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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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There's only an English description available because I don't speak Spanish nor Catalan.
While looking for this multicache, you will visit some very beautiful places in the natural park of Cap de Creus, continental Spain's most easterly point. This cache may well be continental Spain's most easterly cache!
If you ask yourself:
"Why is in this description so funny English used?"
It is because English is not my native tongue, please bear with me.
If there are misunderstandings or ambiguities possible because of this, I apologise and would appreciate it if you could suggest a re-phrasing to me.
You might consider using a topographical map. There's an excellent one of Cap de Creus in a scale of 1:25000 available at local stationery shops. It isn't really needed, but it may help with the detective work for the third leg. It works real well with a GPS setting of UTM grid (position format) on European projection (map datum).
You will have a hard time trying to find the cache in one day. To show you many aspects of Cap de Creus, the four points are some distance apart (road-wise). Each one is well worth spending some time at, as well as the footpaths are worth tarrying on. However, each single point can be visited very easily on one short winter afternoon from a "central" place like El Port de la Selva or Cadaqués. So, this cache is made especially for those who spend some days on the northern end of Costa Brava.
You can visit the different points in any order you like (except, of course, go to the cache site last, or else you won't find it!). You should definitely seize this opportunity and go to the place listed first here on a clear day. This is highly recommended!
Finding the three intermediate points involves some detective work on how to get there. A map or asking a local might help. At the first point it is very easy to find a parking place. For the second, a parking place may be a little bit harder to choose. For the third, I won't give any coordinates at all, you'll have to find it by yourself! But all this isn't really difficult. In each case, you will walk for about an hour from a place where you can leave the car to your destination. Sometimes, you can get very much closer with a bicycle.
Even if you fail finding the cache or one of the intermediate points, you should have a nice time.
All coordinates are WGS84!
1. Go to
N 42°19.217'
E 03°10.052',
preferrably on a clear day!
You can get here by walking or by parachute.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL! YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE SMALL CHILDREN HERE!
Here, you must determine the numbers a and b.
You will find the remnants of an old church in half-circular shape.
There are some holes in the wall were once wooden bars were set.
How many of them are still filled with wood? Let this number be called 'a'.
How many fire slits (loop holes) are there in the tower nearby?
(This is half as many as loop holes on ground level just inside the "main gate" of the ruins, on the left when entering). This is number 'b'.
2. Go to
N 42°16.255'
E 03°17.256'.
You can get here by walking or by boat.
In summer, you should bring beach equipment. There's a nice swimming bay on the way!
There's a building there. You must determine c, d, e and f.
'c' is the number of iron spears arranged in (nearly) a half-circle above the door.
Count the metal noses that are placed all around the tower wall just beneath the glass section. This is 'd'. While counting, don't trip into the remnants of the toilet which you still can see on the floor behind the building ;-)
On top of the tower there is a vane with a year number, 19ef.
Now, turn back the way you came, but after a few strides, take the descending path on the right and walk the stairs all the way down. We were quite surprised when we first came down to here! A little bit like in the game Riven.
Determine g and h.
'g' is the number of metal hooks screwed to concrete on the floor.
'h' is the number of steps of the lowest stairway (including the turn).
3. Visit the Hermitage Sant Baldiri de Taballera.
You can get here by walking or by bike.
Hint: this Sant Baldiri is named after the creek in his vicinity.
Five numbers: i, j, k, m, and n.
There is an information-board which tells two century numbers in roman numerals. The smaller number is 'i', the larger 'j'.
'k' is the number of stone bridges that lead from the path to the building, crossing a small ditch.
'm' is the number of stone arcs in the big room that are still intact.
'n' is the number of steps of the stairway from the ground floor to the choir-loft.
If you have a little more time, you can continue on the path a little bit (around the bamboo patch). It leads to the brook which runs beautifully down over a very romantic rock formation.
4. After having counted so much, it is time to do some calculations.
Go to some calm place, enjoy some Pescador or local red wine and calculate the capital letter variables:
A=a-g
B=j/2
C=b
D=k
E=n-d
F=n-h
G=h-e
H=a+b
I=c-a
J=g+b
K=i/2
L=e-f
M=d+e-h
N=m
O=a+k+m-f
P=g+f
If you want, you can get a little more confidence in your calculations like this:
By associating the following numbers with the corresponding letter of the alphabet in the usual order (a is 1, ..., z is 26), you should obtain the name of the place where the cache is hidden:
N+A
K+L-B
L+M+N
P-O
B+G
B+P
3*P
3*G-F
A :-)
2*O+2*F
K+L+M
5. Park your vehicle at
N 42°AB.CDE'
E 03°FG.HIJ'.
Follow the path until you come to a chasm where once stood a stone bridge. A few meters up the river you can easily go down and cross the chasm.
Cache is hidden at
N 42°AB.KLM'
E 03°FG.NOP'
Good Luck!
The initial cache contents is:
- notebook
- pen and sharpener
- Cadaqués pottery
- Dalí postcard
- little Cadaqués ship
- candle with pre-used and known-to-work lighter
Big thanks to Tillmann and Rüdiger for helping with hiding this cache!
*** Enjoy Cap de Creus!! ***
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Sebz gur uvturfg cynpr lbh unir gur orfg ivrj...