Anyway, the notorious Leech My Nuggets was the Hare for yesterday’s Hash. He is known for the difficulty of the trails he lays. By all accounts yesterday was no exception–it included three mountain climbs. A group of us took a short cut which only required ascending one mountain.
We had two Hashers ripe for naming as yesterday was the 5th completed Hash for both. The way the SBH3 does the naming process involves sitting them on ice, allowing the rest of us to ask questions and/or tell stories about the person to be named. Then we get the opportunity to suggest a name and do a voice vote to determine the most popular.
The other Hasher we named was the Austrian Gunther. I’ve mentioned him before in posts about the Wednesday walks which he often leads. Gunther loves the mountains back home and doesn’t find our variety all that challenging. So the story I told was about his climbing the steep slopes like a mountain goat while I struggled along behind him muttering “fucker”. So my suggested name was Mountain Goat Fucker. Alas, a German Hasher suggested “Vienna Sausage” which proved more popular. I kind of like it too, although Gunther didn’t seem real pleased. After five more Hashes he can request a new naming, but that can and does often result in a worse name.
And as I predicted the ice awaited me as well:
As our expressions attest, it wasn’t all that nice on ice!
One benefit of Hashing is it gives me some motivation to get out of town and see new places and things. I’ve just signed up for a 4 day event next month in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. That’s been on my bucket list of cities to visit and what better way to explore the nooks and crannies than doing some Hashing.
On-On!
How did they figure out you’d done the short-cut? Did you get back to On-home that much earlier than everyone else?
In Baguio the other Subic Hashers said they called out to us at the easy/hard trail intersection. I honestly didn’t hear them though. They went left, we went right. The trails joined up again later and were the same overall distance. Still finished near the end of the pack, but not last.
On the Subic Hash no one really cares if you short cut. The older and less fit do it all the time. I try to do the trail as the Hare intended unless it is ridiculous or getting dark. But when it’s Leech you know you are in for a long hard day. I don’t think I’ve ever completed one of his trails in its entirety. Sometimes I’ll go back the next day and try the parts I missed.
From my point of view, as a distance walker who’s mostly on smooth, flat bike trails, I picture these Filipino trails as hellishly hard. Going back and trying the parts you missed is true dedication. Too bad it doesn’t earn you karmic credit when the time comes to choose who sits on that block of ice!
Ah, the ice sitting is almost an honor. 🙂
You know these trails are not unlike what you find in Korea…Bukhansan comes to mind.
And as the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!