Guide Lines for Hares or Hairlines for Guides?

The success of the Hash depends on the quality of the trails. The following information is intended to assist potential hares in planning and laying a good trail.

Aims of a good trail

Challenge the FRBs and make them run hard

Set cunning checks and bars to keep the pack together and allow SCBs to keep up

Reverse the pack at a strategic point

Regroup the pack and set a long and short trail, ideally all hashers should finish at the same time

Planning the trail

Select a good location in pleasant rural surroundings. Use public rights of way, footpaths, bridleways, tracks and minor roads etc. You may set trails over private land if prior permission is obtained from the landowner.

Recce the trail at least twice before the day. Find an area with scope for plenty of checks and work out the timing of the trail.

Select a good pub, contact the Landlord and agree the following:

Date of Hash

Numbers – lots of rowdy people approx 30-40(Winter), 50-60(Summer)

Parking – Is there sufficient space? Where can we park – 20 –30 spaces needed

Bar staff – Can they cope? Do they require extra staff?

Food – Is there hot/cold food?

Please confirm details to in writing to Landlord – sample letter available

The Hash can start from any suitable point with sufficient parking space with ON ON to a pub(Grid reference for both required)

Laying the trail

The trail should be laid immediately before the run. It needs 2 hares to lay a trail and as a rough guide it takes twice as long to set a trail as it does to run it.

The trail markings used by Berkshire HHH are shown under Berkshire Conventions

During the hash

The hares must run the trail with the pack. One hare should keep up with the front runners to stop them getting hopelessly lost and a second hare at the back to ensure no one gets left behind

Berkshire Conventions

Standard Marks

A blob of flour/arrow

All round check i.e. trail may go in any direction

All checks are on, 4^th blob from check is on

Directional check, as indicated – used to keep the pack off private land, dangerous roads etc

All checks are on, 4^th blob from check is on

Bar check

Go back one blob of flour – trail is off to the side – next blob is on

F False trail

Go back to the check and check alternative routes

RG Regroup

Regroups the pack, allows slower runners to catch up

Await instructions from hares

ON IN The end of the trail is imminent

Calls

1^st blob of flour “On one”

2nd blob of flour “On two”

3rd blob of flour “On three”

4th blob of flour “On on”

Circle of flour – trail can go anywhere, check for flour and call. “On Check”

Next hasher checks another route etc

Checking for possible trail “Checking”

Checking for possible trail – if not from a check “Looking”

Checks whether hashers are On, or separated from the pack to find “Are you”

out if anyone is in earshot

F – go back to check and check alternative routes “False trail”

When flour can’t be found “Lost trail”

Call hashers back when on on is called in another direction “On back”

Line of flour across path – go back to the last blob of flour “Bar check”

and the trail is off to one side. Next blob of flour is on

Warn following hashers of hazards “Wire” etc

On sighting the ON IN mark “On in”