Die Nacht der Happy Hippos

Well, this cache quite an adventure for me. It is a long time ago that I dared to go alone for a night cache in a forest area. As I felt reasoanbly well today I thought that it would be time to give it a try. I selected this cache as I hoped that it could be done also with my old and inprecise GPS-r. Reaching the parking coordinates (of course with no car navigation) turned out to be easier than I had expected in advance. Although there is a huge stone pile in the area, I found enough space to leave my car there.

I found the first assisting reflector, but would not have neeed it. Actually the way to Stage 1 was the only one clear to me. Stage 1 was also the one that I found the fastest. On the way to Stage 2 I first encountered a very wet part of the trail - almost like a creek - and then I lost the path. It was quite hard to navigate as my GPS-r often lost the fix at all. At Stage 2 I experienced big troubles. Due to the jumpy reception I was sent back and forth in cycles and my search area was very large, too large to be fun in the night. The reflectors are not easy to find if one is not standing at the right position. After a while I then I finally saw something blinking and was relieved. The way to Stage 3 was again mostly trackless. It was not clear to me where I could reach the next path (the description only told me that after Stage 2 a trackless approach is required). I found Stage 3 after searching around for a few minutes. On my way to Stage 4 I then was able to at least follow some paths. My approach brought me close to Stage 6, but I decided to visit the stages in their proper order. Again it took me a while to find the reflectors (I expected them to be higher - dwarfs wil have their eyes at this level I guess). Finding the way to Stage 5 was again not at all trivial with a jumpy GPS-r and no mapping tool on the GPS-r. Fortunately, I had brought my compass with me. Without being able to use the compass, I would not have found my way. I had to cross the creek already on my way to Stage 5. Finding the reflectors again took a while. It was not clear to me which approach I should take to Stage 6. I ended up again with a mix of following some paths and with a trackless approach. Finding the reflectors again took a while. I was glad to have brought along a good torch. My headlamp would not have sufficed at all for this cache. The coordinates are sometimes too far from the reflectors.

Now I was able to head for the cache. The approach to this area was again not trivial for me. Fortunately, after a while I then found a path that brought me close to the target area. There I searched around for a while. There have been some forestry works in the area, but the hideout has not been touched. The cache is in good condition, but the log book is a bit damp. Going back from the cache to my car than was the easiest part of this cache. The route was quite obvious.


Due to the many reception problems I experienced, the long searching times and the necessity to walk slowly and look carefully at the ground to avoid stumbling around, it took me almost three hours to complete this cache. For a single cacher with an old GPS-r this cache is quite challenging. I did not enjoy this cache in the same way as I enjoyed fluchtpunkt's night cache close to Frohnleiten. For the latter one the searching times for the reflectors were muss shorter, but maybe Alice's GPS-r and her good sense of orienteering made the essential difference. In any case, it is easier to complete this cache quickly if one comes in a group and if at least one member is equipped with a modern GPS-device. It might be that with some mapping tool on the GPS-r it is possible to mainly keeep on paths and then also to see the reflectors which have been mounted to assist the route choice. I only found the very first one, no one thereafter.

All in all, I will keep this cache in good memories despite the sometimes frustrating search because I will remember it as a cache where I had to overcome quite some mental barriers. The trackless parts of my route sometimes were quite challenging for me in the night where one cannot see well the ground, but fortunately, both my leg and my back did not complain about what I expected from them this night.

Although it had not rained that much in the recent weeks, the paths were quite muddy and wet. Wellington boots or goretex hiking boots are a good choice. Visiting this cache in November has the advantage that one can start earlier, but the trails will be nicer in Summer time.


Thank you for hiding this cache which motivated me to explore my limits and to bring myself to do something which I thought to be impossible for me.

No trade

eine wunderschöne cacheidee!
wir durften auch gleich unsere neu erworbenen lampen testen. und die leuchten sehr gut! so gut dass sich auch der final nicht lange verstecken konnte!

TFTC  lg die mausbiber  susanna & heinz

Hmm das war mal ein Nachtcache auf andere Art *gg* Selber schuld, wenn sich alle auf mich verlassen *ggg* Irgendwie in dem großen dunklen Wald verlaufen. Durch Zufall dann endlich Reflektoren erblickt, aber wo ist die Filmdose? Gesucht und gesucht und plötzlich hat Charly94 den Cache in der Hand. Haben dann aber trotzdem noch nach Filmdosen gesucht *ggg*

auch bei diesem Cache waren manchmal seltsame Laute zu hören...aber ich glaube nicht, dass es wieder das Brunftgebrülle eines balzenden Hirschens war... denn dieser hatte zu sehr vor den Jägern Angst und bereits ein erwähltes Weibchen an seiner Seite!

Danke für die tolle Abendbeschäftigung! Hat echt Spaß gemacht!
TFTC! ;o)

IN: TB
Out: TB

So wie wir ist den bestimmt noch keiner angegangen. Bis Hippo 4 haben wir uns nämlich rein anhand der Reflektoren vorgearbeitet, aber ehrlich gesagt nicht, weil wir so cool sind, sondern mehr weil wir so doof sind. Erst als irgendwann überhaupt kein einziger weiterer Reflektor mehr auffindbar war, obwohl wir den ganzen Wald kreuz und quer durchstreift hatten, und wir schon der Verzweiflung nahe waren, quoll aus irgendwelchen Unterlagen plötzlich die Seite mit den Hippo-Positionen hervor, die trotz intensiver Vorbereitung erstaunlicherweise keiner von uns vorher bemerkt hatte, und das, wo wir doch sonst jedes noch so kleine Detail aus den Beschreibungen herausdestillieren, bis hin, daß wir oft Bedeutungsnuancen wahrnehmen, die nichteinmal dem Autor selbst aufgefallen wären. Wie dem auch sei - da wir das Gelände nun ja schon sehr gut kannten, war's von da an fast nur mehr eine reine ProseccoS-Adleraugen-Demonstration, wobei ich nach wie vor der Meinung bin, daß sie ohne meine Taschenlampe auch nichts gesehen hätte.

TFTC NT

Trotz gutem Wetter hatten der Geko, das ForeTrex, LonesomeConebag und ich heute sehr unterschiedliche Meinungen bezüglich der einzuschlagenden Himmelsrichtung. Kreuz und Quer gings durch den Wald. Die Reflektoren waren alle schnell gefunden bis auf den bei Stage 6. Da waren wir ständig auf der falschen Seite des Weges unterwegs. Trotzdem war nach etwa 1:30h der Cache gefunden. Danke für einen weiteren tollen Nachtcache in dieser Gegend.

Out: Germany Geocoin

TFTC, Pr3ach3rman