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DUNMAIL RAISE Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 3/14/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

A drive by. There is no need to walk along the road - there is a style into, and another out of, the field for the short walk to the cache.

North of Grasmere the A591 road climbs the steep slopes to Dunmail Raise before descending to the banks of Thirlmere and continuing north to Keswick.

Folklore: In AD 945 the armies of the Saxon King Edmond and the Scottish King Malcolm joined forces to fight Dunmail, the last King of Cumberland, and won. It is said that Edmond himself killed Dunmail and his body is beneath the cairn (raise) at the highest point of the pass between Grasmere and Thirlmere - Dunmail Raise.

As Dunmail lay dying he shouted, "My crown - bear it away; never let the Saxon flaunt it" for it was known that whoever wore the crown of Dunmail would succeed to the Kingdom of Cumbria. The King's personal body guard removed the crown from the head of their dying monarch and with unprecedented gallantry fought their way through the Saxon lines and bore his crown up the fell to Grisedale Tarn, where they threw it into the depths. They said, "Till Dunmail come again to lead us."

Each year, on the anniversary of the King's death, his warriors return to the tarn. The crown is retrieved and carried back to the cairn of stones under which their beloved Dunmail lies. In turn, the warriors knock with their spears on the topmost stones of the cairn. From that grave a voice cries out. "Not yet; not yet - wait a while my warriors." The day is yet to come when the spirit of Dunmail will re-join his warriors and crown a new King of Cumbria.

The cache is hidden on the verge opposite the cairn.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Znapurfgre Pbecbengvba Jngre Jbexf jvyy nffvfg lbh V’z fher.

Decryption Key

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

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)