Aging of the Hash

Globally the hash is aging. At the Interhash in Wales last summer, the average age was 47. That is only two points above the average hasher IQ. Can you picture 3,500 old farts doing the Red Dress Run? Not a pretty sight. 

The Philippines has several active hashes, and they show this aging pattern. When the Americans pulled their military out of Clark Field (Air Force) and Subic Bay (Navy) in 1989, they left behind a legacy of bars, whorehouses, and derelict retired military trash. This was fertile breeding ground for the Hash House Harriers, and today these groups thrive. The Angeles City HHH, outside the gates of Clark, gather at the Anchorage Inn in the sump of an infamous district of sixty girlie bars, for Thursday hikes out in the surrounding mountains, and on Sundays for runs. The hikes alternate weekly between short ones of one to two hours, and long ones of four to five hours. I did a long one with a group of seventeen - two Swiss, two Scots, two Brits, one Dane, one Japanese, and assorted local bargirls and girlfriends. They do an out and back course, and turn back whenever they feel like like. There is no circle afterwards but the Jeepney they hire stops on the way back for a beer or two at a roadside store before regrouping at the Anchorage Inn in the evening. The Sunday run is a regular hash followed by a traditional circle. Most of these hashers are too old and broken down to actually run. They get to start early and walk the course. They are called "cripples" and they show no shame. 

The Angeles HHH is a "family hash" and behaves mostly decently, unlike the Olongapo HHH at Subic Bay. I cannot give you a first-hand report of their outrages, even if you are twenty-one, because I didn't do a run with them. It is speculated that some of their activities would appall even Swampy. 

Five hours by road up the west coast of Luzon at La Union is another HHH composed of older expats, many with local wives and girlfriends. Once a year they put on a hash weekend up in the mountain city of Baguio, and I just happened to be there at that time. They invite the other Philippino hashes and takeover a backpacker-type bar and hotel, the Red Lion. Friday afternoon was a mountain hike, and it was was a tough one with a several thousand foot steep incline. Three local guides were engaged, one each for the fast group, the moderate group, and the cripples as there was no trail in some places and you could easily get lost. The fast group finished in four hours, the cripples in seven. There was no circle. The evening's activity was a pub crawl, and crawl was the right word for it. The run was Saturday afternoon. 

Registration was about ten dollars and it included the run and transportation to it (five Jeepneys were required to transport the eighty hashers), a souvenir towel (they usually do t-shirts), a buffet dinner of mostly unidentifiable ingredients, and all the San Miguel Beer you could drink. The run took place at Camp John Hay, the former U.S. Military R & R facility, now an open park-like area up in the pine forests at the edge of Baguio. It was a regular run with the standard markings but about two-thirds of the hashers were incapable of actually running and just walked while discussing with each other hip replacement options and the merits of the local fakeViagras sold here. It was a fine run taking the runners an hour and a half and there were two beer stops along the way. We finished at the Red Lion. They have an open rooftop bar where the circle was held. You do down-downs standing on wood stumps and they have the usual hash singing and other debauchery, but again this is a family hash and there is no really offensive behavior. It is a great evening that brings the hash groups together. It is usually scheduled around Valentines Day. Check it out. 

Back in Singapore you can hash almost every day. The famous Singapore HHH, the second oldest hash in the world and still male only (note: they don't use hash names) runs on Mondays. This time I did a run with the Wednesday night Singapore Hash House Harriets. All their offficers and hares are women but men are welcome to participate and about half the runners are males. We must pay more (about $12 per run rather than the $9 the women pay - beer is highly taxed in Singapore)) on the cruel gender discrimination perception that guys drink more beer, and at no time on the run may a guy lead the pack. If they do, they must wear lipstick for the rest of the evening. This run was in the district of Little India and we ran through streetmarkets, shopping malls, parks, and crossed busy intersections. It was a wonderful sightseeing run for a tourist, and it took about an hour and a half. The marking was good. There are some strong Australian, New Zealand, and European women runners in this group and there was no way I could get out ahead of them. The circle was held in a car park was also outstanding. It was was well-orchestrated by the women, who controlled it and set its tone. This group's t-shirts and other souvenir running apparel is almost tasteful, as hash clothing goes. A pre-arrranged optional dinner followed in a nearby restaurant for which you pay extra. A womens hash is a great concept whose time has come, maybe to Ashland? Singapore also has a dog hash, a bike hash, and a "horrors" (childrens) hash. Check it out. 

On on, 

Bigfoot