09/07/2010

Location, location, location means everything when it comes to an adventure seeking experience, which can be found on the Bar Walls of York.

With thanks to City of York Council anyone from around the world can take part in the internationally renowned treasure hunting game called Geocaching.

There are thousands of geocaches hidden away all over the world from Antarctica to Australia - and now the Bar Walls in York.

Since the launch of the treasure hunting game earlier this year, over 500 caches have been spotted along the Bar Walls, helping to boost the number of visitors to York.

The aim of the high-tech game is for adventure seekers to find eight items that have been carefully hidden along the Walls. These items are called caches and are generally the size of a film cassette. Each cache has been allocated specific coordinates and it's up to the participant to use their Global Positioning System (GPS tracker ) to find the item.

Once they have tracked down the treasure, they will then have the chance to log their find in the logbook -which is stored with the item. They then have to carefully hide the item back in its original hiding place - making sure no-one spots them.

Expert or beginner Geocaches are then being encouraged to log their details on the official Geocaching website -  run by volunteers - at www.geocaching.co.uk

Keen Geocacher David Moreland, who works in the council's Development and Transport Team and volunteers his services to manage the Bar Walls information on the official website, said: "We're really happy that there's been a great uptake of this game in York. I couldn't think of a better place to hide the caches than in the Bar Walls. Geocaching is a game anyone of any age can enjoy. It enables people to experience things they wouldn't't normally experience and is a fun way for people to find out more about the place they're visiting.

"I've been Geocaching for a few years now with my wife Shelia, as she is a photographer and we took this up as a hobby. We've been all over the world finding caches and have found over 300 to date in places like the Vatican City in Rome and America."

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, said: "This treasure hunting game is probably much better known across Europe than in the UK.  We were always confident that it would generate a lot of appeal to friends and families and also in particular to Europeans. So we are pleased to see that it has attracted hundreds of extra visitors to York, as it offers a fun introduction to the city and is extremely sociable."

To become a Geocacher people can register and set up an account free of charge at www.geocaching.com. All they need to do is follow the instructions to find the coordinates for York. Once they have these details they then need to purchase a GPS device to track down the hidden items.

Devices can be bought separately or are included in many new models of mobile phones or Blackberry's. 

Any participants wishing to take up this exciting game in York are being urged to be careful when searching for any items on the Bar Walls. Even though items will be carefully camouflaged, they will never be buried and will always be placed in plain sight. So, participants should never climb the Walls.

 

(ENDS)