Extreme Geocaching – How far would you go?

This article was originally published on Cache Up NB. It has been mirrored here for archive purposes only.

I can’t recall exactly where I read it or heard about it, but not that long ago I had stumbled upon this cache listing. I had actually heard FunkyNassau tell me a story about this cache but had never done any research on it until I saw it again recently. Since then, I’ve done a bit more digging to learn about a sort of side-version of caching known as Extreme Geocaching.

The cache listing above is actually a three stage multi which is listed as a puzzle cache. From the cache listing:

THIRD (FINAL) STAGE: The third (final) stage is located in an abandoned containment building, contaminated with radioactive and toxic chemical waste, at the site of an abandoned civilian/military research nuclear reactor from the 1950s and 1960s. The cache container is a regular-sized ammo can, lead-lined (using old lead sheeting from the local scrap yard), located under a pile of debris in the far left corner of the only storage room (“chamber”) located at the bottom of a 25 foot deep vertical shaft located near the door of the containment vessel. The shaft measures approximately 8’ by 8’. The third stage container contains ONLY a logbook, two pens and two pencils. No trade items allowed at third stage, for obvious reasons (more detail below.)

They continue to give you information about where you can obtain the protective suit that will allow you to enter the containment facility.

The same folks who hid that cache have hidden a series of caches that they refer to as the “Psycho” series. Here’s a few highlights from that series:

• Psycho Urban Cache #13 – Impossible! Give Up Now! – This is an abandoned rock pillar from an old bridge. The cache is sitting on top of it and you need to climb the pillar to get to the cache.
• Psycho Backcountry Cache #3 – B*tch Creek Crossing – This micro cache is located within the steel framework of an abandoned rail bridge across a creek.
• Psycho Urban Cache #3 – Bowels of the City – Four stage multi which has you go underground and traverse several sewage ducts to find various stages.
• Psycho Urban Cache #8 – Ghost in Ancient Citadel – Six stage multi which takes you through an old abandoned citadel.

The thoughts of doing some of those caches are both frightening and appealing to me. I have not had the chance to do any caches that are anywhere near like any of these but I have to say that I think they would definitely be interesting to do as a large group.

Along with those listings, I also found a specific site dedicated to the sport of extreme geocaching. They have a lot of links to extreme caches and a good chunk of information about it.

I would be curious to know if we have any caches within our province that would be classified under “extreme geocaching” and if so, what are they, where are they, and has anyone attempted them before?

What are your thoughts on hides that go to this extreme? Do they add to the sport, or does it push it a bit too far?