Take that, clown! — Pennywise the Clown (GC3XB2Z) — Geocache of the week

I admit it, I really dislike clowns. For instance, if there’s one on the street handing balloons to children, I’ll cross to the other side of the street so I don’t have to get within a few feet of him/her. While I know I’m not alone, I think I’d definitely get over my dislike of clowns for a chance to find this week’s Geocache of the Week.

One of the geocache creators trying his luck. Photo courtesy of geocacher Paladium_
One of the geocache creators trying his luck. Photo courtesy of geocacher Paladium_

Pennywise the Clown (GC3XB2Z), hidden in western Germany, ranks pretty high when it comes to geocache innovation, fun, and skill.  When asked about the time and commitment that went into creating this geocache, the creators, Paladium and Paulicacher, said “We think that we needed around three month’s from the scratch and around 150€. We think that the cache-building is only one part of the project. After a while you have to rethink parts of the cache according to experiences from loggers and update the cache. Also after some destructions you have to rethink the cache again and repair and rearrange parts of the cache. So it is a ongoing process.” When asked about the theme, it was a simple answer,”We think that every more sophisticated cache should have a story. So shooting a clown… hmmm… Stephen King’s IT??? :)”

At first glance, this geocache is pretty terrifying. However, once you get over the fear, you’re ready to have a great time—so long as you bring the right tools for the job. According to the geocache details page, geocachers wishing to earn their smiley for this geocache will have to come prepared with at least 10L of water, some sort of water-gun, six AA batteries and at least four people. Luckily, you won’t have to carry these items through any tough trails—the terrain rating is only 1.5. However, using them might prove to be a little harder—the difficulty is 3.5. Once you’re at the cache, it’s time to have some fun.

A brave geocacher next to the terrifying clown. Photo by geocacher -geosil-
A brave geocacher next to the terrifying clown. Photo by geocacher -geosil-

So far, over 600 geocachers have followed the instructions, aimed their water-guns and defeated Pennywise. Of those, 463 have awarded this geocache a favorite point. One such geocacher is jumuyou, who said (translated from German), “Since we do not have the necessary equipment, we hired our 8 year-old nephew to accompany us on our mission to protect the world from evil. He was very enthusiastic and provided us with everything that was needed. Together we set out to search for Pennywise and eventually tracked him to his hiding place. Although he resisted and ridiculed us, we did not give in and, finally overwhelmed him even faster than I thought. It was great fun. Thank you for this great cache!”

More geocachers trying to defeat Pennywise. Photo by geocacher Team Ehreshoven
More geocachers trying to defeat Pennywise. Photo by geocacher Team Ehreshoven

In response to all of the positive logs and favorite points, the geocache creators said, “We are really overwhelmed by all the positive logs and personal statements from other cachers. More overwhelming is the fact that a lot of cachers come from far away only to play this cache.”

This geocache requires you to perform a special task before you’re able to open the container. What’s your favorite geocache that also requires a special skill or task to open? Tell us in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.