Everyone loves a geocache that can be found without too much hassle, but sometimes a geocacher craves something more. Sometimes a geocacher wants to spend all day on an adventure. Sometimes a geocacher wants to swim across lakes, jump between islands, and hike across bogs to make it to the logbook. For anyone looking for a cache that fulfills these requirements, look no further than Slapjais Kakis/Wet Cat, our Geocache of the Week.

Located a short distance from Latvia’s capital, Riga, this Wherigo® Cache leads cachers on a journey through one of the largest bogs in Latvia. The name of the cache, Wet Cat, refers to the appearance of the green moss found around the nature reserve where the cache was placed. However, it could also refer to the appearance of a geocacher who has arrived at this cache’s final coordinates.

Cache owner Gatisk was inspired to create this Wherigo after taking part in a rogaining competition in the area. Rogaining is a team orienteering sport based around cross-country navigation. The route of the Wherigo was created to mirror the winning route of the 2011 competition. Geocachers should expect to spend most of the day completing this long Wherigo, but if you’re feeling up for an extra challenge you can try and complete it in under four hours, the winning time from the 2011 competition.

If you complete this Wherigo in the heat of the summer, you can cool off by swimming between the islands. Swimming is an essential component of this Wherigo, as some of the Wherigo zones are located entirely in water. In the winter it’s an entirely different experience; swimsuits will have to be traded for warm coats and boots in order to hike across frozen water.

In whichever season you choose to find this cache, there are some essential Tools of the Trade you will want to bring with you. Make sure to pack these items:

– Your best geocaching buddy
– Map
– Waterproof container for map
– Compass
– Spare batteries
– Snacks and water
– Lifevest (optional)

Cachers who take on this D5/T5 challenge leave not just with another find, but also with an appreciation of the natural beauty of the Baltic region, and an adventurous story to tell.

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Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.

Source: Geocaching