Sandpit run#7: mud, sweat and beers

After a summer hiatus because the heat precluded camping, the Sandpit hash decided it was time for run#7.

But since the temps were still regularly exceeding 40degC/104degF, we figured we’d keep things cool with a mud run through the mangroves.

“Bring a sense of humour,” I said in the promo, “because I really don’t know what this is going to be like…

“Bring a second sense of humour in case the first one fails…”

This was a site not far from Abu Dhabi but felt like a world away. That’s the roof of Ferrari World in the background. In the previous pic, that’s Raha Beach in the distance.

“There may be a couple of 10m swims…”

That was after a long run in ankle-deep water in the mangroves. (It was knee-deep when I set it a few hours before)

Floyd was a dog that was up for anything. Or maybe just scared of being left behind.

More runners emerge from the mangroves.

And the pack does the swim across an excavated channel.

After a long time in mangroves and varying depths and decreptitude of mud, the final part of the run was on flat and almost dry ground.

Why are they running? It might have been the beer stop…

There were some shortcutters.

Or, as I call them, smartcutters.

And even some latecomers swimming the last channel.

This is why they’re called sundowners.

A group pic then…

…a final swim back to our camping site, on beautiful Sandpit Island. (It didn’t seem to have a name, so I figured this was as good as any.)

Aarfabit shows commendable skills.

And we had to get the beer stop back.

For which MD was happy to oblige.

The final mud…

The circle.

A drink for the Sandpit newcomers. Erin Manke is underimpressed with whatever she’s just drunk.

Yas, on the other hand…

After a barbecue, Jeremy and Erin Manke brought out the Corn Hole.

It’s an emotional game…

Everyone slept where, er, it suited their condition at the time…

But after being baking hot in the day, the night was definitely camping weather. Better still, within 20 mins of leaving the next morning, I was at home having a hot shower.

Schedule for Sandpit Hash
October: Sandpit Run#8 will be on Friday, Oct 19, at a location to be decided but somewhere in the dunes between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain. It’s a joint run with Abu Dhabi H3 for their 1800th run and we’ll be testing the new location for the Rehydration Run.
November: No specialist Sandpit Hash this month because we’re all at the Rehydration Run on Friday Nov 23, one of the year’s highlights. Details on http://www.auh4.org/rehydration/2012
December: Sandpit Run#9 is being organised by some of the Dubai hashers. Venue and exact date to be confirmed.
January: A special run for the 10th Sandpit Hash run. Since we (accidentally) made a modest profit from Sandpit#7, we’ll produce a T-shirt to mark the occasion.

Posted by sandpith3 on September 30, 2012

https://sandpithash.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/sandpit-run7/