An unexpected discovery

The Lonely Viking Grave Geocache

Geocaching is a very popular hobby, and has been growing rapidly over recent years with the accessibility of GPS-enabled devices - primarily, smartphones. In the past, the capability was exclusive to dedicated handheld devices. The hobby itself is fundamentally independent, not specifically associated with any company or website; it is, after all, defined as the act of hiding a container with contents, and sharing the GPS locations online for other GPS owners to find.

Occasionally, and moreso in the past, startups may attempt to create an online listing service as a resource for geocaching hobbyists to make use of. Similar to HAM radio, GPS enthusiasts love putting their equipment to the test, and over time this has produced the wide variety of experiences and challenges in locating geocache containers, sometimes in the most obscure and wild locations, or requiring very specialized equipment or skills.

While today, the most widely used and well-known geocache listing website is Geocaching.com, one such other website which launched in 2001 was Navicache.com. A number of years ago it was effectively abandoned, and is now defunct, and non-functional. But its listings are still available to view online.

While planning for Iceland, I decided to see if any geocaches may exist (or have existed) in the country on other geocache listing websites, such as Navicache.

There was only one: "Viking Grave".

The Viking Grave navicache listing as of late 2016.

The listing described it as having been placed in 2004, although it only had one find logged, in 2005. And it sounded in rough shape. Nonetheless, given its location, I decided to add it to the itinerary, taking along a replacement geocache container just in case I could offer in good will to keep the geocache alive and kicking!

Its location was next to Skarðsvík Beach which looked like a beautiful place to visit. As described in the previous page, the beach did not disappoint! But really, my main reason for being there was to find this ancient, lonely geocache!

The view of the cache vicinity while standing a few meters from the posted GPS coordinates.
Skarðsvík Beach is to the right.

After examining the area, not knowing precisely what to be looking for except a black film canister hidden among the black rocks, I was beginning to lose hope. I considered placing the new container where I was zeroing out (most accurate location the GPS could provide to the targeted coordinates), but there's always a bit of reservation in doing that, as you really don't know if the container actually is there but you couldn't find it. So I deliberated with myself about doing that. And while I was...

...Boom! There it was, sitting right at my feet. I must have done a triple take, disbelieving what was set before me.

Wait, wait, wait... 11 years? Like this?

Film cans are an ugly duckling of geocaching containers. People love to hate them, but they're now solidified as one of, if not the, most common geocache containers. They typically don't stand the test of time; they are not weather-proof; they are too small for decent trinkets and swag trading, or for moving trackable items; they're quite easily camouflaged and sometimes hidden in forests to much chagrin where GPS reception may be hindered by environmental factors, making finding them quite often either a big headache, or providing very little reward in the container itself. But, they are cheap and still relatively easy to come by (at least for now) - and frankly, "evil fun".

This, sitting here, was a film canister, on an open rock face, exposed to all forms of inclement weather, next to a Viking grave by a remote beach at the northernmost reaches of the North Atlantic Ocean in Iceland - and it has been this way for up to eleven years.
I simply could not believe what I was seeing.

And so, as one might expect for 2016, I opened up my Facebook app and immediately began to livestream video of this momentous occasion for anyone who may be available to watch. Below is my compilation of the event...

To my surprise, the film can still contained the original log sheet stuffed into an old torn baggie. On it were written quite a number of signatures from people who had located it! A number of finds had accumulated since its placement in 2004. Of course, being unable to log their finds on the navicache website (or at least the public no longer being able to view any additional logs), the only record of their visits are on this sheet of paper.
Placed in 2004, the cache was found in 2005, 2006, twice in 2008, 2009, and most recently in 2011.

That means the cache has been confirmed to be sitting here on this rock for 5 years. A wild and unlikely discovery. For historicity, I took my new container and blank logsheet, and made sure to place the original logsheet inside as well. Finding a spot more concealed, protected from the weather, and closer to the GPS coordinates, I carefully re-hid the container.

Without knowing how long this geocache listing may remain viewable online before the website entirely disappears, I'm making sure to document it so that it may perhaps continue to live on, rarely if ever being found, for a long and treasurous lifetime. The cache may now be easier to find, it may be harder - but one thing's for sure, very few will know about it, and hopefully any who do, who decide to seek it out, will enjoy touching another piece of the geocaching hobby's history.

The original logsheet from this 2004 geocache. Unfortunately I couldn't make out the original text in the blank area which had greatly faded.
Examine the full-sized photo here.

Any time I visit Iceland, I'll be sure to make a trip to check in on it; and my next visit may be the often-required maintenance run, now that I know what to expect to find at the coordinates! Sadly, the original listing on navicache can no longer be edited, nor the owner "Sozifuzzi" contacted. Perhaps this report will reach the owner's attention - I'd love to have a chat with them!

Will you be the next to find the elusive Viking Grave geocache?

N 64° 52.878' W 023° 59.107'

 The edge of the Earth

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