Tackling Tough Terrain: 5 Stars

We've seen what constitutes a Terrain Rating of "1". So, what constitutes a Terrain Rating of "5"? And, who the heck am I to think I know what I'm talking about? After all, I live in Northeastern Indiana - Flat, flat, flat, flat, and oh yeah, FLAT.

I've actually done 2 caches with a Terrain rating of 5, but one was a Liar's cache that probably had a "real" rating of about 2. The other one was a walk of about 1/4 mile or so from the parking lot to the boat dock, then a canoe ride to the boat dock by the cache, then another short walk to the cache itself. Without the canoe ride it would've been probably a Terrain 3. I've seen many, many discussions in the Geocaching Forums regarding Terrain Ratings - especially T5 - and I'm going to distill some of that here for you, and give you my perspective for the reasons behind the rating.

Geocaching.com says that any cache requiring "special equipment" (and no, a GPSr is not considered "special equipment" - it's standard equipment for any cache find) should be rated a T5. This is regardless of the rest of the terrain around the cache - if any part of the cache hunt requires special equipment, such as a boat, SCUBA gear, mountain climbing equipment, Sherpas, Yaks, oxygen masks, insert-your-own-equipment-requirements-here, that cache automatically gets a T5 rating.
A lot of people have taken issue with this mindset. "The rest of the cache hunt is a T1.5, at most! How stupid is this that I have to upgrade it to a T5 just because there's 500 feet of boat ride involved! This is the world's easiest boat ride, too! Just hop in, row-row-row-row, hop out!"
In one sense, they're right. That cache, were it completely accessible by land, would probably get a much lower rating. They feel their cache will be overlooked by many people who automatically filter (or PQ) for "caches with lower Terrain ratings", and they're completely correct. However, let's look at the Terrain rating from the finder's perspective, for a minute, and I think it will make the automatic T5 rating clear.
Ratings are provided as an aid to the cacher. How difficult is this find going to be - and how difficult will it be to get to the cache? If you're out running errands and want to find a cache or two while you're out, you're likely going to disregard the T5 caches, because most people don't take a Kayak with them while going out for milk. The T5 rating is there for much the same reason the "Unknown / Puzzle" Cache Type is - to let us know that we need to check the cache page for more information as to how to find this cache. What advance preparation do we need? Generally, a T1-3.5 don't require advance preparation; you can park the car, walk / wheel / bike / etc. to the cache, sign the log, and make your way back to the car. However, with a T4 and up, we know it'll require advance preparation or more than just walking to the cache. We'll need at least a hiking stick, and in the case of a T5, our "special Equipment", whatever that might be.

It is the responsibility of the Cache owner to specify in the cache listing what that Special Equipment might be. As with all caches, relying just on the star ratings isn't enough - for either the finder or the hider. A good hider / cache owner will provide a good description in the cache page of the obstacles the finder can expect. This way, the hider knows how the Terrain Rating was arrived at - is it because it's 400 feet up a sheer cliff? Across a shark-infested lake? At the end of a 3-day hike into the wilderness? Or possibly at the end of a SCUBA dive in the Black Lagoon?

In any case, if your cache requires Special Equipment to reach it, be it SCUBA gear or HAZ-MAT gear, a boat or Rapelling gear, your cache should be rated a T5, to let everyone know that they'll need to take special care in preparing for your cache, gather their special equipment needed to get to and find the cache, and that they should check the cache page for further information.

Good luck, and have fun placing your next T5: Tough Terrain Cache.

Terrain 1: what does it really mean?

Note: Many suggestions, ideas, and hints for this blog were taken from this article by Pyewacket. There's far more in that article than we'll cover here; I highly recommend reading it.

Okay, now for our article on Terrain 1! What does it really mean? The "accepted" definition is that any cache rated "Terrain: 1" should be wheelchair-accessible. Simple, right? Or....not.

Look around at some of your local caches rated T1. In fact, I'm going to choose a cache that sure does seem to be able to be rated T1. Note, I'm not picking on the cache owner, and I'm not trying to slam anyone. This is a demonstration that a Terrain of 1 isn't nearly as straightforward as you might think.

This cache, GC1D0MV is a great little stop-and-grab along the side of a road. It truly is an enjoyable little find. It takes you down country roads that even locals don't necessarily use much.
Here's a Google Map of the cache location:

View Larger Map

Right off the road! Definitely a T1! Only...it's not.
See, the cache is behind a couple trees, and there's a small "ditch", and some logs in the area. It also suffers from roadside non-maintenance: the grass isn't mowed. It's a fairly typical farm-field treeline area. While most average cachers wouldn't have a problem getting this cache, I can say from recent experience that there is no way your average Wheelchair-bound cacher is going to be able to get that cache. They'll have to do as I did, watch helplessly from the road, while their caching companion goes in and finds the cache. (Unless they happen to be named "Pyewacket", in which case I'm sure they'll figure out how to get that doggone cache - ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.)

So...what truly makes a T1? Think "HOF"
Hard-packed ground (including paved). Wheelchairs get bogged down easily in leaves, pine needles, dirt and sand. Even small stones and gravel can really bog down a wheelchair - and it's really darn hard to get free once bogged.
Obstacle-Free. Even if it's in a parking lot, if there's a curb between the parking area and the cache, it's not wheelchair-accessible. Look for "curb-cuts" (also known as wheelchair curb ramps) and make sure they're close to the cache. The Wheelchair-bound cacher doesn't want to have to go 1/4 mile out of the way just to get to the same level ground as the cache. Also, if there are cement parking "bumpers" ringing the parking lot, and the cache is on the OTHER side of those, that cache suddenly became at least a Terrain 1.5.
Flat. At least it should be wheelchair-friendly. A lot of hills, bumps, and uneven ground isn't going to be easy to pilot a wheelchair over, if it's even possible. Wheelchair ramps, curb-cuts, etc. are fine, as long as they're not extremely steep or abrupt. And while we're at it, make sure the path is wide enough for a wheelchair! A flat trail doesn't help if it's only a single-wide, teeny footpath.

Okay, you've found the ideal location. It's a decent challenging cache, not some parking-lot lampskirt micro, it's nice and hardpacked, flat ground, with easy access for wheelchairs. Now...where to hide it?

That stump is great. It's right next to the path; and it's deep enough that non-cachers won't find the cache right away. How about we put the cache there?
Whoops.
Wait a second!
Can a wheelchair-bound cacher reach that cache once it's at the bottom of the stump? Can they pick up a film can from the ground? Well....could you? Think about it. Sit in a chair - an office chair or kitchen chair should do - put your feet on a low stool, and then try to bend over and pick up a small film can. Can you do it? Can you do it without standing up, moving your feet, or tipping over? No? Neither can a wheelchair cacher. Try to keep your T1 caches within the reach of a reasonable seated person. Maybe it can go at the bottom of the stump - if there's a rope on it, attaching it to the top of the stump. I hear some types of fishing line work great for this sort of thing.
How about in that tree? Can it be reached from a seated position? AND, can it be put back from that same seated position?

Bet you didn't think that a Terrain 1 was so difficult to achieve, did you? Granted, not all the suggestions here really pertain to a "Terrain" rating, but if you're truly going to say "wheelchair-accessible" in your terrain rating, you might want to think about making the cache itself completely wheelchair-accessible.

Again, the linked article by Pyewacket has many other suggestions on how to make your cache truly Disabled-Friendly. Please do read it, and give a little more thought to your terrain rating before picking "Terrain: 1".

Up Next Time: "Tackling The Terrain of 5."

How's YOUR Terrain?

One thing I've become very conscious of since breaking my leg is Terrain Ratings on caches. It can be a great boon to the cacher, or a source of much hassle and confusion to the cache owner as they try to figure out "does this cache rate a 2 or a 3? What about if it's a 2 in the Fall but a 4 in the Winter? Why do they keep complaining about it? I can't control the fact that the trail in requires skis or snowshoes in December!"

So, Captain Spaulding and I decided we'd start a "series" of posts about Terrain Ratings. They won't be "DO THIS OR ELSE YOU SHALL PERISH" kind of things, just general guidelines that WE have come up with, based on OUR experiences and discussions with other cachers about terrain ratings.

Watch this space! Coming soon: "Terrain 1: what does it really mean?"