Himalayan Mixed Hash Run No. 1294 27 September 03
Location pines beside Godavari Resort Hotel Virgins 1 Irene, Robbie, Ruaraidh, Steffie, Vincent
Hares Towed and Hernia Virgins 2 Paul, Lora, Molly, Audrey, Lydia
Hashers 65 Newcomers Alida, Reinhardt, Daniel, James
Hashit Lora Returnees Sacheen, Suman, Mouth Organ, Christina
Trash Towed Trashflash Rotter, Tadpole
The Pictures The Trash

Wiping away that pre-circle kiss

Virgins

Seems to be a mixture of virgins and newcomers

OK I know the one on the left is Juan Carlos the returnee - GM

Returnee Christina

Crashers Rotter and Mouth Organ,

A well-deserved Hashit to Lora 'Paddy Straddler' for something or other

 Well, there we were, halfway through the circle, and I says to The Fox, I says “Fox, are you doing the trash?”

And The Fox says, “Nope”

So I says, “Is anyone taking notes?”

And The Fox says, “Nope”

“Ah! Bollocks,” says I, “I’d better do it by guesswork later. Let’s have another beer.”

At least I can do a good run description, though, bein’ as I was one of the Hares.

There were to be 13 checks of which five were holding, river crossings, false trails, leeches and so on. Walkers were on flour when they left the runners, to be guided by Hernia. Runners to be ignored by Towed.

First paper was to the south and down across the valley through Checks 1 and 2 before a short steep climb up to Holding Check 3 where . Despite the fact that the runners had explored all the false trails on the way there, the walkers were still well behind and the Hares waited only for the first few walkers to be in before telling the pack to “check it out”. The run along a low ridge to check 4 on the way down to the village spread the pack a little but they all congregated at the check, waiting for a select few to check out the trail. Yogi Hare found the right way, missing what had been laid as an obvious false trail because a bunch of local worthies had decided to sit around right on top of the strategically laid paper!

Holding Check 5, below the ridge running up to somewhere quite high up, pulled the pack back together, but again the walkers were struggling to keep up so after the first few had arrived the pack were once more invited to “check it out”, along with dire warnings from the Hare that the next bit was a little strenuous. Sure enough, the trail headed up for some considerable time before reaching Holding Check 6 up in the pines and the 50,000 newly planted saplings. The pack simply could not believe that the trail continued straight up so some time was spent, most notably by the GM, searching desperately for trails that went along rather than up. Eventually the Fox realised that this was his last Godavari run in reverse and headed off up the main trail and on to paper. Much grumbling was heard on the way up this second climb to the effect that the pack didn’t mind the Hare training for his next trek, but why the hell did it have to involve them.

Check 7 saw the parting of the ways. The concept of a back check seemed to elude a bunch of very experienced hashers, so it was left to Juan Carlos and Nicolet to find the paper on a narrow trail branching off some 150m before the check. The Fox was never seen again. From here the trail went down and down through the pines and leeches to Check 8. Checks 9 and 10 back at the level of the living were soon passed and Holding Check 11 reached in a grassy area near the road. The GM was the only one at the check, claiming that it was a double holding check - the local kids having re-layed a second set of small circles.

Since the pack had been on the trail for about an hour and 45 minutes by this time, the walkers (who had not bothered to wait a full 30 minutes for the runners) shortcut home was offered as an alternative. Beaufort, Elida, Juan Carlos and Vincent opting for this but the rest of the pack deciding to run the final loop. Lost Ark and a couple of friends had got fed up waiting so had abandoned the pack and their moral obligation to wait.

Check 12 saw further scattering of the pack as a select few could not believe that the trail did not head directly home from here. They had, after all, been running for over two hours by this time. So it was that the pack was reduced to 6 fearless souls: Tadpole, Rotter, Steffan, Mouth Organ, the soon to be named Paddy Straddler and, (apologies to the individual) one unremembered other, to experience the final four river crossings and the blessed relief of cool water on hot and aching feet, and safely bypass the unlucky, final, Holding Check 13.

As dusk fell, the Master finally called the circle together, and the Hares were called in to receive the accolades of the pack. Some low level abuse was directed at them before the award of a stunning 9.9 by the Master.
Lots of virgins followed, along with newcomers, a dog with incredibly short legs, perhaps a welcome back or two, a couple more beers, a chat with Keeled Over and the Fox, Crashers and lost people or latecomers (or was that last week?). The circle was surprisingly smaller than the number of people who set out on the run, but no-one really cared whether they were lost or had already gone home. Yogi Hare appeared, having tried a short cut back from the resort through the bushes with those little spiky seeds. Towed tried to award him a down-down for imitating a porcupine in the circle but the Master was having none of it. Who cared - there was a party coming up.

Finally the Hashit was awarded to Paddy Straddler for doing or not doing something.

A brief interlude for social drinking and tidying up before going to join the kids for a relaxing evening by the pool and an excellent buffet. Thanks to the Hares for reminding the pack how unfit they were, to Keeled Over for organising the party (I think, but apologies to anyone else involved just in case) and to the numerous hashers who have been consistently overcharged for the past year, for funding the whole do. Eat your heart out Zeppelin - you came back for the wrong week!