We arrived at the run site, after initially heading to the wrong location - I thought I heard someone mention Genting Valley, so I charged off to the usual site after failing to notice the hash sign at the junction prompting us not to turn left; anyway finally made it about ten minutes later. Pulled into a fairly scruffy looking plantation area and found a place to park amongst the aged looking palms.
Things didn't look too promising and with the weather starting to cloud over I had serious doubts about the rather meagre looking tarpaulin arrangement that was being hastily erected - no way we're all going to fit under that if starts coming down, I thought to myself. Trust the brits to try and do everything on the cheap.
Anyway,come 4.30, it was still dry so we set off on the run: we had been warned that there was a short and a longer run but it was too early to think about that.
The first half of the run proved to be the usual Hugh Murray affair, though I think Nick Morss also had a hand in it. With the typical pandemonium and confusion at many of the barely legal checks, it was remarkable that we even made it to the drink stop, where, as mentioned earlier, the run divided into a longer and a shorter one. I noticed that we'd already been out more than an hour and a half so I was starting to have second thoughts about attempting the longer stint as it was supposedly a whopping extra eight miles, "miles" mind you, I don't even want to think about that in kms, the preferred measure of distance for those under fifty, apart from those damn Yanks mind you.!
Not being one to take the easy way out I thought, "what the heck" and headed off down the longer trail. Thankfully, Mr Murray either can't read a G.P.S.or does'nt know the difference between Miles and Kilometres as actually, according to one of my compatriots' G.P.S.,it was a little over 6kms extra, which was quite enough as it was already starting to get dark.
After getting back and having a couple of beers and a wash up I realised whilst not having a nice new shirt to put on "hey, aren't we supposed to have a nice new T-shirt to put on now".
I spotted one of the Brits, usually the guy in charge of this department, Mister Charles Lee and voiced my concern of the lack of new apparel. How foolish of me I realised later as all of us Aussies were up on the box being charged for whinging about the lack of said items, which weren't actually non-existent as we may have thought, but with-held by the wily Brits in an attempt to make people stay for the food. Luckily for them it worked as the dinner was not the usual cheap-skate deal normally dished out by the Brits but was a sumptuous banquet of traditional English fare made up of sausages ,mash, Yorkshire puddings, pork crackling and other tasty tit-bits followed up by bread and butter pudding with custard. Well done to the ladies Rita and Juliana for an excellent job.
We eventually got the T-shirts, the only T-shirts being given out that night as the run was later judged an on-down if I remember correctly.
Anyway the proceedings carried on with some entertainment and humorous skits provided by Paul Kirkman and co. and some more charges amongst the Brits and all in all, a good time was had by everyone. Thanks to all for a good effort.
St George's Run Accounts
Please see St_George_Accounts_2010.xls (MS-Excel file) for the full accounts for this run. As well as showing all the contributors where their money went, it may be useful for other groups planning to organise a similar event.
Venue: Taman Bukit Mantin - just on the far edge of Mantin
Hare: Chris Bell
Co-Hares: Jerry French
Scribe: Geoff Robb
Comic: Sen Soon Mun
T’was a brillig evening as the pack gathered at Mantin for Run # 1759. The runsite was the top of a hill and for once a gentle cooling breeze played around the assembled crowd belying the ordeal that was to follow.
Substitute GM Bob assembled us all promptly at 4:30, and to our surprising the hare was present, resplendent in purple waistcoat and looking fresh, rested and relaxed. He told us of the easy run that awaited our pleasure – a split run which would be a mere stroll for the walkers and a gentle enervating run of only slightly longer than an hour for the more energetic members.
As the pack started off, it was obvious that a few subtle details had been missed out. The paper was long shreds rather than the normal running man sheets. The promised split was not visible to most runners.
The hare has chosen a straight run out and rigorously followed the straight line, even though it went up hills and then down hills and straight through rattan bushes and other natural hazards. Struggling through thick grass up vertical inclines to merely come down the other side sapped the energy of all but the fittest, with the only recompense being some spectacular views of the countryside, and a knowledge that once again you had triumphed over the jungle and made it back to the runsite alive and relatively unhurt.
A left handed check by a power pylon took the pack on a long circle that ended back up by the same pylon an hour later, followed by a long downhill slope back to home.
As the runners struggled home after 2-and-a-half grueling hours nursing cuts and bruises, it was difficult to reconcile the actuality with the 1 hour 15 minute jaunt in the woods promised at the start.
A lively circle witnessed by an unusually large audience of flying ants saw the usual array of trumped up charges including the co-hare Jerry French for driving his car running into the back of a parked lorry.
The substitute GM called for volunteers to contest for the quickest down-down to uphold the club’s honour at the next Interhash.
The catch was that the down-down had to be consumed without the use of arms or hands, with the glasses being initially held between the knees of hand-picked virgins. Father Abraham triumphed in the first round of this unusual spectator sport, but I am sure there will be plenty of future opportunities for the pack to hone their skills in future weeks.
A sumptuous multi-course dinner followed at a local restaurant.
At the second circle, 6 guests were welcomed to the run in the traditional fashion. The hare was charged and charged again:- for fibbing about the length of the course, for the use of non-standard paper, for failing to count the right hand turns between the run-site and the on-on, for camouflaging the short run split, for needlessly hurrying the run-site circle so we could sit at the restaurant for half an hour drooling over the scents emanating from the kitchen before being served, etc. etc. for a grand total of 8 misdemeanors.
Despite all the grumbles, the run was voted a tee shirt run, and to the great disgust of the pack the hare stripped off to slip on a “I set a good run” tee-shirt.
Special Occasion: Geoff Robb's retirement run
Venue: Sungei Tekali
Hare: Geoff Robb
Scribe: Sen Soon Mun
After laying off for almost 5 months, the ex-GM was quite excited to run again. What better run to restart than the farewell run by Geoff Rob. Parking at the run site located deep in the village of Sungai Tekali was quite a challenge with only dirt lanes and a small open space to contend with. Some had to park half a kilometre before the run site and some veteran hashers (who had set the run here before or know the area well) demanded to know why the parking site was not at an open space a kilometre back. "We are looking at a toilet seat run here!" they hissed.
We started with a steep climb of about 500 metres and a check at the top. It took the front runners (what's new!) a while to break the check. When the ex-GM reached the top, he went down a rubber tree track to the left and came to a cliff with an open trail below. Sensing that this could lead to something, he and another hasher went down the trail and from a distant saw what was hash paper. On-On was called immediately and off we went up again along a nice trail and into the woods and a banana orchard. We went over a couple of fences and at the third fence, a check was placed. Driven by the confidence of breaking the first check, the ex-GM went forward while the other front runners did a back check. A back check it was and we went down hill to another check that the ex-GM did not remember much. It was quite hazy and blur. However, at one of the checks, we came upon a film crew in a wide open space that was shooting a scene for a local drama. As the hashers fanned out to try and break the check, the ex-GM asked the crew if they saw a couple of Mat Sallehs went by. They nodded quickly and pointed at a path that led to a rubber plantation. Life is easy if help is always on hand!!
After another kilometre of good running, a split was marked where the long run was labelled the "SLOG RUN" while the short run was called "NORMAL RUN". The hare had warned us that the SLOG RUN will be tough and no messing around there if one is not fit enough. Having just started to run again, the ex-GM did the sensible thing and went for the NORMAL RUN. It wasn't much of a run. There were hills that went on for a long long while and at the top of the last hill, we skirted round the hill top for almost half an hour. As the ex-GM trashed and trudged along the dense jungle with poisonous thorns and pricks menacingly dangling overhead, a slight feeling that he may be lost (despite the hash paper!) began to creep in. The great thirst (it was a very hot day after all) must be blamed for this silly concern!! With less than a kilometre before the jungle trail ended, the ex-GM bumped into the hare who was coming up the opposite direction. "Have you see Bob?" he asked. "No," the ex-GM answered. "I was alone the whole time," he added.
With exhaustion and thirst almost over-powering the ex-GM, his spirits began to lift up when the trail opened up to a beautiful valley with manicured slopes of orchards and rubber plantations in the distance. He could smell home now with cold beer and a nice shower waiting for him. However, his happiness was short-lived when the hare told him that there is a last check! OMG! With no mood to break that check, the ex-GM begged the hare to tell him where the connecting trail was. The ex-GM must have looked rather pathetic for the hare willingly pointed him the home trail.
Before we set off, the ex-GM asked Fierce-Gay Boy to scribe the SLOG RUN, to which he gladly agreed. He then went to South Africa with his sweetheart a few days ago and is not expected to be back until the end of April. Not wanting to wait for him to submit his portion lest the ex-GM is punished, this scribe report will have to be without the SLOG RUN. All the ex-GM know about the SLOG RUN was there was this freaking hill that is the mother-of-all-hills!!
The circle was called at close to half 7 and in the darkness of the jungle with only a small white light, the new GM conducted the proceedings with 3 witches and a perverted hasher being charged for their misdemeanours. And after a year of clean language at the circle, profanities came back with a vengeance. A few more charges went by and just before half 8, we left for the OnOn at Shirley's.
The ex-GM did not go for the OnOn. The run was judged a T-shirt run. Thanks to Geoff Rob for a good evening and may your retirement be an enjoyable one.