Chiang Mai Saturday Hash House Harriers
Drinking and Running Since 1991
Hash Trash 1555 Grand Master – Skid Mark Haberdasher – Snail Trail
Historian & Awards Master – Superman Hash Cash – Chatterbox
Joint Master – Just Cumming Beer Monster – Deep Throat
Religious Advisor – Chuck Wao Hare Raiser – Bushy Tail
Deputy Beer Monster – Sheep Shagger On Sec.– Stumbling Dyke
Run 1556
Just Cumming and Bushy Tail were the hares for today’s outing. Just Cumming seems to be setting every other run these days; proving himself to be a glutton for, the proverbial, punishment. The location was about 10 km along the Samoerng Road from Samcan , the Canal Road intersection, an area where only mountains exist. So it was a safe bet, that a good work out of each and everyone’s cardio vascular system was in the offing. The A bucket was at the car park of a restaurant on the side of one of the ubiquitous mountains. This is a site that has been utilized by Just Cumming on numerous occasions in the past, and I think is therefore eligible for naming as one of those frequently hashed from A buckets; such as Turkey’s Triangle, Superman’s Dog Leg and the like. My suggestion is J C’s Cum Spot. Let me know what you think.
The usual 30 or so hashers had made their way out to the A bucket with one or two longtime returnees making an appearance, one of them being Pink Nipples who had turned up after an absence of over a year or so. Set amidst the mountains, this is potentially an area of outstanding natural beauty. It’s only marred by the ever present dirty, filthy, disgusting air pollution that seems to give everything a monochrome hue at this time of year. It’s akin to visiting a fine art gallery and finding it full with heavy smokers. JC gave the hare brief, giving us the expected B S about how flat it was going to be and how the odd hill may have to be encountered.
We all set off in the inevitable uphill direction and carried on that trajectory for a good 10 minutes. After the usual huffing and puffing we eventually leveled off. We then followed a trail in more or less a straight line across the mountain. We followed various trails with the usual sneaky checks for around 15 minutes. Then the time came to descend off the mountain, so once again on a JC run we were faced with a near vertical slope to negotiate. As luck would have it there was a sturdy piece of bamboo on the ground. I picked it up to help me with the precipitous decent. As I embarked on my downhill path with my sturdy piece of bamboo, it got me thinking about what an amazing piece of natural engineering bamboo actually is. There are very few hash runs where you don’t encounter bamboo and it has some absolutely amazing qualities. It can grow up to a meter in 24 hours; It releases 30 % more oxygen into the atmosphere than trees; It has a higher tensile strength than steel. Bamboo can be used for food, clothing and shelter, not to mention the scaffolding on every construction site in Thailand and the ladders every electrician uses when working on overhead powerlines. I’ve also read that it has medicinal qualities in the treatment of cold and flu symptoms, so it may have a role to play in the war on Covid. After earthquakes, more often than not, it’s the bamboo structures which are least affected by the devastation. The list of truly amazing attributes seems to be endless. So the next time you encounter this miracle of nature just spare a thought to the value this unassuming piece of flora has on the ecosystem and economy of the world; One of nature’s true wonderments and the hasher’s friend.
Anyway with my trusty bamboo stick I made my way to the bottom of the mountain and back onto the road. From the location of the A bucket, I knew there was now once again some steep terrain to be negotiated. I followed a few trails running parallel to the road and then onto a steep incline which took me back to the starting point. I clocked up about 4km, not necessarily a long run but given the amount of hills a pretty strenuous workout was had by all. All in all a very good run guys.
OnOn Stumbling Dyke…