Fill the matrix: 2018-03-12 & DNF

Let me start my new randomly posted information with some stories around the updates. First of all it is jsut sharing some of the matrix data available online for you to see statistics about your geocaching adventure. I won't post all the details, what I will do is put some of the matrixes up on a post with some explanation and guides how to fill them (which is obvious) and how to find what to find.

Singapore, at one of the beaches
Now take a look at the above photo. I was there and the only reason I ended up there was a geocache.

  • Did I find it?
  • Nope.
  • Was I sad?
  • Nope.
  • Why?
  • Just look at the view. That is what made this search a good memory at the end.
Ok, before I get to the full story let me show you the matrix this whole location was about.

D/T matrix
Yes the famous Difficulty / Terrain matrix or the 81 matrix or some just call it the nightmare.
What is this matrix all about? If you are playing geocaching for a while you already know that each geocache has a difficulty level assigned to it which tells you how hard will it be to find the geocache if you get there or if it is a mistery how hard will it be to figure out the final coordinates. The terrain will tell you how hard will it be to get to the coordinates. 
Most geocachers make it to some similar matrix around the first 1000 finds. you can see the it is empty around the 5 and 4.5 areas, on the terrain also around the 4. Now the reason could be that I am a chicken, or just did not meet any harder terrain ones yet or simply there are not any of those where I play.

Now let me get back to my story about the beach.

The rock
So my GPS got me to this point, but why did I even come here? So when I woke up in the hotel I was thinking let's look for any geocaches that is missing in the 81 matrix, and let's start with one that should be doable. So this one is a D1 T5. Perfect choice I miss that, it is close by, I can just cycle there. And the most important ones of all the information written in the description:
  • Do not try alone
  • Have proper shoes
Haha, me the chicken as I was assuming... let me see... yes I could not fand anyone to join me on this search. I was about to go to work after this find, so I was geared properly in my Bugatti shoes with a really good grip on its bottom... flat and easy slip type. I also had a laptop in my backpack and some other items which I could not leave behind. If I saw anyone dressed like me seaching for anything I might take a picture for my reference...

So the geocache is just hanging there as the description says, and many pictures there as a spoiler, but obviously not visible from where I stand. Many options:
  1. jump over to the rock - perfect 99.9% many broken bones.
  2. climb over to the rock - yeah doable, but for sure you need more than one person for that. BTW this was the most possible solution
  3. climb over the fence, climb down and try to reach, oh wait first find a D1 hanging there... yes this is what I did.
The view from below
As you can see I went down, but due to the level of the water or the fact that the hide might be on the side of the rock that can only be reached from the top I could not find the geocache. A sad DNF? No way, a really cool walk and climb.

So what else did I have to go through to get this DNF? yes, there were more events. To climb over the fence I had to figure out how to get across a highway used by fire ants, big ones, and not too friendly ones. I also did not want to hurt them, so first try was to blow them off the fence, did not work out they immediatelly hold on to it so hard that nothing really happened. So I just swiped them carefully away in an area that was enough to climb quickly over the fence. Done. Great. Happy...

See the plank there, close to the middle?
So as you see above there was a plank put between two huge rocks, safe? Not sure, and I was not sure, but the only way down to the water, so I took my chance. As soon as I was down there, my coordinates started to go left and right and all directions, when I started walking towards the seen coordinate it moved away, so after over 10 minutes of trying to walk left and right along the water on really slippery rocks witouth any major fall, I decided I need a new tactic. So it must be there, let's start from there and go both ways possible, but no luck. After about 20 minutes I had to give it up there was a few minutes walk back to the bicycle, and hoping it is still there. I was using OFO bikes, there were many of them around the hotel. So I was still facing the problem of how to climb up. You know the feeling when you jump down to some place and there is no easy way up... now this was one of those situations. Ok, I was almost up there, and then there came the fence to climb over, and of course I forgot about the guarding fire ants, so I just grabbed to it climbed over and realized that it can be a very very painful experience. A few of them just bit me... one of them really badly one of my finger. There was a nice dark red dot after I got rid of the tiny guard, and it did not really move for about a day or so, a few hours after the bite I considered to see a doctor but it was so busy at work I forgot about it and next morning it was back to normal. So let me head to the bicycle. This time I was lucky I found the bicycle back and cycled all the way to work with no more stops.

I had a DNF at this geocache but still many thanks for the owner for this hide, for all the excitements I got, all the nice view. Did you ever think of the view around where you live? If you see a view every day, changing, changing colors you get used to it and after a while it is just there and when you visit a location and see something like I did at this geocache you always say: "wow, what a great view" and then you go home and look at the view you see daily and realize that is the same nice just when you compare to the previous day's view it looks the same... 

And finally some hints for filling the 81 matrix:
  • If you check your profile stats at: Project-GC scrolling down to the Difficulty / Terrain chart you can find a link below that that gets you to the DT matrix tool. You can use that tool to find missing combinations to fill your matrix. You can search a given area that way you can plan for your upcoming trips or which way to go when you just want to go and find a geocache maybe to fill another cell on another matrix as well.
  • Do not be afraid to reach out to the owner in case of more difficult hides, so far I always had help when I needed to find what I was after. All owners want to get many finds, favos and good stories.
  • There is no must in filling any matrix, so do not feel like you must do it. There is also no timeline if you finish it in your lifetime that is just as fine as if you finish this year.
  • Always start with easier, that helps you grow and keep motivated.


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