GC2W3B5

Right then.... Where to start....?! Well...

1 - Thanks for an excellent cache! I'd eyed it a few months ago, but it's very far from my house (in Exeter) and I didn't fancy a long drive just to be thwarted by the challenge at GZ. Glad I did. Brilliant!

2 - But... The day started quite badly when twenty miles into my 320 mile round trip I realised I'd forgotten the little wheels I strap to the back of the kayak for long land-locked tows. Shall I go back? Eugh. No. It's only, what... 300m tops? I can probably carry a solid-bodied sea kayak that far along a cycle path without a) telescoping my spine, or b) looking like a total tool.

3 - Turns out I can't. However, I can drag it, looking idiotic, along the grassy side of the path. The occasional Dog's Egg making my life miserable, but the prospect of a refreshing immersion in the lake made that seem less awful than it was.

4 - I can't find the launch point. For ages. And the stony path is a nightmare on my delicate ladyfeet through these flimsy surf shoes. Got it eventually though after dumping the boat and jogging off on reconnaissance.

5 - Aaaand here we are! The launch point was tremendous as it was possible without even getting wet feet! Not that wet feet are an issue, but it's nice when a launch point is so perfect. The weather was sunny but cool under the trees, and it was well worth five or ten minutes exploring the lake before turning my mind to the task at hand.

6 - Cor. It's a tall island innit? The climb up was slightly treacherous. The 'climb' down was, er, not. Not a climb.

7 - Yup. Number is not evident. I agree. Two of them are, but not t'other. Though I didn't find an empty cable tie to clinch the theory... That leaves sixty combinations to tick through. I think if another number vanishes, that makes the possible combinations to check 600! It might be nice to check and/or fix the missing number. Happily I guessed it on try nine... So we're in the box...

8 - Oh you..... You.....! Right. Knuckle down to it. I've seen this trick before. All is not as it appears.

9 - Turns out it is. Exactly. As. It. Appears...! Never mind, the average number of tries is of course n/2. It could be less! It could never be try number n. That would be massively unfortunate.

10 - It was.

11 - Never mind though. It's signed! I did it! It was worth the petrol money! And I took a nice geocoin too so there's a bonus.

12 - The drag BACK along the cycle path, of course, does not have the necessary dog's-mess-douche at the end.

Thank you again for a great cache. It is a classic.