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English description
This multi-cache consists of three stages. It furthermore requires
a preparatory phase to determine the coordinates of the first
stage. At the first stage you only need to collect some information
while at the last two stages cache containers (a film canister and
a plastic box, respectively) are to be found.
Important information: (Please read this part before
starting your hunt!)
- The starting coordinates given for this cache are fictive
ones and are only meant as rather rough indication of the area
in which the cache hunt takes places.
- Part of the challenge of this cache is to choose your route.
The more direct your route will be, the more difficult it will be
and the more experienced you should be. Be careful if the
conditions are bad (wet ground, snow etc).
- The hiding places are rather classical ones and should not be
too hard to find. Part of the difficulty rating accounts for the
effort which is required for obtaining the initial
coordinates.
- As there exist many different possible ways to reach Stages 2
and 3 of this cache, the terrain rating only reflects the
difficulty of one of the easier routes, but takes into account the
fact that finding the right path might not always be easy.
- A map and hiking boots are highly recommended. The calculations
have been designed in a way that they can easily be worked out in
one's head. If you do not like to do so, take a pocket calculator
with you.
- It is not recommendable to do this cache when it is dark.
- If you take children with you, be careful around Stages 2 and
3.
- Stage 1 is easily reachable by car and also by public
transportation.
Stage 0: At a place of your choice
To obtain the coordinates of Stage 1, you first need to deal with
the following questions and tasks.
Task 1: (A tribute to the first geocache in
Styria)
Question 1: Which cache was the first one being placed in
Styria and listed at www.geocaching.com?
Question 2: The day on which this cache has been placed is a
very important day which is celebrated each year in a certain
European country.
- a: The number of letters of the name of this country's
capital.
- b: The number associated with the month in which
Styria's first cache has been placed.
Some calculations:
- c = b-a.
- d = (b+1)*a*(c^2).
Task 2: (A residence in royal possession)
Stage 1 of this cache is close to a large building (let us call it
C) which is in possession of a royal family. It is your task to
find out which building is meant by making use of the following
information.
- The bearing from the point at which building C is located
towards the point where Styria's first cache has been hidden is
approximately equal to d degrees. (Hint: You can restrict
your search to a circle with radius a*c kilometers around
Styria's first cache.)
- e: The last digit of the number which is associated with
the first letter of the name of the village in which building C is
located (use the code A=1, B=2, .... Z=26).
- g: The number of letters of the last name of the
(current) owner family of building C.
- h: The integral part of the minutes (i.e. the part
before the comma) of the longitude of the coordinates of building C
decreased by one.
- y: The integral part (i.e. the part before the comma) of
the distance between building C and Styria's first cache measured
in kilometers.
Task 3: (An Austrian Nobel Laureate)
Building C is the birth place of an Austrian Nobel Laureate. Let us
call him Mr X. Unlike another Austrian who received the Nobel prize
in the same field some years earlier, his name is unfortunately
rather unknown to the general public. (The greater popularity of
his colleague is due to something totally unrelated to scientific
achievements.)
- i: The last two digits of the year in which the Nobel
prize been awarded to Mr X.
- j: The age at which Mr X died.
- k: The number which results from j by inserting
c between the first and the second digit of the number
j.
Stage 1: Close to the royal residence
Task 4: If you enter the village in which building C is
located via the street coming from the East, you will pass a
building on the right side of the street before reaching the
building C on the left side. Search for two year dates on that
building (the numbers are pretty large - so there is no problem
even for people with a weak vision).
- p: The sum of the digits of the number which is obtained
by subtracting the smaller year from the larger year.
Another calculation:
Stage 2: N 47° g.k', E 015° h.m'.
It is strongly recommended to have a look at the map before
starting to approach Stage 2. Depending on the way you choose, the
GPS reception might be very bad at some parts of your hike. Do not
worry too much, however. The reception will be much better near
Stages 2 and 3 (provided the weather is reasonable).
Once arrived at Stage 2, enjoy first the view. Then search for a
film canister (look very carefully at the typical hiding places -
the canister might be covered with mud). In case you really fail to
find the film canister, you might want to search for the second
film canister which happens to be at a more challenging place due
to some accident (see the additional hint).
The film canister contains a formula which assigns to every number
x its associated function value
f(x) as well as the
two numbers
A and
B.
Please put the sheet containing the formula and the two numbers
back into the film canister and hide the canister well again.
Some final calculations:
- q = k+B/e.
- r = p+2*c.
- s = f(r).
- t = (c^3)+s+A*y.
Stage 3: N 47° g.q', E 015° h.t'.
You have now arrived at the final stage which by the way is not far
from Stage 2. (Originally I had intended to hide the micro cache at
Stage 2 somewhere below its current location, but there either the
GPS reception was too bad or there were too many potential hiding
places such that searching for a film canister would be too
frustrating even for freaks.)
Now you have to decide whether you first would like to explore the
surroundings of Stage 3, or start searching for the cache right
away. The cache container, a tupper-ware like box (round, diameter
approx 10 cm) is hidden in a cleft between two stones and is
covered with foliage and small pieces of wood.
Please note the following:
- When taking out the cache and when putting it back, be careful
that you are not watched by non-geocachers. The area around Stages
2 and 3 is in general not a crowded one. I did not meet a single
person there on a very sunny Saturday afternoon, but sometimes
local people are around. As the area might be more crowded in
Summer time, please report any problems that arise due to too many
potential observers, in your log. I will then consider moving the
cache location to a nearby place (at a bigger distance to the paths
at the expense of most likely worsening the GPS reception).
- When logging the cache in the internet, please avoid spoilers
in your log entry which tell too much about the location.
- If you do not mind the extra effort of sending me an e-mail via
geocaching.com, I'd very much like to learn where you started your
hunt for Stages 2 and 3 and which route you took.
Suggerimenti addizionali
Decripta
[Stage 2, Hint 1:] Zbahzragny gerr
[Stage 2, Hint 2:] Ng inyyrl fvqr, oruvaq n fgbar
[Stage 2, Hint for the additional film container:]
Nobhg gra zrgref qbja gur fybcr - haqre na bireunatvat fgbar
[Stage 3, Hint 1:] Uvqrbhg yvrf nobhg 2-3 zrgref orybj n ynetr zbff-pbirerq fgbar.
[Stage 3, Hint 2:] Pybfr gb n snyyra gerr cbvagvat fbhgujneqf.
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z