+Chris n Maria Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I notice now that rule which says "Virtuals are only allowed where a physical cannot be planted" seems to be being rigorously enforced these days - which is fair enough as the mods are only here to interpret the rules of gc.com and that ones seems pretty clear. What i am wondering is if there is any case for some UK rule bending on this and what others think. Personally I have found that some of the most memorable, moving and interesting caches I have done have been virtuals. I don't really think a physical box would have improved them. I know it is possible to turn almost any virtual into a physical/multi/offset - what I am wondering is if people feel if there is any validity to a good Virtual cache on its own? Would it make any difference to relationships with landowners? Are virtuals just a thing of the past? Please Note: I am talking about Virtual caches and not locationless caches which are a completly different kettle of lobsters. Please give reasoned answers and avoid ranting/ flaming and any other nastyness Chris If only life had an undo button.... London & UK Geocaching Resources: http://www.sheps.clara.net Quote Link to comment
Ben Pid Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I reckopn Virtuals are good in city centres. But I don't see the need for them anywhere else. I much prefer finding a cache its part of the excitement without it just isnt the same....but in a city centre a virtual cache is ok as it takes you to the location and it would have been impossible to plant a physical there. -------------------------------------------------------- www.buckscaching.co.uk Quote Link to comment
+Flackadder Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I much prefer looking for the boxes. But, saying that I have been introduced to some wonderful locations through virtual caches. Bob.... http://www.bobh.co.uk Quote Link to comment
+SimonG Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I'm not a big fan of virtuals. You've spent the day fighting off armed pygmies and canoeing up lava floes to read the numbers shaved into the belly of a Tasmanian swamp yak, you've plugged them into Fermat's Last Theorum to calculate the final coords, then you turn up at the coords and say "Right, well, here I am. Hmm. I suppose I'll go home now." Seems like a bit of an anticlimax, y'know? I enjoy caching for the adventure, but you need the endgame. Hunting a virtual is like watching a great movie but walking out before the final scene. What's your favourite thing? Quote Link to comment
+Lost in Space Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I'm with Chris n Maria on this one. For me the "thrill" of geocaching is getting to the exact location that someone intended you to. Whether you prove that by finding a physical box and signing the log book,(I am not going to get into the argument about cache contents), or by answering a location question is immaterial - I got to where I was supposed to be!! Quote Link to comment
+Lizzzzeeeee Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Hi Chris, I'd be really interested to do the virtual caches you describe as the most memorable, moving and interesting. So far I've only done a few virtuals and have not found them very exciting. The ones I have done could easily have been done without a GPS! However I am happy to be shown some more exciting ones - several of the multi's and long walk caches I have done didn't really need the find at the end, they were brilliant in themselves. Can you email me with the names of the virtuals you found the best and I'll give them a try? Lizzzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Why is it that when you're out for a walk carrying a map everyone asks if you're lost? Quote Link to comment
+Rocky Balboa Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 99% of the time I prefer to find a cache box but sometimes just sometimes a virtual can be great too. One of my all time favourties was the virtual set in the church yard on Harrow Hill where the task was to find out how a certain someone died - not a particuly nice way to go either Sometimes if there is something really important you want people to see a virtual can be spot on as it means they cant skip around it. I like the variety geocaching offers and without virtuals there would be much less of that. Its just a hunt for a lunch box, why be so serious!?! Dan Wilson - www.Buckscaching.co.uk - Stash Notes, forums & Much more... Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I like to find a box, but I'd rather have a longish pleasant walk to an interesting virtual than a 500 yard traditional in an industrial estate any day. Are the walks to caches getting shorter, or is it me? (And should the length of the walk from the recommended parking be noted on the information page?) Stu Quote Link to comment
+Slytherin Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Chris n Maria:Are virtuals just a thing of the past? I hope not. We have done some really great virtuals. As Pid says, in city locations they are almost all that is practical. Look at all the ones in London that drag the unsuspecting tourist away from Big Ben & Buck House and into the east end to see where Big Will was butchered. I can think of other such as Harry's Place that would not gain anything by having to rummage through a nearby nettle patch. And with every other facet of the sport, if you don't like them then don't hunt them, but don't spoil what other people do enjoy. Virtuals have their place. We have five virtuals in our "hidden" list. I'm happy with them all. ------------------------------------------------ Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout..... Quote Link to comment
+Flackadder Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:Are the walks to caches getting shorter, or is it me? Stu Think it's more likely you are getting fitter mate :-) Bob.... http://www.bobh.co.uk Quote Link to comment
+The Wombles Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I've done some really good virtuals and it's the location which is important to me. I've also set several virtuals (not necessarily in city centres) but always as a substitute for a physical cache because the location wasn't suitable. However, as regular cache hider, virtuals have the positive side that you're regularly getting mails from other cachers, and they're ideal for setting as holiday caches. Dave Quote Link to comment
+Chris n Maria Posted June 25, 2003 Author Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by The Wombles:However, as regular cache hider, virtuals have the positive side that you're regularly getting mails from other cachers, and they're ideal for setting as holiday caches. Dave I (as you might have guessed) agree with you Dave, the problem comes when you can't place a physical holiday cache (not allowed anymore) and a virtual is not allowed - because a physical could possible be placed in the same location instead. Chris If only life had an undo button.... London & UK Geocaching Resources: http://www.sheps.clara.net Quote Link to comment
+Lance Ambu Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:...What i am wondering is if there is any case for some UK rule bending on this and what others think. Personally I have found that some of the most memorable, moving and interesting caches I have done have been virtuals. I don't really think a physical box would have improved them... Chris I can understand that the purists will say physical is the way it started and it should be the default. I, personally, enjoy using the GPS to take me somewhere that someone else thought I should visit. For me the lunchbox and/or contents are a bit of fun, the logbook is a way for me to prove I was there. So for me physical or virtual I don't mind. So, should the rules be bent because you prefer some virtuals? in my opinion, NO! Should the rules be bent to ensure that neither physical nor virtual are given priority? maybe! I think then the issues would be different. Virtuals would be easier for people to set up and could lead to an explosion of "not good" virtuals that clog the system, approvers and generally make the place a mess. And what is a "good" virtual/physical? The answer will be subjective and therefore not a good reason for change (Irony intended) It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by golddust1000: quote:Are the walks to caches getting shorter, or is it me? Stu Think it's more likely you are getting fitter mate :-) Crumbs... hadn't thought of that! Could well be it. I'm sure all our older caches used to be 0.5 to 0.8 miles from the parking, but now they seem to be 0.1 to 0.3. I dunno... maybe my memory is playing tricks. Quote Link to comment
MCL Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Hmmm. Virtual caches? I don't mind them. After all, what *is* trigpointing if its not the sport of vitual caching taken to its extrem... The question is though, whether a virtual should be set where a physical one could be placed, and personally I think no it shouldn't. IMHO there has to be a very good reason why a cache *has* to be vurtual. If there *is* a good reason, then I really don't mind doing them. To answer Stu above, about walk length, a reasonable walk of up about half a mile (which means a mile round trip, is fine by me. Longer than that and I start to wonder whether the proponents of such caches are setting the cache in order to get you to do the walking rather than find the cache, in which case why don't they join the Ramblers Association? If I wanted to walk 1.8 miles twice in an afternoon, I would not be a geocacher. In fact, for medical reasons I can't do a walk that long which means the cache I have in mind with that distance of walk is effectively out of bounds to me, which is a shame. I always keep the caches I place having short but nice walks. The only consolation I have is that when the 3.6 mile round cache need maintenance, the owner has to do the walk every time! No trees were harmed during the production of this posting, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.... Quote Link to comment
+Slytherin Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MCL:To answer Stu above, about walk length, a reasonable walk of up about half a mile (which means a mile round trip, is fine by me. Longer than that and I start to wonder whether the proponents of such caches are setting the cache in order to get you to do the walking rather than find the cache, in which case why don't they join the Ramblers Association? If I wanted to walk 1.8 miles twice in an afternoon, I would not be a geocacher. Total agreement with you on that one. My limit is about 1.5 mile round trip although I have reluctantly done caches that involved walks much further than that. But I will leave caches that involve long walks as a last resort when I've run out of other ones to do. ------------------------------------------------ Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout..... Quote Link to comment
+Chris n Maria Posted June 26, 2003 Author Share Posted June 26, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Liz Codd:I'd be really interested to do the virtual caches you describe as the most memorable, moving and interesting. So far I've only done a few virtuals and have not found them very exciting. The ones I have done could easily have been done without a GPS! However I am happy to be shown some more exciting ones - several of the multi's and long walk caches I have done didn't really need the find at the end, they were brilliant in themselves. Can you email me with the names of the virtuals you found the best and I'll give them a try? Hi Liz, here are a few examples of what I am talking about: Inbound from Proxima A very interesting thingy 16th Century pub Oh what a night Crispy DuckMemorable silliness Help! Peter's in the Rushes Unexpected animals & unexpected location Cycle of The Season A supurb location if you visit it on your own just before a storm and at the risk of advertising... Mirror Image People seem to enjoy the view and the unexpected discovery What's all that about then I don't think people would enjoy the joke if it was a physical Chris If only life had an undo button.... London & UK Geocaching Resources: http://www.sheps.clara.net Quote Link to comment
evilrooster Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 At the risk of advertising as well: Up the Close and Down the Stair. If I had somehow bent the whole cache concept out of shape enough to put a real at the end, I could never have put the gruesome thing at the last stage into it (without being arrested, anyway...) evilrooster -the email of the species is deadlier than the mail- Quote Link to comment
LazyLeopard Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 The main reason I go caching is to get outside, visit somewhere interesting, and at the end of a hunt (hopefully) find something hidden. The search, and maybe the solving of a puzzle, is the bit that matters. It matters not whether the final find is a box containing a log book, a plaque, a statue, or whatever. What does matter is that I can know I've found it, there and then. So a box with a label saying geocache is good confirmation, but filling in the empty squares and revealing a message is just fine too. Reading other people's messages in a log book is often a pleasure too. I'm rambling. I guess I'm saying a good cache is a good cache whether it's physical or virtual, but that perhaps it's slightly easier to make a good physical cache than a good virtual one Quote Link to comment
+John Stead Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Lazy Leopard:I'm rambling. I guess I'm saying a good cache is a good cache whether it's physical or virtual, but that perhaps it's slightly easier to make a good physical cache than a good virtual one I don't think you are rambling, to me you have expressed very clearly what it is all about - getting out with a target to achieve. Thank God for a bit of variety. Member Geocaching Association of GB Quote Link to comment
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