Just when on-on was called the usual beerwagon glided in, but there was excitement when a smaller truck followed suit. Kilkenny the beer, not the small town in the south east of Ireland, was mumbled by the runners as they crossed the main road to the other side to the first check.
It looked like it is going to be an easy run – that is, if you followed papers. However, if you have been running for donkey years this is no challenge. Perhaps, that is why veterans like John Duncan, Chris Beddows and Guinness Khoo decided to do their own thing. And so begins their saga of a walk and a nap in the woods of Batu Arang.
Owing to the terrain in the jungle, the pack was together when they hit the nice clean track, an internal access road in the forest reserve. The check on the right after the T-junction (the 4th check?) again kept the pack together. When the runners were entering the jungle on the right after finding the check, the three decided not to follow them in spite of Wolfgang Druba’s warning that the overgrown path at the 4th check would lead to nowhere. That is exciting the trio thought. They proceeded without heeding his advice (actually turning left at the T-junction without following paper, they would have hit the home trail but that would be too easy!)
At the 4th check the three walkers continued ambling along in spite of the tall grasses. Keeping along the valley separated by a swamp, the track seemed to end at a dry river bed. In faded lights they climbed an embankment to hit another good path. Some old papers from the Full Moon Hash and the Ball Breakers’ 2000 were found and this urged the small group to continue towards the direction of distant rumble of traffic sound till the thick vegetation growth impeded their progress. In luck, they managed to find another track, which looked like a pig’s run, but again, the trail ended abruptly by the thick foliage. It was now pitch dark and the well equipped John came out with his head lamp. Guided by the strong beam it was easy to move to higher ground. The low lying area was avoided because of the thick vegetation and the rattans.
When John Duncan's headlight dimmed, John brought out his spare batteries. Changing them took quite some time for lack of practice in putting them in in the dark. Chris decided there is no point in figuring out the correct way of installing them for after all the lights would come on when enough pressure was applied to the head. This head job really worked!
Progressing with the revitalised light, the group managed to find another pig’s run. Here, John suddenly realised he had forgotten his precious walking stick. He wanted to return to get it, but was advised against it as it would be too foolhardy. Proceeding nicely and confidently all seemed to be okay until to their horrors, they discovered they had been in that area before. This means they have been wandering round in circles. There was no point in continuing and the wise decision was to settle down in high ground for the night for a good night’s rest. This was about 11.00 pm.
At 02.00 am, it started to get cold. John and Chris are lucky for they have their T-shirts, but not the third member. Sometime at 03.00 am, John and Chris heard the horn, and began to call but there was no reply (a check the next day with the search team proved this was true for they were looking for the lost souls at around that time). Much later, Chris heard what appeared to be chanting from either a temple or a mosque. Later analysis indicated it could be the calls of the wild. Throughout the night there was practically no snoring and the only sound came from the restless Boomer! Perhaps, he could hear other creatures lurking in the dark?
Trying to sleep was a difficult affair. To while away the time it is great pleasure to pull out the fat leeches, and tear them apart literally. Occasionally there were crawlies, as big as cockroaches, that came round to admire the beautiful warm bodies. In the dark, small animals, perhaps the size of squirrels or big toads, were heard hopping down the slope. Another great way to pass the time was to imagine the Kilkenny beer is in front of us, and there would be more when we are out of our misery!
Later in the night the moon came up. Although it was in the waning half of its cycle, the surrounding was very brightly lit. But slowly, the brightness is replaced by the light from the breaking of dawn. And the dawn chorus heard was out of this world – it is nice to be still alive, having survived the night in the jungle with no water but with trusty hash friends.
At 07.15 am, the trio started to walk out, heading for the sound of traffic. It was discovered the place where we slept is not a wild boar run but an old logging track. Progress was good initially until the tall shrubs, rattans, and a nest of wasps. Surprisingly, this track led to the 4th check and by back tracking the run site was reached by 09.20 am.
Rob Stott, Kana, Desmond Ong, and Don Cheang formed the reception party with water, soft drinks, Anchor Beer (though warm, very much appreciated!), Roti Canai, and Milo. With the exception of the first three, Don only came later in the morning on getting phone calls from unmentionables inquiring the fate of the lost souls. Come to think of it, how come he is so popular with them?
John Duncan, Chris Beddows and Guinness Khoo would like to thank, in no particular order, the following:
Nick Mason, the master mind, feeling so bad he wanted to cancel his business trip to Singapore
David Hirst for achieving something which is very difficult to repeat, which is to get three experienced runners off guard!
Wolfgang Druba giving a description of the terrain to the search party as he could not join them for he had to go to Jarkata
Rob Stott, Kana, and Desmond Ong for staying right up to the end, and those other Mother Hash members in the search team who had to leave early in the morning because of either household duties or work.
Uncle Looi for asking the search party how he could help.
Have the three lost souls learnt their lesson? Possibly not for there is an excitement in short cutting! But a word of warning! Short cutting is for the experienced runners. So, if you are new, do not do it for it can be scary! But then short cutting is like trying to climb Mount Everest. The thrill is there!
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Last updated on 14 September 2001