Geocaching is delightful because of the people who play it — adventure-seekers, makers, parents, astronauts and (sometimes) celebrities. Read their stories.
Any serious geocacher probably has a list of geocaches they wish to find before they “kick the bucket”, so to speak. We’ll be doing an intermittent series dedicated to bucket list geocaches, and the first theme is, “Amazing Views.” We hope this blog post takes your breath away!
1. GC1FPN1 – München-Venedig / Munich-Venice / Monaco-Venezia Multi-Cache in Bayern, Germany D2/T4 What has 28 legs, spans 3 countries, and covers 560 kilometers (65,000 feet) of altitude? Why, this amazing Multi-Cache of course! Make sure to set aside at least 2-4 days to complete this life-changing journey from Munich, Germany to Venice, Italy.
3. GCVTH7 – Chimney Top Cache Traditional in West Virginia, USA D4/T4.5 The North Fork Mountain Trail offers a plethora of breathtaking views. According to the cache page, “If this trail is the best for scenery in the state (I think it is), then Chimney Top would be the golden crown upon this king of trails.” Gorgeous.
You want me to climb that?!
Breathtaking
Wow!
Hikeable in summer and winter
4. GC3QR3J – Arctic Circle Trail (K –> S) Multi-Cache in Greenland D5/T5 Only found 11 times due to the remote location and D5/T5 rating, this unique Multi-Cache is worth the effort. There are several adorable huts along the way to seek shelter, but make sure to pack in your own food and beverages since there are no stores along the route.
Camping along the way
A slight upgrade in lodging the next night
It’s so quiet above the valley
Stunning sunsets
Time to grab those hiking boots out of storage and get packin’! Special thanks to acadicus, eigengott, and Keystone for their wonderful contributions to this list.
Are there any amazing views you’ve visited while geocaching that you would add to this list? What about other “Bucket List” themes or geocaches you’d like to see featured? Tell us in the comments below!
This article was originally published in the Portuguese “GeoMagazine.”
Group shot at the beginning of the trek
I had heard August is the worst time of year to travel to Japan. So what did I do? I scheduled my two week holiday in Japan at the end of August. Naturally, the only reason I’d do something so silly is because of geocaching. I also wanted to climb Mt. Fuji and the window for doing so safely falls right around this time.
After cashing in airline miles for a free ticket to Tokyo, I started planning my big adventure. I knew I’d need help from locals over there, so I reached out to every contact I knew in Japan. After some months of planning, I decided to join a group of local geocachers at GC5VHCG — A CITO event that would take place on Mt. Fuji. Every year a group of Japanese geocachers makes the trek with the goal of giving back by cleaning up trash on the mountain.
While you can climb to the top and back in a day trip, the group wanted to catch the sunrise on top of the mountain, so it would be an overnight adventure for us. We left Tokyo by 8am and were at the trailhead at 11am. There were 11 of us total. Even though only three of us spoke English and I only knew four words of Japanese, we had little trouble understanding each other along the way.
Taxi drive up to 5th station, the trail head
We started off on the trail and were welcomed by the greeting of “Konichiwa” from every climber we passed along the way. Since the climbing season is very short on Mt. Fuji, there were plenty of climbers heading up and down the mountain. The clouds were low and a mist was falling, so we weren’t treated to great views in the first few hours of our trek.
Approaching one of the many stations on the trail
The Fuji climb is broken up into stations, which provide naturally good rest points every 45 minutes. We started at the 5th station (2400 meters) on the Fujinomiya Trail and had booked a hut at station 9.5 for spending the night. The goal was to reach this station around 5pm, have dinner and head to bed early. We’d get up before dawn and finish the last half hour of the hike to the summit to see the sunrise on top.
I’ve done a lot of hiking over my lifetime and I must say, it’s very rare to run into places that will sell you snacks, water, or even beer mid-hike! Each station on Mt. Fuji did just that, along with providing other climbing gear, souvenirs, or just a warm, dry place to rest. For 200 yen (€1.50), you could even use a vault toilet.
Group dinner/break at station 9.5
Most of the climb feels like you’re walking on a Martian landscape. Everywhere you look, there’s beautiful red and black volcanic rocks and soil. We took the shortest, steepest route up the mountain. Some consider this the easiest route as I learned other routes tend to be filled with so much loose rock or scree that every step you take, you slide down the hill.
At around the 8th station, the higher clouds lifted and revealed a spectacular view of the side of Mt. Fuji and a never-ending sea of clouds. These are the types of views that make it all worth it.
When the dense fog cleared, this was the incredible view
We reached station 9.5 (elevation 3250 meters) on schedule around 5pm. From here, we could see the Torii (traditional Japanese gate) at the top. I could almost reach out and touch it, we were so close! After getting settled into our hut and having a nice warm meal with beer, we settled in for the night.
In the middle of the night, I woke up to sounds of the wind and rain outside our hut. I worried that this storm wasn’t going to go away by the time we were to make our summit attempt.
My worries became reality when the heavy gusting winds and rain were still there at 5am. The workers at the hut warned us that conditions were only worse on top and that it would not be safe for us to summit. My heart sank. We had worked so hard and were so close. With all the planning and effort that went into making the trip and climb possible, getting turned around by bad weather was very hard to take. But safety must come first.
Sunset outside our hut on the mountain
Sometimes on an adventure you don’t win the “prize” you originally set out for, and that’s okay. The journey you take, the friends you’ve made, and the memories you keep make it all worth it. Now I just need to figure out when I can go back and try for the summit again. I told my new geocaching friends that I would be back someday. After all, the geocaches on the summit are still up there waiting for me!
Slovenia is the first of FIVE geocaching country souvenirs to be released this year!
That’s correct! If the allure of varied landscapes, rich culture, and countless barrels of wine weren’t enough, you can now earn a geocaching country souvenir for logging a geocache in Slovenia (in addition to four other new countries that will be revealed soon). Souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that are displayed on your geocaching profile page when you find a geocache in certain locations.
As an aperitif, we’ve put together five must-see geocaches from “the green piece of Europe.” Enjoy!
GC14916 Vas Kocno is a 6 stage Multi-Cache in a charming village
According to the geocache’s listing page, this geocaching is in one of the most idyllic regions of Slovenia:
Kočno is a wonderful small village, surrounded by unspoiled nature. It counts about 20 homes with 85 inhabitants. It’s located on the eastern side of Pohorje mountain at some 500 meters altitude and on the south side of the Polskava river. The villagers are mostly occupied with farming, primarily agriculture, growing cattle, fruits and wine. The village is nicely arranged and is a real open-air ethnological museum. Old farming machines, tools and gadgets that were used in old times on farms in Kočno and surroundings, are put on display all around the village.
GC488RH – Ljubljanski nebotičnik / Skyscraper is a Traditional Cache with an amazing view of the capital city
In the capital city of Ljubljana, one of the most recognizable landmarks is Nebotičnik also known as Ljubljana’s skyscraper. When construction was complete in February of 1933, it was one of the tallest buildings in all of Europe. When you enter the skyscraper, take a moment to admire the gorgeous spiral staircase before heading up to the grand 360° view and tiny geocache on the observation deck.
GC3QWBD Morigenos is a Traditional Cache in the seaside town of Piran
This geocache will take you to a beautiful location overlooking the Adriatic Sea, and was made in partnership with the Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society who study a resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the area. For an additional cost of 1 € and some extra time, head up to the top of the church tower for a view of the town and coastline.
GC26YR7 Blejski otok / Island on Lake Bled is a Traditional Cache on Slovenia’s only island
One of the oldest castle in Slovenia is the site of countless picturesque postcards. As tradition goes, if a couple gets married at the church on Bled Island, the groom must carry the bride up all 99 steps to ensure a long and happy marriage. You have three methods for reaching the geocache on Bled Island:
Take a boat
Swim over in the summer months (make sure to bring extra clothes that are appropriate for entering the building on the island), or
Walk across the frozen lake in winter
One would think that the storybook nature of finding this geocache would be impossible to top, but inside the geocache is another set of coordinates for a nearby bonus geocache. Fairy tales do come true!
Given the piercing green color of this lake, it’s obvious to see how Zelenci Sources got it’s name: Zelen means “green” in Slovene. You’ll be able to spot mini water “jets” that resemble tiny volcanoes under the surface of the water, and find two types of lizards in this area. If you want to see super cool 360° photos of this natural wonder, click this link.
Inspired yet? Better start packing your bags and exploring the wonders of Slovenia and meeting their lovely citizens!
Slovenian GIFF Weekend 2015 in Ljubljana
We’ll unveil one new souvenir every week until all FIVE are officially released and awarded by mid December. Souvenirs that are currently available can be found here. A list of currently available geocaching souvenirs and even the ones you’ve already earned can be found on Geocaching.com. And, if you’ve already found a geocache in Slovenia, we will retroactively add this souvenir to your profile after all five country souvenirs are announced.
A beautiful view from a path in the city near one of the geocaches
Why this GeoTour is unique:
The name says it all: Valley of the Sun. If you need a little vitamin D and dry desert air in your life, you’ll love this GeoTour location.
All the geocaches on the tour are translated into both English and Spanish, making it the only bilingual GeoTour in the nation.
In the last year, families walked a combined 3,500 miles together while participating in the KohlsFit GeoTour.
A beautiful view from a path in the city when you are finding one of the geocaches on the tour.
Best time of year to visit:
Visit October through April to beat the heat. The area is beautiful in the winter, especially if you want to escape the cold.
Must-see attractions:
All the geocaches on the GeoTour are placed in unique locations around the Phoenix area including art installations, parks, an amazing library, and beautiful hiking & urban trails.
Hidden gems only locals know about:
Our focus is to help families be active. Many of the caches are tucked away on urban trails and in Maricopa County Parks, all of which bring you to breathtaking desert views.
Prizes:
This fall, the first 150 geocachers to complete their passports will earn a special trackable. See more details on the October passport.
Geocachers pedaling away at Pedal Power, one of the geocache locations.
What Geocachers are saying about KohlsFit GeoTour:
“Very cool! I was taking a stroll around this neat park. What better way to see it than to cache. Thanks for the stash. Thanks for the cache. SL. Nice Hide!”
“A beautiful spring day to go and look and find… great flowers, nice breeze, no snakes, great hides,… what more could a gal want???”
“This was our first day of vacation. We always enjoy our visits to Arizona to see roadrunners. Thanks Kohlsfitgeo for placing these caches for us to find and contributing to our fun. from South Dakota.”
Additional Information:
Make memories, have fun, and be active along the way! For more information and to print a passport, visit www.kohlsfit.com/geocaching.
Note: All the above information was provided by the GeoTour host. Copy has been edited by Geocaching HQ.
New Year’s is an opportunity to celebrate the end of one year and welcome the beginning of the next. While end-of-year traditions come in many shapes and sizes, celebrations around the world will all have one thing in common this year: geocaching.
This year, we invite you to say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016 with two new geocaching souvenirs. Find a geocache or attend an event on December 31 to earn the Goodbye 2015 souvenir. Then, start your year off right with the Hello 2016 souvenir, which can also be earned by finding a geocache or attending an event on January 1.
Without further ado, here are four easy steps to hosting a great New Year’s geocaching bash!
Step 1: Pick a theme
Like creating a new geocaching username, all great Event Caches start out with a theme. Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing:
Host a “DNF Forgiveness” party. In Japan, New Year’s is considered a time for renewal — for forgetting the problems of the past and forgiving any grudges or misunderstandings. Make your event a safe space for geocachers to move on from those DNFs that have haunted them in 2015.
Throw a muggle initiation party. Do you have friends who would love geocaching, but haven’t tried it out yet? Planning a New Year’s Event Cache can be the perfect way to get them started! Make the event both fun and educational, and invite your fellow geocachers to bring their non-geocaching friends too. Newbies can then get started by finding their first geocache the very next day.
Keep things warm & cozy. Plan a daytime event on January 1 at a coffee shop or cafe so that geocachers can warm up (or cool down) with a tasty beverage after finding their first geocache(s) of the year.
Step 2: Select the date, time, and location of your event
This is an easy one: plan your event for December 31 or January 1 so that it qualifies for a souvenir. In picking a time, be sure to think about your guests. If you’re encouraging families to bring young kids, you may want to plan your event earlier in the evening on New Year’s Eve or even schedule a daytime event on January 1.
Reminder: The geocaching guidelines prohibit event stacking. To avoid event stacking, Event Caches should be separated by time, organized by different geocachers, have a minimum duration of 30 minutes and take place at a different location than other events. Please check out the geocaching guidelines for more information about planning an Event Cache.
You can host Event Caches anywhere available to the public — a restaurant, park or even your house. Be sure to find a place that has enough space for activities!
Step 3: Plan fun and engaging activities
A great way to make your event fun for all is to schedule activities to help your guests meet each other. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Set up a photo booth. This can be as easy as finding an area with a simple background.
Play the “geocaching predictions” game. Ask guests to write down their geocaching predictions for 2018 (e.g. “I will find my 25th T5 geocache” or “Moun10Bike will finally beat me to an FTF this year”) and throw them into a bucket. Take turns reading the predictions out loud.
Play geocaching bingo. Create a bingo card based on geocaching achievements (e.g. “Earned a new country souvenir” or “Found more than 100 geocaches”). Guests will need to find other geocachers at the event who have completed the achievements in 2015 to fill in their board.
Bake a lucky trackable into a cake. In Bolivia, coins are baked into sweets so that whoever finds the coin has good luck for the next year. Give your guests the gift of geocaching luck by hiding trackables in the dessert. Make sure to mention this to them before they take a bite!
Step 4: Invite friends, new and old!
Create a new event on Geocaching.com to have your event listed on Geocaching.com. (This will also qualify your event for the Goodbye 2015 or Hello 2016 souvenir.) Remember, events must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event date. Once your event has been published, share the event listing with your local geocaching organization.
Whether you’re already a well-established social butterfly or a first-time attendee, geocaching events are a great way to meet new people who share your love for geocaching. We hope these tips help you host a rockin’ New Year’s geocaching bash and we’d love to hear your ideas too!
What tips do you have for throwing a great geocaching New Year’s event? Tell us in the comments below.
