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Geocaching with physical disability?


Raven Cooper

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I had just started Geocaching the end of last year, and know the basics (have a few finds logged), but have badly hurt my knee and now only have limited mobility. What caches should I try to find now? Is there a way to refine search results for terrain? I am unable to walk without a crutch/walker/help like that and cannot traverse hills or very rocky terrain. Any ideas, suggestions? I badly want to get back to Geocaching

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According to Ratings for Difficulty and Terrain, 1-star terrain should be handicapped accessible, which means that "Terrain is likely to be paved, is relatively flat, and less than a ½ mile hike is required." So you could start by searching for caches with 1-star terrain. (The apps I've used have allowed me to specify minimum and maximum terrain ratings, and the new search system on the geocaching.com site allows you to specify minimum and maximum terrain ratings if you first click on the "Add Filters" button.)

 

The next step up is 2-star terrain, which may be too much for you. While it shouldn't include any steep elevation changes or heavy overgrowth, it could require up to a 2 mile hike. I haven't met many people using crutches or walkers who would be up for that kind of a hike.

 

In between is 1½-star terrain, which isn't defined. But I'm used to seeing the 1½-star terrain rating used when the terrain isn't quite wheelchair accessible, but otherwise matches the description for 1-star terrain.

 

Another resource is the Handicaching web site, which provides much more detailed information about the accessibility of rated geocaches.

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When I started geocaching, my knees were shot. They got worse as time went by, until I was walking on bone on bone. Quite painful.

 

I bought a heavy duty outdoor type mobility scooter. That could get me close to caches, even on some rough trails. I also spent more time reading the cache description, and logs to help decide if I could go for a cache. (With a cane, I could manage a little walking at the cache site.)

 

Getting two total knee replacements has eliminated the need for the scooter, but several years of limited mobility has slowed me down. I still need to read and evaluate anything over 2 stars.

 

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