Tag: Block Party

GCAAR25 Piratemania Germany 2025

A Geocaching event to Remember

GCAAR25 Piratemania Germany by Piraten Crew Block Party D1/T1

On July 5, 2025, the ever popular UK geocaching event Piratemania has spread across the North Sea and had a very German take at the Panarbora Nature Discovery Park in Waldbröl, North Rhine-Westphalia. Held as a Geocaching HQ Block Party and coinciding with geocaching’s 25th anniversary, the event drew adventurers from across Europe for a day of pirate-themed exploration and family fun.

The scenic Panarbora Park— with its breathtaking treetop walkway, 40m high observation tower, and nature trails—served as the perfect family friendly backdrop, there were geocaching & AdLab routes, shopping, story telling, treasure hunts, and an evening’s entertainment for those staying on site.

Panabora Tower
Part of the tree walk from base
View from the tree walk

Accommodation consisted of either cosy treehouses or motorhome spots which were adjacent to the Event, admission to the event was €10 (this is perfectly normal for events on mainland Europe), though overnight guests entrance fee was covered in the treehouse agreement.

Ann@Birdbrook by Pirate Ship
The rest of the crew

Ann@Birdbrook and Naturesbyte, opted for the ‘International’ motorhome site. As the only Brits among the overnight campers, they were warmly welcomed by their European neighbours, highlighting the inclusive and friendly spirit that defines the geocaching community.

Blending adventure, community, and outdoor fun, this German edition of Piratemania truly embodied the spirit of geocaching—bringing people together to explore, connect, and create unforgettable memories in the great outdoors.

International crew

Many thanks to the The “Piraten Crew” who so worked hard in making this event happen.

News & New Caches 163

We have no new caches or events to report since our last post, but plenty of other news.

December Solstice Souvenir

The December solstice marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere. Geocaching HQ crafted a special souvenir exclusively for geocachers to commemorate the December solstice. Earn this souvenir by finding any geocache, attending any Event, or completing an Adventure Lab® Location from 20th-22nd December, 2024.

2025, A Year of Celebrations

2025 is going to be a very busy year for the social geocacher with a wide range of events taking place. We all are aware that May 2nd 2025 is the 25th anniversary of geocaching with many celebratory events taking place worldwide, but did you know it is also 9 Usual Suspects 10th anniversary? Not only are there Giga, Mega, CITO’s and ordinary events taking place but also Block Parties and Community Celebration Events.

What is a Block Party? Basically it is a Mega Event. Geocaching HQ hosted the original Block Parties in Seattle from 2011 to 2015. Only 5,064 geocachers received the Block Party icon during those years. To enable more people to acquire this icon HQ are giving organisers of Mega or Giga Events the option to choose the Block Party icon for their event.
For an event to qualify as a Block Party the following criteria have to be met:

  • Take place between 1st January, 2025,- 31st December, 2025.
  • Qualify as a Mega-Event or Giga-Event.
  • Have at least 300 Will Attends.
  • Be at least 6 hours long.
  • Highlight celebrating 25 years of geocaching.

At the time of writing there is just one Block Party published for the UK:
GCAK7KC London Calling 2025 by London Calling D1/T1
When: Saturday 3rd May 2025
Where: Central Halls Westminster
Time: 10.30am – 5pm
Admission Charge: £7 in advance, £12 on the door, children under 15 free if accompanied by an adult

What is a Community Celebration Event? An event that all attendees receive a special icon to celebrate significant milestones in geocaching. To earn a Community Celebration Event 2025 credit, simply, host an event and publish a geocache in 2024. All geocachers who qualify will receive a CCE credit to be used from 1st January to 31st December 2025.

9US 10th Birthday Celebrations
We have received our Community Celebration Event credit and will be hosting an event to celebrate 9US’s 10th birthday on International Geocaching Day, Saturday 16th August 2025.

We are currently putting together our event program for 2025. In the past 10 years we have hosted over 170 events and CITO’s, do you have a favourite location or event that you would like to re-visit as part of our celebrations? Or any ideas/locations for an event? Please contact us through comments or message us through 9 Usual Suspects geocaching account.

Christmas Dinner, Event Review

GCAZ9WX Christmas Dinner – Nosh & Natter 73 by 9 Usual Suspects D1/T1

This is the 3rd year we have had our Christmas event at the Goat Inn, Glandwyfach, a perfect location for this event. By having the event on the Friday night we were the only party in the function room. There was a lot of general banter and geochat before the serious part of the evening, eating and drinking began. The food was again excellent, the secret Santa was fun and what can I say about the Welsh Bingo? A lovely evening and a great start to Christmas.
Here are a few pictures:

GCAAR25 Piratemania Germany

GCAAR25 Piratemania Germany
When: Saturday 5th July, 2025
Where: Jugendherberge Waldbröl „Panarbora“ Naturerlebnispark, Nutscheidstraße 1, D-51545 Waldbröl, Germany
Time: 10am to 8pm

This event is a Block Partytemania Germ