A Genuine 1/5: Attempt at your own risk!

Do not underestimate the swim or climb.  There are multiple ways in which you could come to harm attempting this cache:

• You could get swept out into the open ocean.  On no account attempt the swim when the St Agnes - Gugh sand bar is covered, as there is often a very strong current.
• You could drown in the cold water, especially if you bang your head on a rock attempting to get in or out of the water.  I recommend not trying to get out of the water onto the rocks of Gugh.  Feel free to wear a helmet.
  • Or you might drown due to cold water shock stopping you from swimming.
• Your board/craft/body could be wrecked on the rocks.
• You or your craft could be cut in two by a boat.  The swim is across the route of boats coming into the quay.  I suggest:
  • Crossing from the Turk's Head to the coat of Gugh and then following the coast.
  • Wear a delightful and bright swimming hat.
  • Use a bright tow float.
  • A craft is more visible than a single swimmer.
• You could fall off the top of The Cow, land at the base and break your neck.
• You could fall off the top of The Cow, land in the sea and drown.
• I can't vouch for how strong/stable any hand holds are: a rock might fall on you and knock you off.
• I strongly suggest that you have a safety back up on land, ready to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
• Apart from all of this, I highly recommend it.  We had great fun.

This cache has been a long time in the planning.  Four years ago, DrT and I swam with tow-floats to The Cow and I climbed up to reconnoitre a hiding place.  Eventually, this year I paddleboarded and DrT swam again, waiting at the bottom, close to the smaller Calf Rock. 

BradLad thinks that the cache is just about visible with binoculars from the St Agnes quay, but there is no mistaking where it is.  The log is a dive slate attached to the rope that ties the obvious wooden pole to a rock high on the ridge of The Cow.   At present, a pencil is attached to the slate but it may not last forever, so bring your own pencil (a pen won't write on it.)

I managed to pull the paddleboard onto the rocks but you are not guaranteed to be able to do this, so the cache is best searched for with a back-up teammate.  Note that the climb would probably be a T 4.5 even if it wasn't on an island.  I recommend bare feet; less comfy but great for grip.  My route to the pole was via the northeast face and I could see no other way, but you should assess the climb yourself.

I hid the cache in a flat calm and paddled 500m from the Turk's Head beach, via hugging the coast of Gugh.  I do not recommend trying this in any other sea conditions and low tide is probably best, during "slack water".

This geocache description comes from the Opencache.UK site.