Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	Aerial
Run 632	27 April 2008	Old Faithful and Bambi	Buriton Queen Elizabeth Country Park	SU733197

A hare's perspective.

7.30am arrive at carpark, Old Faithful already there and he has already deployed the signage. "I've got a spot of flu" he tells me in a blocked nose voice, "I'm hoping the run will clear my head" he adds as he unwraps another mentholyptus.

7.45am we load up with flour and set off, the day is dry with hazy sunshine, quite pleasant, I need only a T-shirt but O.F. is wrapped in an anorak, "I promised Pru that I would wear it " he says, already looking a bit hot.

For the next hour the trail laying proceeds as normal, we know exactly where we are going because we jogged round the route the week before and decided the rough position of checks, like an artist might make a first sketch. This morning we are painting the masterpiece, laying the checks and falsies to suit the conditions of the day.

At 9.30am we hear the first rumbles of thunder and see dark clouds to the north, we stop and try and sense which way the storm is traveling. O.F. says "I think it's just going to miss us" but it doesn't.

At 10.30am, in torrential rain we return to the carpark, drowned frozen rats. I dive into my chariot, O.F. into his, I wrestle off the wet clobber, open the flask of hot coffee and the outside world dissapears as the windows mist up, save for the drumming of the rain on the roof.

At 10.45am the first hashers arrive, no one gets out of their chariot. At 10.55 am the rain has eased and hashers are gathering. Sinbad and The Gnu have cycled in through the rain and already look done in.

At 11.00 am we have good sized bunch with a welcome for one newbie "Sue" and her dog, then O.F and I tell the usual lies and guide the pack to the On-Out, we are wondering how much flour has survived. Unexpectedly it appears that the trail is intact, however two shortcomings are soon apparent. We dont have any shortcuts for the walkers and the previously dry grippy surface has become lethally slimey. As a direct result both O.F. and I decide to keep to the rear to try and make sure that everyone gets around. Strangely all the climbs and descents, of which there many, seem to be steeper than earlier. Luckily the frontrunners manage to find their way round and we all have a bit of "fun" helpng each other down the slippy bits, with the occasional manhandling being necessary.

After 1hr and 20mins of robust hashing we are back at the chariots, with many muddy backsides in evidence. We have a brief ceremony the highlight of which is the presentation of the Hash-It to Dr Blood on the near occasion of his big "Five Oh" birthday. Then it's all down to pub at the bottom of the hill, except for O.F. who heads home to Pru still wrapped in his anorak.


On-On Bambi.