Guide for Hares

Everything you ever wanted to know about hareing*

All participants, especially regular runners are encouraged to take their turn at setting a trail.

Puerto Galera Hash is a non-profit organisation which depends on volunteers to keep things going. If you are a regular runner who enjoys the hash, remember NO HARE MEANS NO RUN!!!

Hares run free according to the following:

Local runs: 1 hare
Away or 'special' runs: 2 hares
In case of special runs, the hares will still pay the difference between the normal fee and the special run fee.

Hareing in 5 easy steps

Scout the trail
- the time for an average hasher to complete the trail should be around one hour.
- this means a 4 to 5 km trail for walkers and 5 to 8 km for runners OR if laying a single trail a few checks to slow down the front runners. The aim is to have most people arrive at the On-Home within 10 minutes or so of each other.
- if either trail is significantly longer the pack should be pre-warned at the start.
- try to provide a wimps trail for the physically-challenged. If wimps sign in they should be warned if your trail is likely to be difficult for them.
- if unsure practice run your trial to get distance and time on trail.
- Google Earth is a great tool for planning runs. Check the maps page to download trails for Puerto Galera
- if your trail is by the sea or if transport is by bangka you might want to check the tides
Plan the On-Home A lot of your decision making about the trail will depend on the location of the On-Home which should be held at a place where people can relax and have a good time.
- ensure there is jeep access if you are planning an 'away' run
- ensure there is access for Sheila the beer truck if bringing our own beer.
- Sheila does not climb cliffs or stairs, float, or fit down alleyways less than 1.5m wide!
- find a place with shelter if rain is likely
- away from gawkers and hawkers is best
- if in a resort, get permission from the manager first
- drinks may be purchased from the venue at happy hour prices. Arrange this directly with the resort manager and check with Hash Cash about acceptable cost per drink.
Inform the organizers
- inform Grand Master, Hash Trash, Beer Meister and Hash Cash of your plans as soon as possible:
Set the trail
- mark with chalk and shredded paper. Flour or tissue paper can also be used. In wet weather red plastic strips are useful although these are not bio-degradable and must be recovered later. The nature of you marks should be announced at the pre-run briefing
- Don't use paint unless it's the 'spray chalk' type that disappears naturally in days.
- marks should in general be visible from the previous mark unless there is obviously only one way to go or at checks and should therefore be more frequent in dense vegetation than in open areas. Don't put marks where they can't be seen
- chalk marks consist of arrows, checks and check backs:
- ARROWS indicate the direction to be followed, with a numeral indicating the run number e.g. run 1174 should be marked with a ‘4’. The number can be omitted if there is no chance that the trail can be confused with marks from previous runs
- CHECKS indicate a choice of unmarked trails of which only one is correct. They can also indicate a general check not necessarily showing any particular direction. The front runners have to scout around to find the trail again which enables slower runners and walkers to catch up
- CHECK BACKS are used to indicated the wrong direction and are particularly useful on longer trails to avoid wasting time
- DON'T MARK FALSE TRAILS. Arrows or other marks always mean the runner is 'ON'. Marking false trails is hard and pointless work for the hares and leads to lost and pissed-off hashers. If you want to slow the front runners down, include some checks.
Enjoy

Remember above all that the aim is to get everybody safely to the On-Home and have a good time

hasher