On top of Ma'unga Terevaka lies a cave with a Make-Make carved/painted mask. Make-Make in the Rapa Nui mythology of Easter Island, is the creator of humanity, the god of fertility and the chief god of the "Tangata manu" or bird-man cult (this cult succeeded the island's more famous Moai era).
The hike is mostly performed on an old 4x4 dirt road or parts of a trail. You can make the ascent from a few different areas around the highest mountain of the island, but the most practical one would be from the proposed trailhead coordinates. It gently goes up for about 4km and would take between 2 and 3 hours for the round-trip to the summit where you'll be able to enjoy a 360 degrees view of the island (and realize you're standing on a speck in the ocean). About 1km before you arrive to the summit, there will be a swamp area near a small patch of trees on your right. You can follow a side trail by the fence and towards the forested area. The cave is midway between the top and bottom of the small cliff surrounded by trees.
In order to log a find on this virtual cache, please do the following:
- Include a picture of you or your GPS with the mask carving/painting in the background in your log (please avoid touching the rock, this is old and fragile); and
- In front of the cave entrance, there is a large boulder with carvings on its face. Send me a private message (on geocaching.com or by email) with the general direction the carvings are oriented in (do not include this information in your log - in words or images)
Optionally, make a face on your picture.
Please do not touch or alter any of the features you will find/see on the island.
The entire island is considered being a National Park, so don't forget to buy your entrance ticket at the airport or in Hanga Roa (at the time of this writing, it was $80USD/adult and $40USD/child - valid for 10 days after its first use).
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.