Summer Geocache Challenge

On the official re-opening day of the town centre in June, the outdoor market garnered a good amount of attention. Far fewer people came to see what events were held at Llanelli Library. In a small room at the end of Vaughan Street, an intriguing project of the Council's Regeneration and Leisure department was quietly unveiled. Throughout the day, those curious enough to enter the Library were greeted by Carmarthenshire's select team of geocaching experts.

Geo-wha?

A Geocache is a kind of treasure. All over the world, every day, individuals set out to search for and plant new geocaches. These 'treasures' could be anything, usually concealed in water-tight containers, and their locations are indexed through numerous apps and websites using GPS data. Geocaching enthusiasts depend on mobile technologies to locate them and, once successful in their quest, may be encouraged to sign a log book, contribute to the online indexes with personal testimonies and difficulty ratings, or to notify other 'cachers of changes in the geocache's location/condition/contents, etc.

Yes, things can, and do, change frequently in the world of geocaching. In some cases, instructions found inside will ask people to swap items or transfer the contents to a fresh location. Many geocache items have travelled the entire planet. There's even one hidden on board the international space station.

Returning to the land of the Tin Dragon, we can expect to see increasing opportunities for outdoor pursuits around Carmarthenshire this summer. One Council-backed initiative, the Carmarthenshire Summer Geocache Challenge, is part of a wider effort to encourage people to get outdoors, to enjoy better fitness and to become better acquainted with their surroundings.

Starting on July 20th, participants have until midnight on August 31st to find FIVE geocaches spread across Llanelli. General locations have already been given:

1. Discovery Centre, North Dock
2. Llanelli Leisure Centre
3. Llanelli Library
4. Parc Howard
5. Y Ffwrness


To find the geocaches, you'll need a smartphone, tablet or other device equipped with GPS. Exact coordinates will be listed here at the starting date.

Inside each of the five geocaches you will find a small number of questions. Send your answers to the event's organisers geocaching@carmarthenshire.gov.uk, and all correct submissions will be entered into a draw to win an iPad Mini and other prizes.

For full details, visit www.discoverllanelli.co.uk/geocache-challenge


Good luck and, more importantly, have fun!