CC13 Mynydd Meio (RVR13) Multi-cache
Write and Mane: Collected the muggled container today, making an early start to avoid the midday heat. Another one bites the dust!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This thirteenth cache of the “Caerphilly Collection” involves a minimum walk of about 2 miles mainly on good tracks, but occasionally steep or boggy, with about 400' of ascent. Two virtual caches lead to the final regular cache in a small plastic box. The trail will take you along part of the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Footpath to a vantage point overlooking Caerphilly (and its Castle) and the Aber Valley.
The Caerphilly Collection is distinguished with a unique CC number and is made up of 50 caches. The caches vary in difficulty and type and usually have other “C” word connections – castle, cheese, coal, canal, etc. There may even be Cryptic Clues for Clever Clogs! The current Caerphilly unitary authority grew out of the former Rhymney Valley and Islwyn Councils and stretches from the outskirts of Cardiff and Newport in the south to the Brecon Beacons, north of Rhymney. Despite a past dominated by coal and heavy industry, it has a diverse history and varied and dramatic scenery. We hope you will enjoy exploring it with us.
Towards the end of the Collection is CC48 The Accumulator, the location of which is given in coded form. The translation details of the code are distributed around the whole Collection, but only about a third of the caches will contain a piece of the code, which is on the back of the Log Book. To do the Accumulator, you will need to keep a note of each piece of code that you find. Unless you are very lucky, you will need to find the majority of the Collection in order to do the Accumulator. The Accumulator cache is hidden in an area of difficult terrain and demanding navigation, with a 5,4½ rating.
CC13 is also the thirteenth of a subset of the main series around the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway (RVR) Footpath. In this case, CC could also stand for contemplate Caerphilly.
Parking is available at N51 35.189 W003 17.033. Initially, views are over the Taff Valley - pick out the Taff Ely Wind Farm and, roughly north-east, the “beheaded pyramid” that is the reclaimed spoil heap above Tylorstown in the Rhondda Fach. Between the two virtual caches, the Senghenydd Dyke appears again, initially running north-west, then later, north-east. Between these points, the Dyke is more or less following the present boundary. The Dyke enclosed the upper 3 miles of the Aber Valley as a deer park for Caerphilly Castle – its size can be appreciated from the eastern side of Mynydd Meio.
In the following, VC stands for Virtual Cache and RC for Regular Cache.
VC1 is at the coordinates given above for the cache. There is a four digit number (prefixed by a letter) on a plate here. The first two digits are both W. The last two are both X.
VC2 is at N51 3a.bc1 W003 1d.ef6, where:
a = X - 3
b = W - 2
c = W + 1
d = X – W
e = W – 1
f = X
There is a silver coloured two digit number here, YZ.
RC3 is at N51 3g.hj9 W003 1g.km4, where:
g = Z – 2Y
h = Y - 1
j = g - Y
k = g + j
m = Z
You should be able to pick out the Castle in the centre of Caerphilly. The surrounding ridges are those mainly followed by the Ridgeway Footpath. Why not follow this on to Groeswen and then follow the road back to the start, a circular walk of about 4 miles, with an additional 200’ of ascent. If you are feeling more energetic, go on to the outskirts of Caerphilly, then use the Three Castles and Taff Trails (and a steep climb back to the start) for an 8 mile walk with about 1000’ of ascent in total. If you are looking for more excitement, but less walking, the Taff Vale Quad Bike and Activity Centre is about ¼ mile as the crow flies west of the parking spot - but it is quite pricey: Quad Bikes are about £25 per person per hour.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)