Project-GC Q&A - Recent questions tagged elevation

Feature Request: Use corrected coordinates for Highest and Lowest Elevations stats section

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:32:29 +0000

Currently, the profile stats show the elevation of posted coordinates. This means that for most cachers, the lowest elevation list consists of mystery caches that have the posted coordinates in the sea. Making that part of statistics pretty much random.

E.g. On my profile, 9/10 caches in there show up as below sea level, although they are all actually above it.

Because PGC has the access to read corrected coordinates, I thought that maybe it's possible to implement that part of the stats to show them instead.

P.S. Alternatively, if for some reason this is not possible, could we get the option of manually excluding caches from only that part of stats, using a bookmark list?

P.P.S. Some people have raised the argument "But then I can just correct some cache coordinates to the middle of the ocean and get the deepest badge!"
This argument does not seem valid to me - bogus correcting like that would be no different than couch logging a random cache to claim some other badge - you are only cheating yourself this way, and it is not possible to enforce stopping it.
At the moment this stat is a bogus one for 90% of cachers anyway. By using corrected coordinates, it would become bogus for the 0.01% of cheaters, yes, but it would be correct for others. (Sorry for the rant)

GCADQCM Elevation Short By Over 2/3

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:37:48 +0000

Hi there,

I recently noticed that the Project-GC elevation for one of my caches, GCADQCM, is significantly off. PGC lists it at 641m, whereas its actual elevation is about 2100m. I understand that the elevation data can be off, but with this being such a significant difference I was wondering if it may be the result of a bug that can be fixed.

The cache is new, having been published just a month ago if that helps. Let me know if there's any other info you need!

Thanks,
-Bobby (garretslarrity)

elevation research

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 16:02:35 +0000

I have been looking at '123 steps to the top (Challenge)' GC7FTNP - and using the checker noted we are 8 levels missing -
so my query is - is there a tool to identify caches that fall within the missing levels (elevations) ?
for example I am missing a cache (Trad, multi or puzzle) that is hidden at elevation 830-839 m

Thanks

Tim

Elevation for GC3T13G - Der Schatz der weißen Falken

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 23:32:08 +0000

Not sure if this is a bug or not. But what happened to the elevation for this cache? It was my lowest by far, deeper than -100 meters. But now it's not even mentioned anymore in my Profile Stats / Finds / Highest and lowest elevations?

Elevation Issue for sea level Earthcache & Incorrect BadgeGen badge award

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 22:01:34 +0000

There is an Earthcache that is at sea level - you have to be on a ferry boat to do the earthcache. I found the following in the FAQ:

I found a cache with a faulty elevation
Sadly there are a lot of geocaches with these issues. The elevation data does not come from Geocaching.com since it doesn't have that data. We have therefore built our own SRTM-service for the purpose, it currently serves SRTM v3.0. As a fallback for the areas this doesn't cover, we use to OpenElevation (OpenStreetMap) and the Google Elevation API.
If you find that a value in Project-GC isn't correct. Please read below how our elevation data works, and also check other services like for example Geonames. If you find out that other services has about the same fault tolerance, then there is nothing to do.
We do not do manual changes in the data. But if you find an entry that seems to be off by a lot more than in other services, feel free to report it so that we can investigate.

The Earthcache in question is Fraser River Plume. I have checked on Geonames, and as the location is in the ocean, it returns -32768. Per their documentation for the SRTM3 API request:

ocean areas have been masked as "no data" and have been assigned a value of -32768

I think Project GC should use a value of ZERO for all locations that return -32768 as the elevation from the geonames API.

Everyone who has logged this Earthcache has been awarded (in error) the "Diamond Low Altitude Cacher" badge on the BadgeGen page in Profile Stats.

elevation model of Greenland?

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 05:55:34 +0000

It seems that something went wrong with the elevation model of Greenland. Since a few days I have some caches of Greenland with anormal elevation values (like GC1Y8EH or GC2AGQQ or GC20EV9 - all in the same area of middle west Greenland)

Maybe this free elevation model of Greenland will be a better major source:

Elevation Model of Greenland

free countrywide lidar data in PGC? (open data movement)

Mon, 04 May 2020 16:36:24 +0000

In the meantime, many countries have made their lidar elevation data available free of charge. Are there any efforts on the part of Project-GC to integrate these data, which are better in resolution and accuracy (in comparison to SRTM90) for the height information, into the height database?

Profile statistics: Wrong highest elevation

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 22:49:25 +0000

Hallo,

since today I have an error in may profile statistics: It shows a height of 2582 m instead of 1140 m (which was correctly shown a day before). Alleged I have reached a height of 2582 m concerning the cache GCB652 (its an archived virtual), but 762 m is correct. What happened? Where is the bug?
Greetings

Geo-Jitsu

Elevation of Cache GC38TF7

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 08:02:23 +0000

Hi GC Project Team,

Ive logged the cache GC38TF7 which is in mine in about 800m deepth.

But the cache isnt shown in my statistics so I asked the owner about the deepth of the cache and he pointed me to your FAQ about evelation.

Now my question: Can you fix the elevation/deepth of the cache GC38TF7?

Regards

X_Burner

Height of a Cache different for user

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 06:40:16 +0000

When a cache is specified at a depth of -4000m, noticed that he did not appear at all finders with this depth in the statistics. What can this be?

Elevation in Custom Filter

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 20:40:32 +0000

I'd like create Custom Filter with parameter Elevation. Will be this extension accessible in future?

Thanks.

How come the cache GC4C45 got an elevation of 794m in the project-gc-statistics when the cache is located at 1420m?

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:41:24 +0000

How come the cache GC4C45 got an elevation of 794m in the project-gc-statistics when the cache is located 1420m above sea level (and google seems to have the altitude correct)?

Wrong evalation on a logged mystery Cache

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 06:02:47 +0000

A friend of mine and me, we both logged the same geocache, but as i changed the Coordinates of the mytery - Cache (hidden from other) to the right position of the container and logged it, the Elevation is not shown.

As my friend did not change the Coordinates, the system set his found as the deepest found he could manage.

I realised that thing a little to late and setted the Coordinates back to Original, but the listed Elevation does not show up in my Statistik.

Also I managed to delete my log an set it again, but it did not help in that case.

Is there a possibility, to manage this, or can't there anything been done?

It is not a real hard problem, but I wonder about this.

If anyone has a suggestion, please contact me.

Thanks a lot

glastiger aka Albert

The elevation of GC1DD shows negative

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 23:01:08 +0000

GC1DD is the oldest BC cache (Canada) and is on a hill in Vancouver BC. However, the site shows it as my lowest cache at a negative 108 feet. Kind of think it's fairly wrong.

Highest elevation list is completely wrong. Is there a bug?

Sat, 11 Nov 2017 15:07:53 +0000

I have found at least a dozen caches above 1000 m, in Norway, Finland and on Iceland. But the highest listed is the higest elevation cache I found in the US, at just above 500 m.
I have checked the list for some of my friends, and they also lack their highest elevation caches. The only exception I found is one who had all his highest caches in the US.
The caches are not missing, e.g. my first FTF was 1200 m up,and it still is there. It is just that the high elevation list is wrong.
Looks like a bug.

why can't you use better elevation data?

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 00:10:23 +0000

I own several challenge caches that require people to find caches in certain elevation bands, GC3K0T3, GC3K0T7 and GC3K0T9. Recently it has come to my attention how bad the elevation data that project gc uses can be. I read the explanation in the FAQs tell where the data comes from but it doesn't really address why the site can't get better data. For example GCGTCH, It's a Long way up! is on the summit of Longs Peak in Colorado at 14,255 feet. The altitude the the site assigns to it is 13871, that's 384 feet lower than the actual elevation. Groundspeak wants us to use checkers on project gc but it's frustrating for owners and cachers alike when the data is that far off.

"Top of Europe", wrong elevations

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 16:02:23 +0000

Hello,

We visited 3 caches at the 'Top of Europe' in Switzerland. The elevations listed are too low. We read the FAQ considering elevation calculation and understand the problems regarding elevations. Still, there are differences between the srtm3 heights shown in geonames and the heights listed in Project GC.

GC39FJD http://api.geonames.org/srtm3?lat=46.54745&lng=7.98512&username=demo, result is 3466, listed in project GC is 3407
GC2QE08 http://api.geonames.org/srtm3?lat=46.54625&lng=7.98243&username=demo, result is 3396, listed in project GC is 3357
GC3MQT3 http://api.geonames.org/srtm3?lat=46.54753&lng=7.98165&username=demo, result is 3441, listed in project GC is 3414

The differences are not very large, but we still wonder what causes the differences. Are the SRTM3 data updated so often?

Refresh of Elevation data for Shetland needed

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 22:48:52 +0000

Looking at the top elevation report there are currently 164 caches >450m in UK/Northern Scotland/Shetland. The problem is that Shetland is very flat, the highest point in Shetland is only 450m yet the database is showing numerous caches at 4000+m this is wildly out.

I would recommend a refresh of the cache data for Shetland. Note there were about 200 caches published on a single day there so it could be that there was a glitch in the database around that time and all the caches newly published were affected.

Dramtically Incorrect Elevation

Sun, 30 Oct 2016 19:31:58 +0000

For some reason, this specific cache elevation is way off by 9,000 ft:
https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5X23B_whisker-lickin-fun

This cache shows as having an elevation of 9,288 ft while others in the immediate area show elevations of 300-500ft. The highest point in the US east of the Mississippi is in NC and there's virtual at https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC83EA_high-country with an altitude of 6,654 ft.

FAQ indicates "if you find an entry that seems to be off by a lot more than in other services, feel free to report it so that we can investigate." so I'm posting here in hopes maybe one of the other services has a more appropriate 9,000 ft adjustment for this spot.

Elevation filter for map compare

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:39:28 +0000

Since the data exists on other pages, would it be possible to have a filter for high/low elevation for map compare?

I.e. Elevation: [2000]m to [5000]m. Meters in free text.

Database of Cache elevation - what Database is being used?

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 19:27:21 +0000

I would like to know from where Project GC knows at which elevation a cache is. For example: If you were to place a Cache in an old mine, the hight shown would probably be the hight of the ground above and not the hight of the actual Cache. Is there a way to state at which hight a certain Cache actually is?

Thanks wwwde40

Is there a way to show the elevation of a cache?

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:28:36 +0000

I’ve just seen http://coord.info/GC3CZ38 which may be pretty high up, but seem to have no way to check the elevation information short of going there – neither Groundspeak nor Project-GC seem to be able to display it for arbitrary caches.

I know I’m able to find the highest/lowest-elevated cache for some region, but is there a way for PGC to display the number for arbitrary caches? (I know about the accuracy, from the PGC FAQ, but that’s okay, a rough number is just fine.)

Can incorrect cache altitude statistics be corrected?

Sat, 11 Jun 2016 11:42:49 +0000

I notice that the Project-GC stats show incorrect elevations for several local caches. How can incorrect elevations be reported/corrected? I'm particularly annoyed because two local caches which were/are below sea level are should be shown as being well above sea level.

Two caches which should be shown as below sea level:

Getting the Good Dirt GC28FKD - This cache is at minus 2 m. {See this topo map http://wams.org.nz/wams_desktop/index.aspx which shows the area near Dunedin airport below sea level.) Project-GC wrongly shows the cache as being 4 m.

Urban Macro peer Review GCYD7F - This was hanging from a pontoon 1.5 m below sea level. Project-GC wrongly shows it as being 4 m

Obviously puzzle icons out at sea are shown as being at 0 m elevation. But these are some puzzle icon elevations which need to be corrected on Project-GC:

Pick a Path GC26C37 which should be a "sea level start icon" but is wrongly shown as being at minus 15 m.

All the puzzle icons on Lake Waihola, eg Knowledge is Precious to Me GC65029 . Lake Waihola is at sea level, 0 m. However, all the puzzle icons are wrongly shown as being minus 1 m.

The reason for my question - I've been thinking of creating a challenge cache including a "below sea level" requirement. (Puzzles and multis would not be included because the start icons don't reflect the cache elevation.) However, this change to requiring a 'challenge checker' makes an 'altitude challenge' impossible because the Project-GC stats are incorrect for the two local caches which were or are actually below sea level.

Add >10,000 feet section to elevation chart

Sat, 12 Mar 2016 15:05:55 +0000

Currently the elevation chart only calculates finds up to 10,000 feet in elevation. Please add a section for elevations greater than or equal to 10,000 feet.

Elevation error in profile stats

Sat, 12 Mar 2016 14:19:29 +0000

There appears to be a discrepancy in how elevation is computed.

In one area of my profile, it shows three caches found with elevations over 10,000 feet; however, just below, it shows that I have found 24 over 10,000 feet. Both cannot be true.

Caches matching elevation?

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 05:57:20 +0000

I am looking for a way to find caches matching a specific elevation for a challenge (GC2V5HV, slightly difficult to write a checker for).

The nearest I can find is to use Statistics > Top elevation, but while that gives me a list of caches it does not say where they are - click each one is laborious. I can select Create A Map, but that maps only the top n caches, not the ones I might be interested in (eg at about 800m, which might be on page 20 of the results).

If there is no current way to find caches matching region + elevation, can we have a results and map page that provides this please? Perhaps an height filter in Live map would be an excellent way to do this (another dual slider similar to terrain slider, specify top and bottom limit, default -999 to +9999m)

Thanks, Tom

Top list by number of elevated caches found

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:31:27 +0000

Hi all,

an idea corresponding to the badge on Elevation : create a top list with people having logged the most of elevated caches (configurable by > 4000m, > 3500m, etc.)

Maybe it could be also done by the "Top finders" page through a custom filter (but I haven't found this one).

Thanks,

Tof

How elevation is computed ? Which SRTM tiles are used ?

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 07:53:27 +0000

Hi !

How elevation of caches are computed, are used this source http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html or NASA SRTM files ?

Elevation chart data

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 05:37:53 +0000

On the stats page there is the 'Elevation Chart' and it shows all of the caches found in the various elevation bands. Is there anyway to see the data behind this chart? There is an Elevation Band challenge that I would like to complete, but I need to gather the data for it. If I had the data that generates this chart, I think it would do the trick.

Is anyone aware of a Challenge Checker that could be used for GC1EMWD?

Sun, 05 Jul 2015 23:12:27 +0000

Hi,

Is anyone aware of a Challenge Checker that could be used for http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1EMWD_elevation-bands-challenge

Thanks in advance.

Allow some excepetions for cache elevation

Fri, 08 May 2015 14:42:12 +0000

I am wondering a little as I could not find this already here in the Q&As:

There are some caches which are in fact below 0m (I guess some diving caches as well as some cave caches).
I am well aware that PGC gets the elevation data from a third party site which does of course not consider these special circumstances but just returns the surface elevation for each set of coordinates.

However there are some functions relying on lowest elevation (like statistics and badges) on PGC.
Is there any technical possibility to create a list of exceptions (geocode) with either user defined elevation data or a local PGC database?

Of course the problem is: Who to get that data and how to maintain it...but maybe someone has an idea?

Here is an example of an earthcache located 800m below the surface at the listing coords:
http://coord.info/GC38TF7

I am sure this is not an easy thing to discuss and to solve, but I just want to give it as a feature request or a basis for discussion.

checker for GC4VKJK?

Sat, 28 Feb 2015 20:53:43 +0000

Hi. I'd like to link a checker for http://coord.info/GC4VKJK. You must have found either one cache which is at least 15 meters below sea level or at least 3 caches with the attribute "diving". Thank you, Frank

Is there a way to search or filter by elevation?

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 06:09:49 +0000

I'm trying to get some elevation caches for the "Badge Gen". Short of looking at each cache, with obvious mountain or water senarios self explanitory, is the another way to find different elevations? Help in any direction woulod be greatly appreciated.

Location data from Reverse (locationless) caches still included in some statistics

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:45:04 +0000

When I first started using project-gc, I got a lot of fancy badges that I may not have deserved. In particular, I got diamond in both "Head in the ground" and "The long distance cacher" and platinum in "Head in the clouds". This, it seemed, was due to the stats calculator using data from the type "Reverse (Locationsless) cache". After a while, my stats dropped a few points, since the data from the reverse caches were now left out of the calculation of badges and maps. That is OK, since I have never physically been anywhere near the listed coordinate for those caches.

The places the location data from reverse caches was left out were:

BadgeGen
Finds
- Most NSEW cache found
- Highest and lowest elevations
Maps

The places where it did appearently not get fixed:

Elevation chart (finds) (lists 2 caches > 2500m - not listed on BadgeGen or any other place)
Stats compare (premium feature) - (lists 13 countries where the count listed all other places is currently 10 (maps, badgegen))

This concludes the bug-report portion of this post. How to handle it is essentially a feature-request. Read on for proposed solutions.

I realize that because of the special nature that surrounds the Reverse caches and the fact that people who have found them are relatively rare makes them a low priority when implementing functionality on the website. I just thought that it would be a good idea to address the problem of the locationless caches by doing one of the following:

1: Eleminate all location-based data from locationsless caches

Eliminate them from any statistics calculation that involves anything that has to do with location since they are locationless. That is:

Traveled distance (cache-to-cache distance)
Distance from home
All elevation-related
Visited areas (counties/states/countries)

2: Use actually visited location

An alternative that will require more work: Everybody logging a reverse cache had to post a coordinate along with their log. The whole point of those were to locate some object described in general in the cache description and then post its coordinates along with photos of the object. If you have full access to the logs, the coordinates that the individual finder has been to will be there along with his or her log.

I realize that this will be more work, but it will be more representative of where the caches has actually physically been to. Consider it another feature-request (hence the tag) for a week with multiple thursdays in it :)

caches with a elevation >5000m?

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:41:00 +0000

it is only a question and maybe the section can be add into the elevation chart of the profil statistic. The elevation chart ends with the latest section <5000m. What happen with caches over 5000m? Will they be ignored or will they be count in the 5000m section?

A cache I have logged is not shown in the elevation statistics. On my friends statistics, it's showing.

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 22:51:37 +0000

I have logged GCB652 (Europaeische Paesse (2582 m)), but it's not showing on my "Highest and lowest elevations" in the Stats page. It should be on second place. On my friends (Team Thoresen) page, it's showing as it should.

I know the cache might be exempt, because it's by definition a locationless, even though it's virtual. That don't explain why it's showing on a friends stats page, and not mine.

When I ran a challenge checker (http://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC4T9FB/1905), it included the cache, but why isn't it showing in the stats on my profile, when it's showing on his? :)

Please help.

- Vatvedt

My hides not showing on 'top elevation'

Sun, 11 Jan 2015 19:41:16 +0000

Basically, nothing shows up when I search caches by elevation, filtering to only show caches that I've hidden. I'd quite like to see the elevation for each of my caches, but I can't :(

Checker request - found a cache with elevation higher than 500m (GC5AB9P)

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 12:55:39 +0000

Cache detail here, pls help.
http://coord.info/GC5AB9P

Elevation list for all caches found by user

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:35:35 +0000

Is it possible to add a feature to the 'Top elevation' cache stats so that I can filter by caches that I've found? I'd like to be able to see all the caches I've found, sorted by elevation. I tried putting my username in there, along with 'hide not found', but it showed no results. Similarly, 'hide found' showed all caches.

How can I produce a list of the number of caches I have found for elevation groups - GC4PGYY

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:25:08 +0000

Abilitity to fix elevation data manually

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 10:24:34 +0000

It's a rule that elevation data for highest peaks given by some API (e.g. Google) are significantly wrong. Resolution used is simply too low for high mountains to determine if cache is up there on the peak or hundreds of metres lower in deep valley. This skews quite much statistics about highest located caches - often hundreds of metres down.

In GSAK I have an option to correct elevation data manually, but don't know what would be the best solution for project-gc.