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THE NORTHERNMOST SUNDIAL IN THE WORLD Mystery Cache

Hidden : 8/29/2009
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:

DO NOT GO TO THE LISTING CO-ORDINATES AS THERE IS NOTHING TO DO WITH GEOCACHING THERE. PLEASE READ THE CACHE DESCRIPTION TO SEE WHERE TO FIND THE SUNDIAL! THE REVIEWER SAID IT IS TOO CLOSE TO CACHE "GCNZEM" TO BE USED AS THE LISTING CO-ORDS!! AT THE FINAL SITE PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT DESTROY THE CAIRN.... USE THE HINT!!

Svalbard´s first Mystery cache is based on the world's most northerly sundial which is at N 78 13.336 E 015 37.792 where there is a visitors log book you can sign. This interesting sundial could lead you to another interesting feature not too far away where the final box is hidden and the proper log book for this cache.

The world's most northerly sundial (which is located at N 78 13.336 E 015 37.792) was made by Louise Rigotti from Australia, and was officially "opened" during the "Solfestuka" in 2004. "Solfestuka" is a week of celebration for the return of the sun in Longyearbyen, after 4 months of darkness. The company Store Norske, which funded the sundial and whose land it is on, have kindly given their permission for it to be used as a geocache.

The figures you need for the final co-ordinates are on the stainless steel disc at the top of the sundial so no pictures of its face in the logs or gallery please!!

Here are the questions necessary to work out the final co-ordinates:-

A is the 2 digit number underneath the name of the sundial designer.
B The sundial was made in England at "????? Sundials". B is the number of letters in the place ????? it was made.
C Look at the graph for Moon Shadow Adjustment. C is the largest number of days on the horizontal axis and
D is the largest number of hours on the left hand vertical axis.
E is the number of lines of poetry there are above the gnomon.
F is the date in March (Mars) that features on the sundial next to "Soldagen" and
G is the number of hills shown on this part of the engraving.

The final cache is to be found at N 78 13 . (D-A-F) (F) (E+G) E 015 3 (A+C-B) . (D/2) (3G) (B-2G)

CHECKSUM: Total of the minutes North digits is 19 and the minutes West digits is 32

I had hoped to make the sundial (which wasn´t mentioned in the Brandt travel guide) the first part of a multicache because, not only is it a beautiful and interesting feature, but it would have been one of the few Svalbard cache which wheelchair users could reach and sign, being right next to a tarmac road at a reasonable height. Alas it is too close to an existing cache GCNZEM "At the Governors" to allow it to be used as the listing co-ordinates!!
However, the Sysselmann's office has placed a container with some information about the sundial and a log book for visitors to sign by the sundial so you can log your visit in that BUT IT IS NOT A GEOCACHE SO I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND LEAVING ANYTHING OTHER THAN YOUR SIGNATURE IN THAT BOX!!!

Alas the nanocache that I placed at the final co-ordinates high up on a nearby hillside did not survive the winter (possibly blown or avalanched away) but the new final cache is much closer to the town.

Well done to Mhn for being the first to reach the original final cache site and being eligible to claim the FTF.

I did make arrangements with a local person, an armed guides who climbed this mountain regularly, to perform any necessary maintenance but alas they no longer live and work on Svalbard.
So I say a huge THANK YOU to Rande and Per (prame) from Norway who helped get this cache back to being a true multicache during their visit in 2013 by finding a suitable new spot for a small clip 'n lock ‘Final’ cache box that I sent them.
Also Azulka and Hloust for replacing the broken cache container in September 2017 and Dingmiller who put 2 !! new logs books in place. Most recently (Feb 2024) FlensNL helped by putting a fresh log sheets in place What would we do without such “White Knights of Geocaching”? I’m truly grateful to them.


Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ng gur onpx oruvaq fbzr fgbarf.

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)