Re: GCAZAA7 - Checker Request

Hello,
I am looking for a checker for GCAZAA7

Challenge Rules:
1) Find one geocache at or above a true elevation of 11,000 feet above sea level.
2) The geocache must be a traditional geocache.
3) The geocache must be in Canada.
4) All previous finds count, including finds on qualifying archived geocaches.

The issue: Project GC elevation data is not perfect and does not accurately reflect the true cache elevation as seen on geocaching.com. This is a known issue.
I got Hugh to make me a checker which works on a list of 11,000 foot caches (see here: https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GCAZAA7/93086), but the reviewers do not like that the checker uses a custom list.

There are officially 6 caches which meet the challenge requirements:
GC9DN1W - Mount Assiniboine - True cache elevation = 3618m, PGC elevation = 3544m
GC1607 - Mount Temple - True cache elevation = 3544m, PGC elevation = 3515m
GC9ZFHJ - Mount King George - True cache elevation = 3413m, PGC elevation = 3400m
GC3WZBN - Mount Harrison - True cache elevation = 3353m, PGC elevation = 3339m
GC8B49Z - Mount Joffre - True cache elevation = 3450m, PGC elevation = 3312m
GC8YXYA - Mount Cline - True cache elevation = 3374m, PGC elevation = 3221m

So the issue is that I cannot simply ask to make the checker accept caches > 3353m (11000') since the elevation data does not accurately reflect reality.

I also cannot say accept caches > 3220m since there is another cache:
GCA0XB6 - Mount Mike - True cache elevation = 3313m, PGC elevation = 3301m

So if I said > 3220m the checker is not correct because it would accept Mount Mike, which in reality is a cache hidden below 3353m.

I hope you understand what I'm saying here. This is why I got Hugh to make the custom bookmark list checker.

So what do you guys suggest?

I might suggest we say "accept anything above PGC elevation of 3200m, but do not include GCA0XB6 or GC9BDB6"

The problem is that if a new cache fits within the criteria of > PGC ele 3200m but is not actually 3353m in reality, we would need to amend the checker in the future to omit new caches.

But I don't see how else we can do it. Suggestions? If you agree with me, please go ahead and make the checker.
Thanks!

I doubt this would work (but I also am not 100% sure on this.)

If we used bookmark list for assembling a list of caches with >11,000ft true elevation, I think that would be a violation of point 11 of the challenge cache guidelines.

However, since I am not 100% sure on that, I would like a moderator or a more experienced checker maker to elaborate on this.

A checker using PGC elevation would 100% be possible to make, but I know that's not what you exactly want.

EDIT: I did not fully read your post and now I know that the bookmark list has been rejected by a reviewer. Still, I have no idea how to go around it (other than using PGC elevation) and want more experienced checker makers to give their ideas.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2026 09:37PM by 200e200w. (view changes)

Yes I know.
I think the best thing to do is say "accept anything above a PGC elevation of 3200m, but do not include GCA0XB6 or GC9BDB6"
This will meet the rules of the challenge.

And I'm still not sure that this would work. You have already said that the checker would need to be regularly amended to omit new caches with PGC elevation >3,200m but true elevation <11,000ft. Also excluding specific geocaches would again be a possible violation of point 11 of challenge cache guidelines (though I am not 100% sure on that.)

Still I think that would be probably the best solution if it would be acceptable by a reviewer and HQ. Try asking your reviewer if they would accept such a format of challenge checker, while I once again ask more experienced checker makers for their opinions.

The issue is related to bad elevation data on PGC. Can we correct the bad data?
Alternatively, this resolution is not a list per se but a "tweak" of the bad data.

Yes, I know that the issue is related to elevation data on PGC being inaccurate.

However, I would really advice you to send an email to your reviewer and ask him if such a checker format where you go with >3,200m PGC elevation and manually exclude geocaches with <11,000ft true elevation would be acceptable, because I doubt that.

I spoke to the reviewer about this, they are happy so long as it's not a list.
In most cases new 11000' caches will appear and check properly.

If that's good for your reviewer, then I would like a more active checker maker to create a new tag for this challenge, as it will need to be manually updated by the tag owner.

I also ask @Hügh to remove the old tag for GCAZAA7 as it is now obsolete due to being denied by reviewer.

I'll handle this one.

I have several challenges based on altitude. I simply ignore the real altitude and only take into account the data that PGC and checkers have.
We also have X caches in Slovakia whose real altitude is significantly different from the PGC data.
In addition, in the last 5 years, the altitude data for PGC has already changed twice.
Another problem occurs when the owner moves the cache, its altitude also changes.
Yes, the checker can exclude specific caches (if there are still enough caches left to complete). In case a new published cache that needs to be excluded, you can ask the checker author to add the cache to the configuration.

Your checker with GCA0XB6 excluded:
removed

Please test and confirm

geoPetros (Slovakia)
info@geopetros.sk
Please read the Challenge Guidelines
Moderator's note: You can post up to 10 checker requests in single topic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2026 04:25AM by geoPetros. (view changes)

I did this one as 117529 already; sorry, forgot to post.

You can use https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GCAZAA7/117529 by Hügh

geoPetros (Slovakia)
info@geopetros.sk
Please read the Challenge Guidelines
Moderator's note: You can post up to 10 checker requests in single topic.

Although the discussion has already progressed quite a bit, I still want to give my two cents.

You wrote;:

Quote

The issue: Project GC elevation data is not perfect and does not accurately reflect the true cache elevation as seen on geocaching.com

There is no elevation data available on geocaching.com, this only exists on Project-GC.
You probably mean what the owner has written in his listing text. The content of a listing cannot be used for challenges.

Quote
Not Acceptable
These cache page elements: cache titles, cache owner, GC Codes, publishing Reviewer, or cache page text.

The Guidelines also say "Challenge cache criteria must come from information broadly available on Geocaching.com" (see https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=127&pgid=206#sourceOfCriteria), so we can be glad that reviewers are tolerating elevation based challenges at all.

In general, all location based information about a cache (country, region, county, elevation) on Project-GC is always derived from the header coordinates of the listing. This especially means that a Multi-Cache starting in a valley and having its final on a mountain top would have the elevation of the valley.
This should be less of a problem here, since you are only working with Traditional Caches.

Of course elevation data is not perfect. Project-GC is updating the cache elevation from time to time when better data becomes available, but it will never be perfect.

You wrote:

Quote

But I don't see how else we can do it. Suggestions?

Just accept the elevation from Project-GCs database as it is.
If that's not good enough for you, maybe you need to think about a different challenge idea.

Deciding on your own which caches count or don't count for your challenge, violates https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=127&pgid=206#specificLists

Quote
Not Acceptable
A challenge based on elements under the cache owner’s primary control is not acceptable

Just my opinion. In the end the reviewer will decide what they allow or not.

Hugh helped me out, please archive this post

Marking "Resolved" & moving to the completed section.