Question

What are your thoughts on the return of challenge caches?

Comments

I haven't done any challenge caches and I have a hard time with them, so I am indifferent for now

Answer 1

I think, Challenges should get an own symbol. Most of them are not really a mystery...

Comments

As your confidence in challenges with the new rules, is planned in the coming year might introduce its own symbol.

Answer 2

I like that they are back and in general I think the changes in the guidelines for them are for the good.

Comments

I like the fact that challenge caches are back and that the cache owner must also qualify for a cache that they are placing.  This shows that it isn't an improbable task.  For the many challenges that I won't do, it's my choice.  I love having so many options available.  A new icon (down the line) would be cool too.  Thank you to all in the caching community for striving to make this hobby, game, and 'sport' so much fun!

Answer 3

I am glad that rules have been put in place to make the challenges more reasonable.

Answer 4

I love challenge caches and in first instance I thought it were good, to have them back. Some of the new rules make sense (owner has to fulfill the challenge himself, located on listing co-ordinates or with open waypoint, no more trackable challenges). Unfortunately, the chance to create a new icon has been missed. But most important and very disappointing: Some of the new, very restrictive rules mainly destroy most of the fun with challenges. I think, 90% of the challenges, I liked the most or in which I really put an effort, would not be acceptable today:

No more founds per time challenges (visiting 16 German states in one day was one of my best geocaching days ever and visiting 9 countries in 8 days was a great week of geocaching with friends), no more spelling challenges (I don't really need them, but they are easy to check and cause no problems for reviewers, so I do not understand, why they are not allowed any longer), no challenges with reference to cache title or GC number or without checker (for me it was always fun to analyse my finds looking for cool caches for a trivial pursuit challenge or to find postcodes in the GC-number or caches with trees in their name, etc.).

So, only boring new challenges are allowed today. Easily checkable, they become quick grabs for everybody and just another point for the statistics. As a conclusion and in my opinion, in such a restrictive environment the return of challenge caches has not really been necessary.

Answer 5

I am happy that the challenge caches are back. I think, the community made the right choice and the HQ is now trying to find a good solution about the rules. Let's see, how it is working.

Answer 6

They are a nice addition to the geocaching hobby. The rules seems more reasonable now, but why is there not a special cache type called Challenge with an icon on its own?

Answer 7

Most of the new rules are good. But I will miss new challenges that are not only about amounts. It was a great pleasure to build a Frankenstein's monster or complete a farm with family, animals, crops and machines. Creative challenges. There was also a delight in chasing different types of caches with certain letters to achieve an alphabet or a word.

Many of these types of challenges also have checkers so the problem should not only be on that behalf. I hope that this kind of creative challenges will come back when this year is over. And maybe it's just our current imagination that stop us. Let´s see what all creative co:s can come up with according to the new rules.

Answer 8

I like some of the challenges.. Some of them are hard to reach but, uhm.. challenging. Some are just impossible to get for me, as i won't change my caching behavior just to get one more cache.

Will they get a new icon?

Comments

They are going to try the current rules for a year or so then reassess. If working okay they will consider a new icon then.

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Yes, i read the newsletter today and the changes of the guidelines..

Answer 9

I'm glad they are back. It doesn't bother me that there are some I'm never likely to qualify for and I enjoy working towards the ones I'm close to achieving.  Those that I'm not close to (Jasmer/Fizzy) I still look for caches in a new area that might fill these boxes just in case I ever come across one of these challenges on a future caching trip.

My first ever challenge was in Hong Kong, and the challenge was to find caches that spelt 'Hong Konger' which as a new cacher I really enjoyed working towards because it was a challenge that without 100's of finds I might actually achieve (and it took me a while to get the second 'n'!). It's a bit of a shame you can't do a simple challenge cache now to spell something as I would probably have set one where I'm living.

I would like them to have a new icon, and I hope they survive the coming year and this is considered.

Answer 10

Time will tell but I like some of the changes and dislike some of them.

Cache Owner must qualify is nice.

Thoughts on the numbers and targeting specific caches, I understand but at the same time if you don't want to attempt that challenge you don't have to. No one is forcing you to do so, but on the other hand if it is to the extreme likely then not many finds and it is thus potentially taking a quality spot for a different cache or challenge. Play the game how you want, if you want to go after challenges and after certain challenges then do so. Just like those that are in groups and split up but yet all log all the finds, I don't agree with that but if thats how they want to play fine by them.

I hope the process is easier for our volunteer reviewers.

I like having the challenge checkers. I personally don't have time (for non-checkers) to scroll through my few thousand finds let alone others that have more to see if I qualify.

Answer 11

I like that checkers are required, but if I was the reviewer I would expand that to readily available from GC or PGC's site, not just simply as a challenge checker. For instance proof of completing the calendar is readily available from the GC site and should be acceptable if mentioned in the cache description.

Hoping for a challenges being a new cache type!!

Biggest thing I like is that a verifiable test is required (no more x finds near a thing!)

Comments

The requirement is that the challenge must have a checker. There is no requirement for a logger to use it if completion can be shown some other way.

Answer 12

I think the challenges are needed. I see no reason why ultimately they would not be. They are an interesting alternative for those who have logged almost everything else in area and need new challenges. Now with the new conditions will become even more transparent for the cachers.

Answer 13

I'm happy they're back and with checkers it's a lot easier to manage. Many thanks to the folks that are sifting through all the new requests and putting the checkers in place!

I will miss not having challenges for some of the things no longer allowed like time limited challenges but there are still older ones out there. I do hope they eventually change the cache type/icon to something different.

Comments

Agreed. I love challenge caches. Unfortunately it appears as though they've taken a lot of the challenge out of them. For instance  "busy day" & "A-Z" challenges will no longer be allowed. Nor I suspect will anything like "find 100 caches in a month" etc.

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A strange result of the rules it a streak of one cache per day during 30 days is ok
but 30 finds in a 30 day period is not

Answer 14

We like them as they give us something to work for and we plan some of our outings in advance in order to be able to work towards a cache. We recently worked for a whole year towards a 366 day streak and now qualify for a lot of 366 day challenges - it was NOT easy, but it WAS achievable. OK, we'll never manage some challenges, but there are so many to choose from, and with new challenge caches now allowed again, perhaps more achievable ones will appear, especially as the challenge setter has to have achieved his/her/their challenge.

Answer 15

Challenge-Caches where wished by the community to come back, but with new ruls, better transperency and some changes. The time will show us whether this type continue to exist.

Answer 16

I like challenges, but I think they should be a different kind of cache, as they are not Mistery in most cases.

Answer 17

Not really enjoy of that.

I've created about 30 challenges, but I think this is too much "do geocaching as I do".

But, now, the conditions are more restricted so it's a good thing as the obligation to have a checkeur which will limit new challenges for good ones.

Answer 18

great        `

Answer 19

I just adds another great and challenging aspect of geocaching

Answer 20

I have not seen any new challenge cache near my homezone yet.

I´m very excited about to see my first one.