explorer) and recently Tiger Tracker’s challenge asking cachers to have found a cache hidden in each year since 2000 before logging it.

I personally enjoy challenge caches because they help you focus on different aspects of the game – different places, different types of caches, etc. I’ve been working on the multi challenge for two years now since sigining the log and still have one more multi to find before I can log a “found it” on that challenge – and I can’t wait to do it. Then….on to the next, whatever that may be!! (Now…..if you wouldn’t mind going to hide a multi or two…..)