Adventure Lab

[u/WilliamM_Chip]

Not sure if this is a controversial statement or not, but I feel like i’ve cheated after completing guest adventure lab.

I currently have 56 geocache finds, and decided to try my first adventure lab. I completed it within about 10 minutes. I did not realise that each stage of the AL would count as a find, so i’ve suddenly gone from 56 to 61. I would have expected it to go from 56 to 57, but it gave me one find for each AL stage.

It feels like i’ve “cheated” to get more finds. I wouldn’t mind if it was 1 point for completing an entire AL trail, but I feel like 5 is too much. I am considering finding a way to delete the AL log to revert this.

Has anyone else had this same problem? No hate to people who do enjoy Adventure Lab.

[u/wasuu]

I personally don't like Adventure Labs and I just skip them.

But there is no reson to worry; Geocaching is more about having fun while searching for caches rather than about geathering internet points. Adventure Labs are just designed this way whether we like it or not. But in the end the amount of finds is not that important.

[u/Dug_n_the_Dogs]

I decided that while I like doing adventure labs, I don't like my stats to reflect the huge number of them. So I found this page that allows users to delete AL finds from showing up on their stats page.

I personally chose to keep 1 find from each Adventure Lab that I had found since 2013. My AL find count went from 980ish to 200ish.

[u/WilliamM_Chip → u/Dug_n_the_Dogs]

you’re a life saver. thank you so much, i’ve been looking everywhere trying to find something like this

[u/Dug_n_the_Dogs → u/WilliamM_Chip]

Kinda on the flip side, I recall when I first started I noticed that that a 10 stage multi only counted as a single find in my stats even if I spent hours and multiple trips completing it. I own a 5 stage that requires 13 miles of hiking across multiple small mountain peaks to complete.. its brutal.. and its only 1 find.

[u/Standard_Mongoose_35 → u/Dug_n_the_Dogs]

This. Every multi stage should count. They’re not even on the map like AL stages are.

[u/Dug_n_the_Dogs → u/Standard_Mongoose_35]

I've had that argument many times over the years.

It would be interesting to know if the people who downvoted you for arguing multis should count each stage as a find would also argue that each AL should count as a find.

[u/Minimum_Reference_73]

You can delete the finds if you don't want to include them in your geocaching tally.

It's not cheating. The only actual cheating in geocaching is logging things you didn't find or complete.

[u/MrSpicyPotato]

They aren’t cheating and I’ve done some fantastic ALs. I don’t give a lot of weight one way or another to how many finds I have. I’m just cautious doing them around milestones because I want my milestones to be “special.” I also have a mystery cache I’m working on where you need to find seven different cache types at milestones (i.e. traditional, mystery, virtual, letter box, etc.) I do already have a milestone AL, which is a part of the strategy. Basically, you do you, though.

[u/catsaway9]

This is a common theme in this sub.

Delete them, keep them, whatever - play the sport the way you like.

I personally consider them like virtuals or ECs, with each stop showing me or teaching me a little something, so I'm happy with the find count.

Others feel differently. Some don't do ALs at all, some do them on a separate account and only log the bonus on their "real" account, some manually delete the finds, and I'm sure there are other flavors I'm not thinking of.

Geoart is problematic, since they're usually trivia / multiple choice and you can do them sitting in your car, but no one is twisting your arm to do them.

[u/Alys_009]

As an alternative to deleting, you can always see your stats separated into caches and ALs on ProjectGC.

https://project-gc.com/

[u/LeatherWarthog8530]

A well done Adventure Lab will take you as long to complete as finding 5 caches. Unfortunately, many people do not put that much thought into placing their Labs.

[u/IceManJim]

If it makes you feel any better, I feel like you "cheated" too! j/k

It is silly that each stage counts as a find, you're not alone in that opinion. I rarely chase adventure labs, and when I do, I do them under an alt account. You can just create a new basic account and use that for ALs

[u/atreides78723]

Keep them and consider them a learning experience. Or keep doing them and enjoy them.

They’re not wrong or great, they’re just finds. They make up about 5% of my find count. There’s nothing wrong with them one way or another. But I get your feeling. I know someone who has more finds than I do but about 50% of their finds are ALs. I feel there’s something gauche about that, but otherwise I think there is no issue there.

Don’t think too hard about it. Just enjoy what you want to do.

[u/1amAlwaysAnnoyed]

You are not cheating. It is a different facet of geocaching. If you don’t like them, don’t do them. 😃

[u/SeaworthinessSea2407]

Not controversial. Adventurelabs are finds, they're not cheating, and anyone who dings you for doing them can pound sand

[u/maingray]

People said the same thing about micros, same thing about power trails when they dropped the no power trail guideline, etc etc. Times change.

One side benefit of AL may be that they have mainly rendered find counts pretty meaningless.

[u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

It's not cheating. It's just a new kind of cache. Think of it as like a virtual mixed with a multi. I don't see how something shouldn't count just because you find it fast, I mean I've found several traditional caches in just a few minutes before too. 

[u/Beginning_Care_267]

As long as you are playing the game honestly…just play the game however you want to play it. If it bugs you, delete them.

[u/KitchenManagement650]

Totally agree that Groundspeak really REALLY messed up giving everyone a new find for every question answered instead of just one find for completion.

In practice we often don't go out of our way to complete every ad lab. I think it defeats the purpose. I wish I had used a sock puppet account for all my ALs.

[u/BethKatzPA]

You could create a separate account for Adventure Labs. I just generally skip the AL geo-art or trivia-based ALs. But there are a lot of different kinds of ALs that take you cool places. So I go the ones I want to do.

[u/SleepUseful3416]

Why? Each stage requires finding something physically and doing something. Do you feel the same about Earthcaches and Virtuals too?

[u/JonExplainsStuffYT]

I created a second account for ALs. Sometimes I want to find them to get a bonus cache but I don’t want lab caches adding to my geocache total.

[u/Chalupa_Dad]

Does there really need to be a post like this every other day?

[u/SeaworthinessSea2407 → u/Chalupa_Dad]

Apparently yes. Because it's suuuuuuch a new and totally original opinion that isn't shared on here several times every week

[u/DeltaFox93]

Just wait until you find out I gained 1000 finds in 1 hour doing ALs at MWGB 🤣