Dinosaurs to Sisyphus Multi-cache
espargosas: The rock of Sisyphus was removed by a determined muggle as it would have required strength and a truck to take it away. A pity!
Espargosas
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A 'granny-friendly' series of clues leading to a cache with a spectacular view. Allow 3+ hours. Motoring distance about 56 km with start-point Lagos. Best to do Stage 1 at medium/low tide.
You should NOT decypher the reverse order messages in stages 1 and 2 below unless you are prepared to accept defeat in finding the three challenging mini micro caches. If you accept this ignominy you will need a ruler or tape measure to complete the exercise.
Stage 1, site A. Go back in time to the Barremian Age, 124 and 119 million years ago. At the above coordinates you will find 7 tracks/footprints made by 3 individual dinosaurs, one heading south and the other two northeast. They were bipedal (two-legged) tridactyls (three-toed) theropods (carnivores). They had sharp claws at the ends of long, narrow digits, v-shaped heels and held their tails in the air. The height of their hips ranged from approximately 74cm to 1.13m. One individual was walking at approximately 3.5 km/hour. Northing only coordinates for the next stage are duplicated on a stone and a plastic disk. Incidentally, when these footprints were made you would now be standing in Africa or Europe, take your pick.
Opt-out: Note length of footprints in cm and assign resultant two digits A and B. (B is greater than A by 1).
Calculate northing only for Stage 2 - ‘]A-B[]1+B2[]B+A2[.]B2+A[0 º73 N
Next, proceed to Stage 1, site B at N 37º 03.860’; W 008º 49.612’ which is not far away along the beach. Here find 12 tracks larger than those you saw previously. These were made by one bipedal, tridactyl Iguanodontid (large ornithopod). This herbivore or plant-eater was walking northwestwards. These tracks show short, rounded digits with no claws and U-shaped heels. The footprints were slightly rotated inwards indicating the dinosaur was pigeon-toed. This meant that the dinosaur’s hips swiveled with each stride. The tracks are aligned almost one in front of the other forming a straight line. This meant that the dinosaur stood upright with its legs positioned directly underneath its body. Its hip height was approximately 2.48m and it had an approximate body length (from top of head to tip of tail) of 6 to 7 meters. It was walking at the leisurely speed of 1.66 km/hour. Westing only coordinates for the next stage are triplicated on: a stone, a plastic disk, and in a rubber tube. Opt-out: Note length of footprints in cm and assign resultant two digits C and D. (C is greater than D by 2).
Calculate westing only for Stage 2: ']1-A[]1-D4[]1+D+C[.]1+C2[]1-C[ º800 W
Stage 2. You are now invited to leap forward in time to about 6-5000 BCE. Follow the coordinates you obtained in Stage 1 and note the massive stone within the property facing you. You can get a better view from the neighbouring driveway. The property’s name relates to the name, in Portuguese, that is given to this type of stone that was erected and fashioned with hieroglyphic ‘waves’ about this time. A mini micro cache that leads you to Stage 3 is located in the wall. The persistence of Sisyphus may be required (see final stage).
Opt-out: .’BIG.DG º800 W ;JJI.BF.70 º73 N :setanidrooc egats txen eht uoy evig ot gniwollof eht ot ylppA .rebmun gnissim eht ot J etacolla dna I ot A srebmun eseht etangiseD .gniniamer srebmun 9 ni gnitluser srebmun taeper eteleD .srebmun 81 evah won dluohs uoY .62=Z ,1=A no desab rebmun gnitluser a rettel hcae ngissa dna ytreporp eht fo eman rettel-11 ,dedrow-owt eht ekaT
Stage3. Now proceed to the coordinates that you have just obtained at Stage 2. Here, although you may not recognize it as such, you will find another stone of the same classification as the one you have just viewed. But this one is probably the oldest of its type ever found in Europe. Just a few years ago, carbon dating was carried out on sediments in the implantation pits beneath this stone that determined it to have been fashioned about 9000 years ago. Now walk 35 meters on a bearing of 30º East of North to yet another stone that lies at the foot of a ‘twisted dolman’ which, if you search diligently will yield a mini micro giving the coordinates for the next and final cache.
Stage 4. If, on April 1st 501 B.C.E. Athenians had found the headline ‘SISYPHUS ATTAINS SUMMIT’ blazoned across their copy of ‘The Hermes Herald’ they would surely have been stunned. Indeed, Zeus himself would have been outraged and might well have unleashed a thunderbolt on the editor’s head. Your task is to determine the truth behind this journalistic scoop and whether Sisyphus’ persistence over the years had indeed paid off. Sisyphus was a sly fellow and his slyness contributed to the predicament in which he found himself. So, take care not to fall for any traps he might have set you. You could, however, form your own opinion regarding the article’s statement that the views that Sisyphus found at the summit were stupendous. If Sisyphus did indeed reach the summit he certainly showed remarkable persistence. Maybe you will need to emulate him.
At the coordinates that you obtained at Stage 3 you should find a four-legged monster that is truly shocking! At this site there is something that may be of assistance to you in opening the cache. Please return it after use. Now walk 7.50m on a bearing of 78º west of north where there is evidence (the final cache) of the veracity or otherwise of The Hermes Herald’s story.
Bear in mind that you will not have officially achieved your objective unless you have filed your report in the logbook that is provided. Please admit your use of opt-outs in the log-book!
Original contents: International postage stamps; Smiley face; 1 Xilb coin; King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) cap-badge; Sailor-boy toggle; Minnesota Travel Coin
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)