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Spring VAR coming next weekend to Spruce Knob, WV, May 9-11, 2025
Basic Info
- Dates: Friday, May 9, 2025 - Sunday, May 11, 2025
- Location: Spruce Knob Mountain Center, 18 Woodlands Way, Circleville, WV 26804
- Registration: Pre-Registration online, or register at the door. At this point, though, pre-registration does no longer guarantees dinner. Prices remain $50 for 18+, $20 for under-18s, even at the door.
- Waiver: Please sign the OOB Waiver, before coming to VAR, if possible
- Contact: Email Out of Bounds Grotto (OBG) at
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Proceeds: Proceeds support the Virginia Region (VAR), Out of Bounds Grotto (OBG), Germany Valley Karst Survey, Vertical Training Section of the National Speleological Society (NSS), Central Appalachian Cave Rescue Team, WVCC, and The Gauntlet.
Camping and Accomodations
- Camping: Ample space available with bathhouses (toilets and showers).
- Dorms: 40 beds per dorm. Additional $30 per night.
- Yurts: Guest yurts available (sleep 4). Additional $70 per night.
- Pets: Not permitted on-site.
- Fire Policy: Fires allowed only in designated fire rings with local wood.
- To Reserve Dorms or Yurts: Contact OBG at
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Caving Opportunities
Vertical Caves:
- Shoveleater Cave: Technical skills required. Includes rebelays, J-hangs, traverses, and drops up to 215 ft.
- Ruddle: Vertical with tight spaces
- Thompson Pit: Vertical
- Con Cave: Vertical
- Harper’s Pit: Vertical
- Memorial Day Cave: Vertical, experienced vertical experts only
- Sites Attic: Vertical
Horizontal Caves:
- Hamilton Cave
- Trout Cave
- New Trout Cave
- Kees Cave (optional easy vertical)
- Stillhouse Cave
- Sinks of Gandy
- Cave Rat Cave
Many other cave trips are in the works.
Other Activities
The Gauntlet: The Metric SRT Ropes Course - Please sign Waiver here.- Whispering Spruce Trail: Easy, ½ mile, stunning sunset views
- Seneca Creek Trail: 5.5 miles, waterfalls, natural springs, and bridges (expect wet feet)
- Huckleberry Trail: 11 miles, high meadows and backcountry vistas
- Piper Apache Plane Crash Site: 10 miles, easy hike on old logging trail
- Seneca Rocks: Hiking (1.5-mile ascent) and rock climbing (over 400 routes)
Event Schedule
Friday, May 9, 2025
- Registration Opens: 2:00 PM
- Self-Guided Cave Trips
- Trip Sign-Ups: 8:00 PM
- Campfire: After Dark
Saturday, May 10, 2025
- Guided and Self-Guided Cave Trips
- Dinner: 6:00 PM
- Evening Program: 7:30 PM
- Presentation by Kyle Mills: "Three Carabiners and a Whole Lot of Guts: Early Vertical Exploration in Pendleton County"
- Meteor Shower Viewing
Sunday, May 11, 2025
- VAR Business Meeting: 9:00 AM
- Site Closes: 12:00 PM
- Self-Guided Cave Trips Continue
Additional Information
- Vendors:
- Md-Atlantic Karst Conservancy (MAKC)
- Southeast Cave Conservancy (SCCI)
- West Virginia Underground - Caving and rescue geart
- OnRope1 - Vertical caving equipment
- Sophi Reaptress -Cave Suits and clothing
- Jeremy Hush - artist
- Southeast Expedition Medical
- Cheryl Suitor - bat paintings
- CACRT
- Outstanding Stitches
- And possibly more to come...
- Sponsors
- Karst Sports - Caving gear
- Inner Mountain Outfitters - Caving gear
- Speleobooks - Caving books and ephemera
- Out of Bounds Grotto
- West Virginia Underground - Caving and rescue geart
- OnRope1 - Vertical caving equipment
- Sophi Reaptress -Cave Suits and clothing
- Jeremy Hush - artist
- Southeast Expedition Medical
- Outstanding Stitches
- Stay Updated: Follow OBG and VAR on Facebook for the latest updates, as well as this website.
