Two Great Circular Walks Near Redditch

Isaac was at school on Saturday so I decided to go out and do the kind of caching I really like - good walking in great countryside.

A series of puzzle caches near Redditch that form a circular walk, followed by another circular walk of traditional caches by the same cache owner looked perfect.

I headed down the M6 and M5 and was soon parking up by the first cache which was an easy drive-by. Next I moved the Jeep a bit further along the lane and set off on foot for the puzzle series.

I can't really say too much about these as I obviously don't want to give the cache locations away. Some of the more interesting parts of the walk were:

• A good variety of cache container sizes, with quite a few of them being bigger boxes.
• Varied terrain with only a few ploughed fields to cross.
• A cache with some absolutely fabulous views over towards the Malvern hills.
• A field of curious cows who thankfully kept their distance.
• Nice quick finds with great hints if you need them.
• Some lovely woodland on two of the caches.

All too soon I'd completed the series, so moved the Jeep round to the start of the next circular walk. This set were traditional caches, with three puzzle caches thrown in for good measure. One of the puzzles was easy, the other I needed Freya's help and the third is found by finding the first two puzzles.

I soon realised I was following graham1876 round the series but suspected he had done them a lot earlier in the day. I stopped for my sandwiches at a cache with another great view of the Malverns and then pressed on with the rest of the caches.

All of the series were nice and easy finds, lots of variety and beautiful countryside to walk through. This is exactly the kind of caching I enjoy.

After I'd finished the second series and found the three puzzle caches, I spotted a nearby drive-by Joy-Jar cache so off I went in the Jeep to find it. Another really quick find here.

Next, I aimed for a cache by a windmill we'd missed out ages ago when in the area doing Cakemaker's nearby canal series. Try as I might I could not spot the nano, even with the very precise hint. It's got to be missing. I logged a DNF on it and not long after the cache was archived as it's gone missing in the past too so time for it to be put to bed.

Time was getting on a bit by now but just enough time to go and find a group of 4 caches on the edge of Bromsgrove that we'd missed out on our last visit to the area. On the walk down to the first one, I passed what must be the biggest ariel I've ever seen. It was right by a small house and not official looking at all. I don't know what the person from the house needs such a huge ariel for (it was on top of a mobile crane!).

I managed to find 3 of the 4 caches in this group. I had to give up on the last one as two female dog walkers came over the nearby field towards where I was and spotted me. They stopped and started to look very uncomfortable at me loitering around. The last thing I want to do is scare dog-walkers so I moved on.

I really must be getting home now, but I could just squeeze in a couple more caches couldn't it? Of course it could! A quick one on a canal towpath was followed by another one on a towpath. Then I did a quick Sidetracked cache followed by the last cache of the day at the Services area on the M42.

41 finds for the day, some excellent walking and I've hardly seen a soul all day long. Great stuff :-).