The Rain Gods obviously realised that it was time for the annual Grumblewald monsoon special and arranged for 12 solid hours of rain in the south of the valley on Friday night. Despite this, it was once again a very good turnout for the time of year with a goodly number of people returning from holidays or other personal preoccupations. For once, Grumblewald had decided that he needs help to set a hash (something the rest of the pack has known for years) and had recruited the assistance of Dave and Jenny. The briefing was the usual rubbish from Grumblewald. Why he cannot bring himself just to say there is some paper scattered around the countryside, following no discernable system, and point us all in roughly the right direction, I do not know.

Anyway, the first paper was off across the road and down towards the Nakhu Khola. The first check was not until the river – a sign of things to come - and even then it wasn't a recognisable check. First arrivals, Keeled, Shrivelled, Fast Forwards and Towed, were gullible enough to cross the river only to find, rather predictably, that it was a back check from which the trail headed back up towards the road, using much the same paths as we had done for last year's out trail, but in reverse.

Holding Check 2 was on the road, a little to the north of the On-In, with the onwards trail leading down to the road heading out to the Bagmati Beach . Check 3 was somewhere in the vicinity of the one remaining brick factory in that area, but otherwise it was a simple long run out south along the road until we almost reached the Beach. Early arrivals were Shrivelled & Keeled again, having caught up with the pack at Check 3 (yet another back check) and leapfrogged to the front when the Hare showed them the way. Holding Check 4 was a few hundred metres short of the beach. This was where the effects of anno domini began to show in the Hare who was unable to remember quite where he had put the check.

From here it was a merciless long climb back up to the road before heading down westwards again. Towed initially found the way, but was then overtaken by Shrivelled and Chrissie. The next check was down by the Nakhu again – possibly something of a hash record to run between Bagmati and Nakhu with no intermediate checks – but this was only for the FRBs, the rest being allowed to cut along the upper khulo. Shrivelled & Chrissie were surprisingly caught by following trio of Towed, Flare Pair and Fast Forward who wondered what had delayed them?? Since we were now getting close to the out trail it was obvious where we should head from here – back up to the beer! We eventually encountered Check 6, where we all managed to get lost and had to find our way back to the On-In without the benefit of paper.

Pretty soon everyone was back with the exception of Keeled, who had decided to renew his acquaintance with the first of the “three gorges” after we left Holding Check 4. At Towed Under's command the GM decided to start the circle without him, since most there needed to get away early to spruce up for the absent Loverboy's party later in the evening.

The three Hares were called in to the circle for the obligatory consultation on the relative merits and demerits of the run. Comments on there being too many checks, no river crossings, remarkably few leeches (again) and not enough mud earned a dubious 9.9.

There being no virgins, down-downs were next awarded to Returnees: Tom, Mark, Itchy Balls, Giselle, Tuna Dip, and nameless others, and to Crashers: Griot, BigJim, Grumblewald, and possibly someone else.

Towed then demanded enforcement of rule 6A which clearly states the should be no Media persons on the run, so Billie was called in, named BumFluffy (using the GM‘s twisted logic that she liked fluffy things but spent most of the run on her bum. The poor girl then had to do it twice, as she got it slightly wrong first time around. Justice was done though, since Interviewee Rotts was then called in by popular demand.

The remaining down downs were awarded to:

•  Keeled, Shrivelled, FF and Towed for river crossing

•  Towed Under and Moosette for a private party

•  Itchy Balls for doing what he does best

•  Flair Pair and Billie for a private party

•  BigJim for clichés

The GM then started to lose it completely, calling for social drinking before he had handed out the Hashit, was brought back to reality by the circle, but couldn't think of any suitable candidates (neither could anyone in the circle) so awarded it to the person who'd had most down-downs already – the luckless BumFluffy who is off to climb Cho Oyu next week. Shrivelled reckoned having so many down-downs was good training for altitude as the lack of oxygen produced very similar symptoms to an excess of alcohol (giddiness, inability to walk etc.).

Thanks to Mrs Rotter for the hash catering and to the Hares for an almost check-free run.