The Sameong Road Football field… There have been several inexperienced hares setting from here who decided to use all the temple steps – fortunately Blows Herself (and 3.5 inch side kick) chose better and set a really great run – thanks guys! I arrived very early to discuss some Animal Dinner options with the GM, but as he was late, I poked around looking for the starting paper – it was heading for the bamboo bridge. That meant come runtime, I needed to head off quickly to avoid the inevitable queue while we try to cross the bamboo bridge from hell…
Sure enough I got there first, but it was even shakier than I was used to, and only got a couple of steps out onto it before I realised I wasn’t going to make it across, and behind me a pack of braying hashers were very ready to ridicule me. FUCK! What could I do? I was shaking, unstable, and the rail wasn’t helping me at all. I tried to get down on my knees to crawl across, but that wasn’t going to happen. Meh. I went back and instead of using the bridge, plunged into the river… I’ve never tried this water crossing before, and it was deeper than I thought, and the climb to get out was steeper than I’d hoped, but it was definitely quicker than crossing the bamboo of hell…
I emerged in good state – thanks Turkey for trying to help me up – while everyone else was jeering, Turkish was the only voice of humanity offering me a hand to climb up – I should have given you a thank-you splash! Another couple of checks and we were at the quarry that is home to so many fuckups. Given the terrain it is hard to set a run with the out trail not being too close to the in trail, and at this point, so often things have gone wrong. This time Angry Inch went just far enough in the wrong direction to find trail. Meanwhile Chuckie, Shagless and I found paper to the left. We were confident, just as confident as the rest of the pack. We called and jogged along a little bit to a circle – paper leading straight to the circle meant we were right. I yelled, I bellowed, and wondered if anyone would pay attention…
We went through a few checks, the three of us, and I was thinking the rest of the pack may do it backwards and us meet halfway around. A V-check, with Shagless leading the way, and neither CW or I wanted to take the left option – from here we always go up over the hill and around. But duty bound I went left. I didn’t hear anything the other way, so carried on and I was on my own ahead of the pack. The next few checks were no-brainers, if you knew the area. We had to head to the junction at the corner of the rubber wall. Of course there was a circle check there, and my first real FRB decision. I’d made the decision some time before getting to the check… Going to the left along the wall was an option, but I picked the trail almost straight, while downhill to the right was very unlikely… When I got back I was shocked to see the rest of the pack appearing! It seems they were smarter than I give them credit for and had followed our calls. They were so smart that nobody checked down the hill and just followed Chuckie to the left. WTF?
Sure enough he was right, and I trudged off after them resigned to the inevitable hill climb. The trails here are fantastic! It’s like the hashgods came down and laid some trails out just for us to play on. Unfortunately there are physical obstructions that restrict the hare’s possibilities. We had to go up the hill… A circle check on the climb, and I guess I know the area better than those ahead, as I was entirely convinced by my guess, and sure enough I was right. More climbing, and ahead of me the other FRBs cut across and popped out on trail ahead of me. As we hit the ridgeline Chuckie, Tasty and Graven were leading the way. Another check and Graven made a poor choice. Few checks now and we had the charge down the hill… A long run down… Ahead was CW & TMB, behind Angry and Lizzard Gizzard. I enjoyed the downhill, but definitely didn’t run full out, it was perfectly hashable, but a little treacherous as several hashers came in needing medical attention!
At the bottom of the hill the trail went back over the bamboo bridge… meh… I’ll take the nice concrete one, and did a minor detour…