The Blood & Guts in Virginia (aka Iron & Stone) Geocache, is the brainchild of Team Ekitt10. Nik, of Team Ekitt10, and his brother Paul decided that any cache placed out there with the coordinates posted was just too easy. They really liked the idea of the multi cache, and letting people work for their rewards. Nik and Paul traded puzzles for two months, and out of those puzzles the Blood & Guts cache was born.

Blood & Guts was submitted July 21, 2002, and as of New Years, 2004, Geocachers had not yet solved it (although some Letterboxers have had more luck). But that was soon to change. A group of a dozen or more hard-core cachers are were working feverishly on it, and some have made it to the fourth step out of five. They even had a yahoo group dedicated to solving the cache, with over 750 brainstorming messages.

Involved in the puzzles are local history, New World Order conspiracy lore & rumor, cryptology, and celestial navigation. They also require some working knowledge of physics and trigonometry. Cachers need to have some extra outdoor equipment for this cache, as well as determination, persistence, bravado, and good powers of observation.

Just getting to the first step is a muddy, wet expedition, which requires a flashlight and serious searching. According to Team Ekitt10, though, 80% of this cache can be solved from the comfort of your home.

Perhaps the enigmatic poetry on the cache page has something to do with the solution. It says: From below to high above, the all knowing eye sees the cold, clear waters and the span that crosses a lifetime. Alone, death stands proud and shines over the wall, where the road home is forged.

On nearing the end of January, 2004, there were 62 accounts watching this cache- watching and sending silent urgings to the intrepid explorers working toward the finish line. Who would be the first Geocacher to find the fifth and final step? Whoever it was, Titmouse said, “the B&G cache is awesome fun!”