FALL VAR/MAR 2007

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Postby adleedy » Oct 12, 2007 11:46 am

im not gonna be able to make it this year either, i have a family reunion.
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Postby VACaver » Oct 14, 2007 6:26 pm

Just got home from the MAR/VAR. Overall impression? Lousy...
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Postby MUD » Oct 15, 2007 6:44 am

Yessum...I got the same report from an attendee....glad I missed it then.
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Postby tncaver » Oct 15, 2007 7:44 am

What was so bad about the MVR/VAR? I was considering going
either this year or next but I couldn't make it this year. Maybe
I won't want to go next year either. But why? What was so lousy
about this year's event? So far the comments are certainly not
a very good advertisement for next year's event.
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Postby VACaver » Oct 15, 2007 8:32 am

I pretty much heard the same thing from several people:

Location was awful...too far from caves. It may be a great place for OTR (where partying is the main activity), but poor for those who actually want to go caving.

Saturday night dinner...awful menu. Sauerkraut? Seriously, is that something most people like? Also, they ran out of food...despite people looking at what was being served and saying "No, thanks."

Weather...COLD at night! But that's what you get when you schedule it in the middle of October.
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Postby Komebeaux » Oct 15, 2007 10:34 am

The sauerkraut was awesome. The cold weather sucked, but that's what bonfires are for.

I'm just disappointed that the overall atmosphere wasn't a little livelier. The band playing Saturday night was incredible. However, the band playing under the TSG canopy Friday wasn't all that bad either :grin:
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Postby Todd » Oct 15, 2007 10:55 am

I had a great time at VAR/MAR. I missed the meal but was told by friends that it was pork and very good. I heard just opposite about not being enough food, as turn-out was lighter than expected.
I don't remember how many caves were on the official sign-up trips, but I know there were at least 2 or 3 within maybe 30-45 minutes, probably more. The cave I wanted to do was about an hour and a half drive from camp, but that's still shorter than I'd have to drive from my house if I wanted to see it, so the distance didn't bother me.
It was cold, but not so bad for October. It is fall after all... I don't remember seeing frost anywhere and the fire was plenty warm. The live music was great, I got to hang out with friends, meet some new ones, visit a cave I'd wanted to see for while... No complaints from me!


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Postby tncaver » Oct 15, 2007 11:58 am

It's good to hear opposing views.
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Postby Komebeaux » Oct 15, 2007 12:15 pm

I think the turnout was pretty good considering it was a cold October weekend, the weekend after TAG, and was held at a site where there was already a huge caving event just a little over a month ago.

Did I mention how much I loved the fact that all of Saturday night on into Sunday the entire OTR site smelled like sauerkraut?
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Postby VACaver » Oct 15, 2007 12:26 pm

I agree that the overall atmosphere wasn't very lively. This was probably the quietest event I've ever been to.
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Postby pacaver » Oct 15, 2007 4:15 pm

I thought the MAR-VAR was great! I got a chance to make some new friends and meet some old ones. My trip lasted longer than expected(what a suprise!) so we didn't make it back to the site for the Saturday meal, but that was OK with me. I'm a weirdo, I go to caving events to cave although from what I heard, there was a large group of people having a great time until about 3am Sunday morning. A great trip to Sites along with an unexpected big room illumination (Thanks Todd!) and a tasty pancake breakfast Sunday morning B4 the 5 hour drive home. My only complaint is that they didn't have nekkid cave-babes to clean up my gear afterwards, I'll have to file that complaint with the Philly Grotto. :grin:
Last edited by pacaver on Oct 16, 2007 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Todd » Oct 16, 2007 9:30 am

Hey Kevin
I didn't get a chance back at camp to thank you for leading a great trip, so thanks! Send me an email and I'll let you know when I've got the photos posted. (should be tonight)

-Todd
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Postby Todd » Oct 16, 2007 9:35 am

Just checked my email and saw you'd already emailed me!
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Postby Bob Thrun » Oct 16, 2007 12:03 pm

VACaver wrote:I
Location was awful...too far from caves. It may be a great place for OTR (where partying is the main activity), but poor for those who actually want to go caving.

Saturday night dinner...awful menu. Sauerkraut?

Weather...COLD at night! But that's what you get when you schedule it in the middle of October.


I have been to many conventions and regional gatherings. Some have been right next to ONE cave. If cavers wanted wanted to go to a different cave or kind of cave - horizontal or vertical, easy or hard, long or short - it involved a drive. This VAR/MAR was pretty good for the number of caves that the people could go to within a reasonable distance.

I skipped the the sauerkraut. There was plenty of other food and it was good

I agree that i was cold. I had to put one sleeping bag within the other on Saturday night/Sunday morning. There was frost on everything Sunday morning. I hung around and let the sun dry off my tent.

Overall, this VAR/MAR was small, quiet and friendly.
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Postby bcrowell » Oct 18, 2007 8:42 pm

I went. I had a good time. The caves aren't 5 or 10 minutes away, but usually they aren't anyway. It wasn't crazy, but their was some activity. And it wasn't too cold either. I think that the group of people (14 or so) that I was with enjoyed it too.
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