Run  956 - Benalmadena Stupa

Sunday 7th Jan-Swiss Roll & Kindergarden Kop

GOODBYE TO OUR OLDEST HASHER

A minute's silence was held at the start of the run as a mark of respect for our oldest hasher who will be sorely missed. 

A good crowd of 40+ runners turned up for the first and worst run of the New Year, including about 7 virgins.  The Hares final words to us were that it was well marked with few checks as he didn’t want anyone to get lost. Well if that was Kindergarden Kop’s idea of well marked I would hate to see his idea of badly marked.

So off we set, some of us running a small detour to the chapel only to find it was a dead end so had to retrace our steps by which time we were well and truly at the back of the pack. It was slow progress down the rocky cliff face by which time the pack was completely spread out. Then we hit the first obstacle – the barbed wire fence – which is fine if you have long legs and can step over it but if you’re a short-arse like me then it’s a bit more difficult. Across the rubbish dump and down onto the road before heading left down a track and past the next obstacle – the donkey which tried to kick everyone as they passed. The trail eventually came out onto the road again and the lack of markings had us searching for the trail continuously. Limp Toed Sloth resorted to asking a security guard which way to go before being directed right along towards the sea. It was a long run along the road before heading down to the beach then a scramble up the steps back to the road again. Few markings meant we never really knew if we were On or not but we were directed down back onto the beach again. A group of about 6 kept going along the beach and back up onto the road only to be called back by Sparky to the tunnel and the river bed. Up the river bed where there were no markings at all, before heading left up the northside of the Eiger to emerge on a road which then took us left and back down to the main road opposite where we had run along half an hour before! Up some steps and through an urbanisation before crossing over a flyover and going into a forested area. This was where 3 small groups of lost souls met up and searched for that elusive trail. Eventually it was found and we headed up to the picnic area where an English woman who was walking her dog told us we should go up to the right but that it wasn’t marked so it was hard to find! The main problem with the markings was the fact that it was marked using paper wrapped round bushes and trees four feet up in the air. When I run I look at the ground not four feet up in the air! So up we plodded following nothing but El Cid who knew the area. We all thought that we had missed the beer stop and that we were the last runners. We then went through a building site and then miraculously we found 3 chalk arrows within the space of 20 yards. Through an urbanisation and barking dogs before hearing the calls of On On from the chapel above. Heaven! Our group of 6 then met the front running group of 8 who had arrived at the beer stop 10 minutes before. So it turned out that there were still around 30 runners behind us. After 20 minutes waiting at the beer stop we headed off back to the cars, those who were sensible picked up their car keys from the hare before heading back. Through the pueblo and then the trail disappeared so we ran in the general direction of the Stupa and the cars. Back at the cars it was great to get some warm clothes on, there was no beer so we just had to stand around and wait.

Eventually everyone was back with the last runners arriving back in over 3 hours in the dark, the virgins had been picked up by the Hare and driven home. Will we ever see them again?

A very generous GM awarded the run a mark of 2/10 and the Hash Shit award. A few down downs as it was cold and dark before heading off to the Bull Bar. 

We can expect better things from next weeks hares as things can only improve…..