Steigerwald 18 - Ein ganz normaler Wandercache

This is our answer to the appeal "Tradis for Franconia" and our reaction.

Our cache is dedicated to all cachers who are sold on hiking. The hiking trail is about 10 to 15 kms, mostly on farm tracks. But the last 300 m you have to break through the forest without a trail!

Parking 49°53,207'N 10°35,317'E

Stage 1

On the board you have to relate the digits to the characters A to G. Use pic 1:

With this information you'll find stage 2b at 49°53,EAC'N 10°35,B(C+G)(C+G)'E.

Stage 2

There you will find two plates with one character. What rank has the character in teh alphabet? Take the checksum! This is H.
Next to stage 3 at 49°53,(A+B)E(D-1)'N 10°35,AHB'E.

Stage 3

Having investigated the number of the windows (=I) walk to stage 4:
49°53,HF(D-1)'N 10°35,AI(D+C)'E

Stage 4

Count the number of characters on the front of the plate! The checksum is J. Then go to stage 5 at
49°54,(H-J)(H-C)G'N 10°35,(I-B-G)GH'E

Stage 5

Add the number of characters of the plate with two "km" statements and subtract this extension from the sum of all "km" statements you see on the plates. The difference is K. Go to stage 6 at
49°54,(A-D)BK'N 10°34,(D+J)C(F+G)'E

Stage 6

There are two stones. At one of it you see a four-digit date. Notice the last digit as L and walk to stage 7 at
49°54,(L-G)(E+K)(L-G)'N 10°34,H(G-D)I'E

Stage 7

Add the number of characters of all locations. The checksum is O.
Add all "km" statements. The checksum is P.
Go to stage 8 at 49°54,PB(C-P)'N 10°35,(K+D)(O-F)(E+G)'E

Stage 8

There you'll see an abbreviated word. How many characters are missing (= Q)?
Go to stage 9 at 49°54,(L-G)L(J-F)'N 10°35,(P-Q+D)KA'E

Stage 9

At this turnoff count the number of characters of all locations. The single-digit checksum is R. Take the way no marker is pointing to and walk to
stage 10 at 49°54,(Q-D)OQ'N 10°35,(O-Q)OG'E

Stage 10

What is the coloring on the plate?

Go to stage 11: 49°54,(S-Q)(H-S)(S-O)'N 10°36,(Q-D)(S-P-D)Q'E

Stage 11

What coloring has the upper plate?

Now on the way to the final there are neither markers nor prominent waypoints - therefore you have to use the compass.
Always the bearing statements are pointing to important turnoffs. For testing plausibility I give the single-digit checksum of the decimal places of the minutes, but without the third position after decimal point. The second position is not rounded off.
Example: 49°52,123'N 10°32,654'E make N3, E2

Now walk direction 160° until you see the Japanese ensign (N2, E1). This is stage 12.

Stage 12

Turn to your right and walk about 280 m (N9, E5) to stage 13.

Stage 13

From this point fix 1,3 kms and 169° (stage 14). Stay on good forest track!

Stage 14

If you find a water flow nearby and the checksum are N2 and E8 you did a good job. The next turnoff (stage 15) is about 370 m and 269° (N1, E4).

Stage 15

Turn to your left towards south and follow the way until it ends in the forest. Now you have to break through the forest to the final coordinate.

Final

49°53,(R+Q)(S-B)(F+G+R)'N 10°35,P(H-A-G-T)(S+P-J)'E