Real Treasure on Dartmoor - Dartmoor Letterboxing Archive

MagicHarry

2010-11-18 10:43:25

Hello folks,

In March I'd like to launch my Real Treasure Hunt on Dartmoor, open to this dartmoor forum and friends. I wanted to take this opportunity to survey whether people would be interested in this and get any feedback to the idea.

The general idea is that I post clues on this site for the starting locations, of which there will be 5 different starting locations. It won't be easy and research will be required. Once the starting locations have been identitified, folk will find the next clue and so on. There will be real cash for grabs, with the following hidden. £5 note, £10 note, and a £20 note, from each starting location. If you found all from the 5 starting locations, you could win £175. The first to find the cash, has to register the note serial number via text and will receive the ref point for the next location, and extra clues will be posted on this forum. In order to let several folk have a chance, the serial number, attached to the note, must be left in it's location. It will be a race, as each find leads to the next.

You won't beable to complete this in a day and could take several days, which again gives everyone a fair chance.

The notes will be consealed in very small containers and hidden extremely well.

In terms of funding, a £1 donation would be welcome, to cover the costs and any surplus is to go to the Dartmoor Heritage folk.

Obviously detailed instructions \ rules will be drafted, if there is enough of a positive response.

I look forward to your view \ comments.

Thanks

devon steamer

2010-11-18 19:37:00

this seems a great idea,would there be a small stamp to collect??.

If it gets people on the moors then its all good

MagicHarry

2010-11-18 19:40:58

If there's a overall positive response then a small stamp will be availble along the way.

Thanks

The Wandering Artist

2010-11-18 20:39:43

'The first to find the cash, has to register the note serial number via text and will receive the ref point for the next location, and extra clues will be posted on this forum. In order to let several folk have a chance, the serial number, attached to the note, must be left in it's location. It will be a race, as each find leads to the next.

Maybe you can explain the above in more detail. Seems to me the first one there illiminates all competition simply by removing the serial number - how honest does the author believe people are these days where money is concerned.

Sorry, but cannot help but think this is a money making bid !(in the words of the Dragons - for this reason 'I AM OUT')

TWA

MagicHarry

2010-11-19 07:34:52

That's a good point, and all the details are still being worked on. All clues will be posted on this site for all locations and the prizes will be random. Therefore, there will be 15 locations, with either a £5, £10 or £20 prize.

So please ignore the following from my original note.

'The first to find the cash, has to register the note serial number via text and will receive the ref point for the next location, and extra clues will be posted on this forum. In order to let several folk have a chance, the serial number, attached to the note, must be left in it's location. It will be a race, as each find leads to the next.

Thanks

Sowerby Streaker

2010-11-19 08:47:13

Glad you are changing it a bit - my first thought was, the first to find(not nescessarily a boxer) a £20 note would boost their savings for Christmas presents :roll: Best to somehow score a number into the pot as a note inside the pot with a number could also quite easily be removed. Mind someone could also take the pot as well :cry:

Gemma

2010-11-19 08:58:52

IMO there are enough containers hidden on the Moor, so why hide more. ! :?: :?:

MagicHarry

2010-11-19 10:58:30

Another good point! more containers on the moors. Although these will not remain for long.

Thanks

Brinnie

2010-11-20 20:35:59

Reading this thread reminds me of a geocache I worked my way through a few weeks ago, took 3 days and 11 locations.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f071676f-88de-4c1f-b403-f21a85c91e62

The Sly Fox

2010-11-20 23:42:25

I think this is a great idea Harry.

However, it is very very hard to do when open to so many people and when it's over a long(ish) period of time.

I set up a fifty-clue treasure hunt all over Plymouth last year. Finding the location from clue one gave you the clue to the next one ... and so on. I had over 100 teams enter. Nobody finished it as clue number 23 disappeared eventually as did a few of the later ones. The clues were Da Vinci Code stuff, brainteasers and a little research, so it went on for over a month. A consolation prize went to the team who would have found 23. But we did raise nearly £1,000 for Tickled Pink.

Anyway, I learnt a few things after all my trouble.

1. Too long a timescale is not a good idea. It leaves some contenders bewildered, less interest and things can go missing more easily.

2. If too many people who don't really know each other get involved it can cause trust issues. Especially when there is money at stake.

Hopefully you can come up with a nice format. But please make sure it doesn't leave you out of pocket. Good luck.

Oh, and I voted yes by the way mate.

MagicHarry

2010-11-21 12:35:55

Thanks SlyFox. So far we've had a ground breaking response of 3 for Yes and 3 for No.

I'll leave for longer and if no further interest, then I'll probably trash the idea for now and issue to a small group of specific people (folk who vote Yes) who really want to complete it.

Thanks

Nik - KOTM

2010-12-02 23:57:15

I would love to have a go at this but the distance for me to get to the moor like a lot of people on here makes it prohibitive, but I really do like the idea of a treasure hunt.

I hope that no one pinches any of the clues...

Now if something could be done for us poor sods out here in ether land...