Perfect running and driving weather! Great parking spot, well marked! Most of the 41 people present had NO trouble getting there. Grumblewald and gang, and Keeled Over with the Rotter's Roost Party, managed to miss the turn and explore the new road leading into Dhading District. Durga had seen the paper but others refused to listen. One point for the wives!

By 1515h we were off, heading south to John Howald's house to burn incense, and then looping back north to overtake the short cutters and head off to check 1, a back check. The Fox fell for his own type of trick and wandered a while before finding the pack scattered across the slope and wondering how to get to the monastery. It seems that earlier in the day the hares suffered from the same confusion, as almost vertical false trails headed up here and there. 69 led (the pack not following) down to check 2 (another back check) which didn't fool Jedi nor Hadyn. (69 was next seen descending from the Gompa above check 6 having lost paper, but needing to get as high as possible). They continued up the gradually climbing trail (finding a false trail leading to a rock pile), and skeptically accepted Sideways suggestion to follow a trail down to check 3.This was the site of a serious crash, near the bottom of the stairs, by one of the younger speedsters. Jedi, once again, quickly found the paper leading up a narrow gorge back to the main trail. Martina, now led the pack (Jedi, Hadyn and followers having missed check 5 continued along an unpapered level trail). Eventually, the mob gathered at holding check 6 in the meadow overlooking Swayambunath with stunning views of the valley.

No sign of Hurry Krishna, Grumblewald, Praveen and a new group of serious runners. No one worried and we just enjoyed the great views before the hares herded us off down the north slope to the pass and check 7, where the paper-unheeding fast runners were waiting, having missed the holding check, but having found ingenious alternative routes. Check 8 was at a T-junction, which fooled no one. The fast runners headed west up the valley towards Ichangu Narayan, the home of the famous Bhakta Prasad Byaguto. (If you have not read The Adventures of a Nepali Frog, by Kanak Mani Dixit, buy it. If you can't read, your kids can read it to you.)

Check 9 (a back check) was probably missed since the fast pack was blazing along without breaking stride. Paper took us across the stream, and back through a quarry. We were to then climb the ridge, have a nice view at check 10, follow a level path along a contour line, drop to the road, cross it, loop around a newly built house, follow an irrigation ditch for a while, and eventually have a good run home. Instead everyone just stayed on the road (along with the army vehicles, buses and rock haulers), missing some good running away from the pollution and dust -- no fault to the hares who were trying to handle an unmanageable mob. The leaders were home in about an hour, with others straggling in over the next fifteen minutes. No one was lost - although Dolma had go back for a few stragglers.

Keeled Over was happy to pass the circle over to the Fox, who had been lost at useless functions over the past few weeks. There have been reports of terrible hash discipline in the absence of the GM, off designing bombing targets in Afghanistan, and the RA. the main culprits were reported to be one Trina, and one Brewster from Seattle. Neither was present to present a defence -- just as well, because Keeled Over had come armed. Later, when the defendants are present, the GM-RA Kangaroo Court will see that injustice is done.

• We thanked the runners for their run with a Desert Fox score of 9.9 as usual. There were the usual complaints about not enough hills and back checks but, otherwise, general happiness.
• We welcomed the following Virgins: Trish Batchelor (who ran #1239 but exited early, claiming an allergic reaction [to whom?]), Praveen Baidya (who was present once before to watch dancing girls but did not run), Ram Bhandari, Govinda K.C., Tshering Lama, Louis Ferraz, and Saneeya Ferraz.
• We sadly bid a 3-week adieu to Emily.
• We disciplined the unrefined for wanking and forming private circles.
• We congratulated Martina on run 100.
• We suggested that Keeled Over and Grumblewald give up on map reading.
• Heather and Jedi got to share the sisterly Hashshit, thanks to suggesting that Hashes are training runs for other events -- can any event upstage a hash?
• (Somehow we missed rewarding 69 for saving others from the Hashit last week!)
• Calvin was found nursing a nasty blow to the head after frollicking too near the circle and encountering Sideway's sharp elbow.

Again, Durga and company provided great snacks and drinks. Pickings will be slimmer next week, as the Rotter's Roost Party heads east. Oh woe!