Difficulty and Terrain Ratings - Revision history

NiraD: use the official rating criteria, with TechBlazer's improvements separate

2010-11-13T01:31:40Z

use the official rating criteria, with TechBlazer's improvements separate

NiraD: Geocaching.com Rating System moved to Difficulty and Terrain Ratings: Scout is right. The difficulty and terrain ratings aren't owned by Groundspeak.

2010-11-13T00:25:53Z

Geocaching.com Rating System moved to Difficulty and Terrain Ratings: Scout is right. The difficulty and terrain ratings aren't owned by Groundspeak.

NiraD: Groundspeak's Geocache Rating System

2010-11-09T19:03:08Z

Groundspeak's Geocache Rating System

NiraD: KB link

2010-05-12T21:47:47Z

KB link

NiraD: Reverted edits by 136.167.156.182 (Talk); changed back to last version by NiraD

2010-04-29T07:11:41Z

Reverted edits by 136.167.156.182 (Talk); changed back to last version by NiraD

136.167.156.182: /* Half Stars */

2010-04-23T00:53:44Z

‎Half Stars

NiraD: link

2008-11-25T05:12:12Z

link

NiraD: no longer a stub; add categories

2008-09-18T00:42:02Z

no longer a stub; add categories

NiraD: add difficulty rating and half stars; copy edit

2008-09-17T05:48:35Z

add difficulty rating and half stars; copy edit

NiraD: update terrain ratings

2008-09-17T04:01:00Z

update terrain ratings

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Category:Geocaches]]
 [[Category:Terms]]
-Caches at [http://www.geocaching.com Geocaching.com] are rated between 1 (easiest) and 5 (most difficult) on two criteria: terrain and difficulty.
+Owners of geocaches rate them on a 5-point scale for difficulty and terrain.
-==Terrain Rating==
+== Ratings ==
-The terrain rating lets you know what the trip to the cache location is going to be like.
+The generally accepted definitions for the various ratings were originally developed based on discussions in the Groundspeak forums,
-# '''wheelchair accessible''' - The path to the cache location should be paved, relatively flat, and short (less than ½ mile); someone sitting in a chair on the paved path should be able to reach the container.
+with particular input from Scout, Markwell, Brokenwing, and ClayJar.
-# '''suitable for small children''' - The path to the cache location follows marked trails, and is less than 2 miles; there are no steep elevation changes or heavy overgrowth.
-# '''not suitable for small children''' - The path to the cache location is suitable for most adults and older children, but may be longer than 2 miles, and may include some off-trail hiking, some overgrowth, or some steep elevation changes.
-# '''experienced outdoor enthusiasts only''' - The path to the cache location probably includes off-trail hiking, and will include very heavy overgrowth, very steep elevation changes (requiring use of hands), or more than a 10 mile hike; an overnight stay may be required.
-# '''requires specialized equipment''' - The path to the cache location requires specialized equipment (for example, SCUBA gear, rock-climbing gear, a boat, or a 4WD vehicle) and the skill to use it, or is otherwise extremely difficult.
-==Difficulty Rating==
+=== Difficulty ===
 The difficulty rating lets you know what the search is going to be like once you get to ground zero.
 The suggested search times are at best approximate, and reflect search times for a typical geocacher.
 In the case of a [[Puzzle Cache|puzzle cache]], the difficulty rating also reflects the challenge of solving the puzzle to obtain the actual coordinates.
-==Half Stars==
+== Half Stars ==
 There are no official definitions for half-star ratings.
@@ Line 33: / Line 52: @@
 As another example, a 2½-star difficulty rating could indicate camouflage that could be mistaken for part of the environment, but where there are only a few possible hiding places.
-==See Also==
+== See Also ==
-* [http://www.geocaching.com/hide/rate.aspx Groundspeak's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating
+* [http://www.geocaching.com/hide/rate.aspx Groundspeak's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it returns a rating
-* [http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/ ClayJar's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating. This is the original system that the Groundspeak one was based on.
+* [http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/ ClayJar's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it returns a rating. This is the original system that the Groundspeak one was based on.
-* [http://www.techblazer.com/geocache-rating-calculator.php TechBlazer's Geocache Rating Calculator] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating.
+* [http://www.techblazer.com/geocache-rating-calculator.php TechBlazer's Geocache Rating Calculator] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it returns a rating. TechBlazer has expanded the criteria for rating a cache's difficulty.
 * [http://www.markwell.us/geofaq.htm#Ratings What do the different ratings mean, and how should I rate the cache I placed?] in Markwell's FAQ Update.
 * [http://www.handicaching.com/ Handicaching] provides a cache accessibility rating system with much more detail than a 1-star or 1.5-star rating can provide.
 * [http://support.groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=82 Ratings for Difficulty and Terrain] (Groundspeak knowledge base)

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ==See Also==
-* [http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/ ClayJar's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating.
+* [http://www.geocaching.com/hide/rate.aspx Groundspeak's Geocache Rating System] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating
 * [http://www.techblazer.com/geocache-rating-calculator.php TechBlazer's Geocache Rating Calculator] - fill in the data and submit the form, and it spits out a rating.
 * [http://www.markwell.us/geofaq.htm#Ratings What do the different ratings mean, and how should I rate the cache I placed?] in Markwell's FAQ Update.
 * [http://www.handicaching.com/ Handicaching] provides a cache accessibility rating system with much more detail than a 1-star or 1.5-star rating can provide.
 * [http://support.groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=82 Ratings for Difficulty and Terrain] (Groundspeak knowledge base)

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:47, 12 May 2010
Line 39:		Line 39:
	* [http://www.markwell.us/geofaq.htm#Ratings What do the different ratings mean, and how should I rate the cache I placed?] in Markwell's FAQ Update.		* [http://www.markwell.us/geofaq.htm#Ratings What do the different ratings mean, and how should I rate the cache I placed?] in Markwell's FAQ Update.
	* [http://www.handicaching.com/ Handicaching] provides a cache accessibility rating system with much more detail than a 1-star or 1.5-star rating can provide.		* [http://www.handicaching.com/ Handicaching] provides a cache accessibility rating system with much more detail than a 1-star or 1.5-star rating can provide.
		+	* [http://support.groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=82 Ratings for Difficulty and Terrain] (Groundspeak knowledge base)

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 There are no official definitions for half-star ratings.
 They reflect intermediate ratings, and cache owners must use their best judgment.
-For example, a 2½-star terrain rating could indicate an easy hike (easier than typical 3-star terrain), but a cache location that is more difficult to reach.
+For example, a 1½-star terrain rating could indicate a very easy hike (easier than typical 2-star terrain), but a cache location that is not wheelchair accessible.
 As another example, a 2½-star difficulty rating could indicate camouflage that could be mistaken for part of the environment, but where there are only a few possible hiding places.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 There are no official definitions for half-star ratings.
 They reflect intermediate ratings, and cache owners must use their best judgment.
-For example, a 1½-star terrain rating could indicate a very easy hike (easier than typical 2-star terrain), but a cache location that is not wheelchair accessible.
+For example, a 2½-star terrain rating could indicate an easy hike (easier than typical 3-star terrain), but a cache location that is more difficult to reach.
 As another example, a 2½-star difficulty rating could indicate camouflage that could be mistaken for part of the environment, but where there are only a few possible hiding places.

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 The suggested search times are at best approximate, and reflect search times for a typical geocacher.
 # '''easy''' - The container is in plain sight or is in an obvious hiding place, and is easily recognized as a geocache; it requires only a few minutes searching.
-# '''average''' - The container is in one of a few possible hiding places, or is camouflaged to blend well into the environment; it may require up to half an hour searching.
+# '''average''' - The container is in one of a few possible hiding places, or is [[camouflage]]d to blend well into the environment; it may require up to half an hour searching.
 # '''challenging''' - The container is well hidden in one of several possible hiding places, or its camouflage could be mistaken for part of the environment; it will challenge an experienced geocacher and may require more than an hour searching.
 # '''difficult''' - The container is very well hidden in one of many possible hiding places, or its camouflage appears to be part of the environment; it is a real challenge for an experienced geocacher and may require multiple days/trips to find.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Category:geocaching.com]]
+[[Category:Geocaching.com]]
-{{stub}}
+[[Category:Basics]]
 Caches at [http://www.geocaching.com Geocaching.com] are rated between 1 (easiest) and 5 (most difficult) on two criteria: terrain and difficulty.