GEOLLAMA

A PROPOSAL TO ENHANCE THE PLTA EXPERIENCE

Conceived by PLTA members

Submitted by Lisa Wolf July 2014

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVE:

It seems that most humans love a treasure hunt. This program is just that, a treasure hunt

with your llama. It is intended to provide an entertaining activity and an inspiration to get

out there and do it. There are three components to GeoLlama; caches, obstacles, and sites.

For those who chose, points can be accumulated for llamas involved in finding GeoLlama

locations. These points will be tabulated by the GeoLlama Coordinator and displayed with

the llama’s name for bragging rights on the PLTA website. The activity is open to all PLTA

members. It takes place at members’ convenience in locations determined by participants.

DEFINITIONS IN BRIEF:

1) GeoCache. This option involves finding something that has been stashed. It is a treasure

hunt that requires a ‘keeper’ who not only establishes a location, but in that location,

maintains a trove of objects of minor value that the finder can keep, replacing it with an

object of their own of equally minor value. The cache is in place for no more than three

months and is removed by the keeper. The cache may include a log book that finders can

sign and leave comments in.

2) GeoObstacle. In this GeoLlama activity the objective is to locate and negotiate a

predefined llama obstacle. The obstacles meet the definitions and requirements of PLTA

pack trials as defined in the Pack Trial Manual. They are assigned a point value depending

on their complexity; one point for simple obstacles, two points for complex obstacles.

Llamas earn these points by having themselves photographed negotiating the obstacle, and

submitting that photograph to the GeoLlama Coordinator.

3) GeoSite. These are locations in which the llama poses for a picture in the same view as

shown in the GeoLlama database. These pictures may be submitted to the GeoLlama

Coordinator as proof of accomplishment and may earn as many as ten points for the llama,

depending on how challenging it is to access the location.

HOW IT WORKS

RULES AND REGULATIONS, LEAVE NO TRACE

It is of utmost concern to the PLTA that GeoLlama causes no environmental damage. To this

end all regulations defined by land management agencies with authority over the location

where the GeoLlama location is established, must be followed. For example, permission is

usually required to place a cache of anything on lands administered by the U.S. Forest

Service or Bureau of Land Management. National Parks may prohibit it entirely. Off-trail

travel may be prohibited, or group size may be limited.

Leave No Trace principle must also be taken into consideration when establishing a location.

This includes avoiding fragile landscapes and making sure that user trails are not created.

THE DATA

GeoLlama data is available only to members of the PLTA. It is supported by a database

containing GPS coordinates for locations and images of obstacles and sites. GPS coordinates

are recorded using UTM readings in NAD 83 (North American Datum 1983). Images must be

adequately clear and include readily identifiable landmarks or features. Images for obstacles

must include a person, llama, or item such as a knapsack, marking the exact location in

which the obstacle is to be negotiated.

Points acquired by individual llamas will be cumulative. They will be tallied regularly with the

llama’s total made public at the end of each calendar year

GeoLlama requires the support of a Coordinator who maintains a database of gps location

coordinates, location images and points accumulated by llamas.

THE GEOLLAMA COORDINATOR

Management of the GeoLlama Program is done by a PLTA member who volunteers to

maintain the database, receive and analyze information from participants, and calculate the

points each llama has earned.

ESTABLISHING A GEOLLAMA LOCATION

Before something can be found, someone has to hide it. Establishing GeoLlama locations is

an activity that any PLTA member can undertake. The data varies a little between the

different types of GeoLlama location but in general, to establish a GeoLlama location, the

following information must be supplied to the GeoLlama Coordinator. A form for this

purpose is provided.

o GPS coordinates in UTMs, NAD83

o A picture showing

readily identifiable landmarks or features

location the llama should be in (GeoObstacles only)

o Description of location or obstacle

o Land Management Regulations governing access and use

o Justification for the number of points credited to the location

o A proposed name for the location

o Name of the person establishing the location

o Contact information of the person establishing the location

o If the location is a cache, the period of time the keeper will maintain the

cache

REPORTING FINDING A GEOLLAMA LOCATION

Once found, GeoLlama obstacle and site locations may be reported back to the PLTA for

points credit. To do this the finder must provide an image of their llama at the location that

matches the photo on file for that location. Included must be the llama’s registered name

and PLTA number, the site name and the gps coordinates in UTMs.

COMPARISON OF GEOLLAMA LOCATION REQUIREMENTS

Cache Obstacle Site

Coordinate System UTM, NAD83 UTM, NAD83 UTM, NAD83

Location Image not required shows obstacle identifiable features

Duration maximum 3 months 2 years w/o renewal 5 years w/o renewal

Verification none image matching

database image,

showing llama

completing obstacle

image matching

database image view

showing llama at site

Points Earned none, trinket acquired maximum of 2 maximum of 10