BASIC INFO
Where: Ashridge Estate, north of Berkhamsted, Herts, UK. HP4 1LX. Approx. 30 miles/50Km Northwest of central London. As used for filming Harry Potter, Maleficent, The Descent and more.
When: Sunday July 31st 2016 9am-11pm.
What: An International Celebration of Geocaching, inspired by a certain sporting event. While it's not a competitive game/hobby/pastime/obsession as such, we know lots of cachers like to stretch - or challenge - themselves and we're setting up caches, series and features to help you do just that around the Geolympix.
Who: Geocachers! The 5,000 acre (2,000 hectare) woodland site is GeoDog and GeoKid friendly and there are toilets, parking for those less able and various food vendors very close to the event. We pride ourselves on being very welcoming to new cachers and those new to cache events. We'll also be introducing 'muggles' (non-geocachers) to this great, family-friendly pastime.
Why: The original 2012 Geolympix was never intended to be a one-off, and now it's back! Any excess funds to The National Trust, Geolympix Legacy and the UK Maze Fund, to help support the GPS Maze, which is coming to the North Wales Mega, being held the weekend after the Geolympix.
How: Getting to the Geolympix is easy. It's close to the M1 (J8-11) or M25 (J20, A41) and is a two mile/3Km walk from Tring railway station. There's ample free parking. London Luton International airport is close-by too.
The 172-step, 108 feet (33 m) tall Bridgewater Monument in the heart of the Ashridge Estate
FEATURES
Caches: These woods are home to GC177, Europe's 9th oldest cache. It's also England's 2nd oldest (after GC171, set the same day at Coombe Hill, approx 8m/13Km away) and Britain/UK's 3rd oldest. (GCF0 - Scotland's First is the UK's oldest)
There's also GC18BC, the oldest Puzzle/Mystery/Unknown in the whole of the UK!
Challenges: Our 11-in-11 icon challenge (find 11 different cache types in 11 hours) was a huge hit at the 2012 Geolympix. This year, we're setting an even harder challenge; the AlphaBet You Can't Challenge! Find a minimum of 26 caches, each starting with a different letter, on the 31st, or whenever you prefer. Other Geolympix Challenges include finding every cache size in a day, the return of the Icon Challenge (unofficially!) or just spell your caching name with caches. These are optional tasks for any cachers willing to "Accept the Challenge!"
Also, don't miss the ten excellent Geolympix Lab Caches, going live at 10am on the day. Most are live from 10am-9pm, but one is live from 2pm-5pm only, and another can be solved until the end of August. Log them online at https://labs.geocaching.com/goto/geolympix2016 before August 31st is over too!
Competitions: As well as a Geocaching Poetry Competition, we're running a Geocaching Film Festival, holding The National Geocaching Awards, inviting you to get lost in our 'treemendous' Woodland Labyrinth and giving you a chance to find some memorable, quirky photo-opportunity caches, so bring your camera/phone. There's also a vendor village for all your caching needs (caches, coins, other trackables, UK Cache Mag) and so on.
Additional Features: We can offer visitors to the area a lot more than just (just?!) caching. Landmarks and tourist attractions for the non-cachers in the family may enjoy near by free-to-visit joys such as Berkhamsted Castle, picturesque Aldbury (as seen in Midsomer Murders & various films), Tring's outstanding Natural History Museum and/or Pitstone Windmill. For cachers, don't miss drsolly's Chiltern Hundreds series at Chesham, to the south, as well as the Geolympix Cyclerama, Solar System and Marathon series. Others have been set for the 2016 Geolympix - as stand alone caches and series, plus puzzles, etc.
Bring your bike. The Ashridge Estate is huge and the Chilterns Cycleway passes through & around it
THE 2016 GEOLYMPIX EVENT TIMETABLE (subject to change):
7am: The Ashridge venue opens for exhibitors & team for setting up.
9am The 2016 Geolympix opens to the caching public! There will be a log book to sign.
10am Lab Caches go live, plus welcome speech by the 2016 Geolympix Team, inc. Will Attend log prize draw/announcement.
10.30am Geocaching Film Festival begins in the 'Community Hub room' (just follow signs).
12noon FTF Caches info released; Good luck in the FTFrenzy!
4pm The Cache of Dreams awarded to one Attendee (no entry fee)
4.30pm Film Showing ends, replaced by Geolympix Talk: DrSolly’s Q&A. Learn the efficiency tricks of one of the UK's leading cache finders.
5.30pm The National Geocaching Awards open. Help us celebrate the best in British & Irish Caching! (In the Community Hub room if wet, outside if not.)
7.30pm Awards ceremony ends.
8pm Cafe closes, so head towards 'At the End of the Day...' Sunset gathering at Ivinghoe Beacon, close by. Sun down at 8:49pm)
9pm The 2016 Geolympix officially closes.
9.15-11pm Night caching! (Or please be quiet and leave the Ashridge Estate in orderly fashion.)
11pm Everyone off-site please. People will be tired and will want to go home :)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GEOLYMPIX.
Online: Geolympix.org - Twitter/Geolympix - Facebook.com/groups/Geolympix2016 - National Trust's Ashridge page.
Or at Pre-Geolympix Events:
GC54AXR - Geolympix 2016 Discussion Meet #1 - July 26th 2014
GC5WW4G - Geolympix 2016 Launch Picnic! - July 26th 2015
GC60YFN - BAD Zoot, Naughty Zoot! Aka Geolympix Countdown 11 - Aug 27th 2015
GC62F9D - Geolympix Countdown 10: Avebury Circle - Sept 21st 2015
GC6361H - BBH#94 Bordering on No Roads! Aka Geolympix Countdown 9 - Oct 21st 2015
GC669Y7 - Geolympix Countdown 8: Swansea - Nov 19th 2015
GC67RQD - Geolympix Countdown 7: Coombe Hill - Goodbye 2015! - Dec 31st 2015
GC67C85 - Roundabout MK Meets #8 - Geolympix Countdown 6 - Jan 5th 2016
GC6A0P7 - Geolympix Countdown 5: Lincoln - Feb 18th 2016.
GC6A937 - Geolympix Countdown 4: Amsterdam - March 14th 2016.
GC6FRDJ - Geolympix Countdown 3: AdderBADy - April 30th 2016.
GC6DEH3 - Geolympix Countdown 2: Above London Again! - May 7th 2016.
GC6J7RH - Geolympix Countdown 1: Finchampstead - June 23rd 2016 .
Praise for the 2012 Oxford Geolympix: Please read visitors' logs!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NATIONAL GEOCACHING AWARDS.
Voting was open to resident geocachers of Britain and Ireland and closed at the end of June, with over 17,880 votes cast by 1,441 cachers across 24 categories. The winners were announced at the Geolympix from 5.30pm, outside as numbers demand it and the weather is ok! The NGAs results follow:
The awards went very well in front of a crowd of over 100 geocachers at Ashridge. In the order they were presented, not voted on, the very worthy winners of the inaugural National Geocaching Awards are as follows...
Winner of the Best New Cache of 2015, sponsored by Starstruck Essex, was Kate's BINARY challenge No6 & MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - GC64BH0.
The Geocache Land Award for Outstanding Newbie was won by icklelego, for filling their D/T grid in 6 months, enthusiasm, streaking & fearlessness.
The GeoPaul Award for Best New Geocoin of 2015 was won by North Wales 2016 Mega Celtic Ddraig Geocoin.
The Podcache Show Presents the Most Memorable Trackable Award, which was won by MEGA Slate Eclectic Penguin Geocoin.
The 'Gone But Not Forgotten' Award for the Best Archived Cache was won by The Tin Pan Alley Band - GC2C1NN.
The Best Cache Listing Award, sponsored by Essex Caching Royalty was won by I Challenge You to Play... CACHEBUSTERS! - GC2JQNW.
The Geocaching Gloucestershire Facebook Group Award for Best Night Cache was won by If you go down to the woods tonight... GC653XA.
The Extraordinary Award for Best Non-Physical Cache, sponsored by The League of Extraordinary Cachers was won by Ghost Village (Wiltshire) - GCKCJV.
The 'Weird but Nice' Award for Best Cache Event, sponsored by Lloyds aka liberal giraffe was won by the UK Mega Essex 2015- 8th Annual Mega - GC53P8F.
The Best Extreme Cache Award, sponsored by the Scottish Geocachers Facebook Group was won by Flotsam & Jetsam EXTREME - GC15J1D.
The Best Online Log Award, sponsored by Devon UK Mega 2017 was won by Doggywalker finds Aquachippy's Birthday Bubbles.
The Best Cache Log Photo Award, sponsored by Essex Cachers was won by icklelego's Dusk Crosses at Eaglais agus Tur.
The 'Cachey McCacheface Award' for Funniest Cache Name was won by Stiffy By The Liffey.
The Billy Twigger Memorial Award for Best Individual Cache Series was won by Run Around's Ramble.
The Best National Series Award, sponsored by Essex Geeocachers Facebook Group, was won by the Church Micro Series.
The UK Cache Mag Award for Best Supplier of Caching Goods was won by Pulse72Geocaching.
The ManxGeocaching Award for Best Geocaching Resource was won by Project-GC.
The NE Geocaching Supplies Award for Best Social Mediaist was won by The Podcache Show.
The Young Cacher of the Year Award sponsored by Geocache Land was won by Ryo62.
The Geocaching Junkie Award for Special Geocaching Achievement was won by Sadexploration for beginning the Church Micro series.
The 'Extra Love' Award for Most Helpful Reviewer was won by Church Warden.
The GAGB Award for Most Helpful Landowner or Management Authority was won by The National Trust, accepted by Ashridge NT Head Ranger on their behalf.
The Ashridge Estate National Trust Award for The Geocacher of the Year was won by GeoCass for her help on 'rescuing' the 2015 Essex Mega & chairing their committee.
The Geolympix Award for Best Geocaching was won by Europe's First - GC43.
Unvoted upon: the Hall of Fame for late cachers who contributed to the game in Britian & Ireland. Awarded to Billy Twigger as the Thank You Award.
Our heartfelt congratulations to all of the winners & sincere thanks to everyone who suggested categories, nominated & voted for the NGAs. Also huge thanks to everyone who sponsored the awards. You made them very glossy & beautiful.
For those shortlisted as finalists but who didn't win, we say Maybe Next Time? For those nominated but not shortlisted, we say the same thing. Good luck in 2017 (TBC)
Learn more via Twitter/GeocacheAwards - Facebook.com/groups/GeocachingAwards - Geolympix.org/Awards.
