The Hares!!!
The who?? The Hares!!! Hares are the nice folks
who get out of bed early and prepare the Hash
trail. So, if you would like to help
the Hash a little then think about being a Hare.
It's not difficult
and will be greatly rewarded (with beer of course). Hares also don't have to
pay the Hash Cash. The most important thing to plan for is a great running area. Qingdao
has lots of them and you just need to pick one. To learn more about being a Hare and setting trails see the Hash trail laying guide below.
Talk to theHare Razor if you have a good idea for a trail.
Contact: qingdaohhh [@] outlook [.] com
Laying a trail
QDH3
Trail Basics for Hares v2b 16Nov2015
·
Trails should be 10 to 12kms long. Although, 8
to 10kms is OK in difficult areas. A trail scouted as 10kms from A to B will be
closer to 11-12kms for the pack to run when you add in falsies, back-checks
etc. A medium interesting trail is always preferable to a long boring death
march.
·
If you can, use a combination of chalk &
white flour for city/downtown runs. (If
the flour gets swept off, chalk marks might still remain, try and mark them at
eye level or slightly higher, mostly on the same side if you can manage that,
as you started marking your trail) For suburbs/out of city trails, flour
works best! But, ON ON (ON UP, ON HOME, etc.) can be written on some trees or rocks.
·
One Beer Stop per trail is typical and lasts
until the walkers catch up… usually about 5-15 minutes, depending on Walker's shortcuts. If you are providing
more than one Beer Stop, consider the impact on getting the pack to the On-In
at a reasonable time, particularly during the cold and dark Winter Season trails.
·
A good rule of thumb for planning is that the
average running Hasher can run 10-12kms, the super fit, maybe 15kms! A 10-12kms
trail with one Beer Stop should take about 1hr 30mins to 1hr 45mins to get to
the On-In (HOME), including the allowance for running down falsies, etc.
·
Have a Sweeper follow behind the walkers to
guide the stragglers and the lost.
·
Trails can be set live or dead (pre-laid). For Virgins/First Time Hares,
pre-laid trails are the way to go. Don’t worry, as you get experienced you can
try out the other format too. Trails can go from “A-to-A” (same start and finish point) or “A-to-B” (starting at one place and ending at another).
·
From some old timers’ experience, it is a great
idea to use Google Earth. For Qingdao, bus stops (including which busses stop there) are also included in Google
maps. This is very convenient to find and let the On-Sec know which bus to take
to the run start for email announcements.
·
Use standard QDHHH trail markings – flour/chalk
or both. Tell the Religious Advisor (the
guy that explains about the run just before it starts) about anything new
or special (or dangerous – e.g. tricky
road crossings, close to cliff edges, etc.) that should be relayed to the
pack.
·
Marks should be placed every 50-100 feet
(20-30m) or 1 block apart when not changing direction.
·
Don’t set a long or very long trail if it is
going to get dark or if the temperatures are not conducive – too cold or too
hot (more the former than the latter in QD!).
·
If you can, try and lay the trail maybe a few
hours before - rather than a day before - the Hash because weather or people
might wash or sweep the marks away.
·
Be considerate of public & private property
and avoid hazardous locations (e.g. high and steep cliffs) or areas that the
average Hasher will not be able to get through.
Additional information by Whore’s Whisperer/Philip and Sweet FA/Tim:
·
Co-Haring with an experienced Hare is a great
way to learn more about setting trails!
·
Set the trail as clearly
as possible. That means putting more dots / arrows where necessary (e.g. in
tricky, twisty or crowded areas) if you don’t want the silly Hashers to get lost.
·
If you DO want the
Hashers (especially Front Running Bastards (FRBs)) to “get lost”, then put in more checks, back checks, false trails,
etc. That will slow down the FRBs and let others catch up.
·
The FRBs should have a small supply of chalk
& flour to mark all checks with the correct direction.
·
Remember that a
successful Hash trail is one where all Hashers (including the Hash Walkers!), finish within about 10 – 20 minutes
of each other.
·
Try to find spacious places for the Beer stop
and Circle. Of course cold beer is always important.
·
To decide where the On
In (HOME) is, you should consider where to have dinner. A nice dinner is an
important part of Hash run for many Hashers, the cost per person is 35-50rmb
most of the time.
·
Set a Hash Walker’s
trail for Snails if possible. This can be a simple short cut after you have set
a curved part of the trail. (Runner’s
trail can be 8-12km and Walker’s trail can be 2-4km shorter.)
·
False Trails are also a good way for fast
person to slow down and slow person to catch up, it will bring more fun for
runners. Usually it is set in a clear place so that people will not get (too) lost.
·
The trail itself should consider the factors of
full of variety, traffic safety and weather condition.
·
Avoid putting the
return HOME-cumming trail close to the out-going true trail.
·
Setting a good trail is not difficult at all,
you just need to assist an experienced Hare one or two times then you can do it
independently.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact the Hare Razor and volunteer to be a Lead-Hare or a Co-Hare for a future Hash! :)
Also see a basic guide to duties for Lead Hares here.
Cheers and On On!
QDH3 Mismanagement
