ZH3 Hash # 1664: William Tell’s Swiss National Hash hared by CP and SnS.

Saturday, being the 2nd day of August in the third year of the reign of King Charles.

Summon thy courage and turn away from the city of Zurich, leaving behind noxious fumes of tram and traffic. Rather, throw thyself upon the mercy of Cockless and Slippy noStockings and take ye to enjoyment of fresh air and cool shade of the countryside, armed with thy crossbow in the manner of William Tell, to follow the trail which is not Trail of the Year, for that name belongs without fail to the Valentine’s Day Trail, lest ye forget, for it is the doom of hashers that they forget. Yet this trail is a damned close second.

Take thee by train known as S4 to the town of Langnau am Albis, the which is near to Gattikon, which is not far, the time taken being 22 minutes from ZHB. There thou shalt see a Gathering, nay a Multitude, of brethren garbed in garb which is bright, speaking the tongue of the Angles, and that is the gathering which thou shalt join.

There thou shalt be advised of the markings which thou shalt follow and the cries which thou shalt cry, and will hear cried. The trail is Goodly for those who wouldst travel quickly, and Goodly for those who wouldst travel slowly, yet who are almost human too. Certain Animals are welcome Provided Always that they are of the well behaved variety, and not of the variety which may trip and cast into the abyss the innocent, through their boisterousness.

Having learned the markings well and true, without failing to fill thy vessel with water, turn thy face upwards as to heaven and thou shalt perceive a Tower made all of wood, yet I warn thee that the tower is not your objective, for your objective is another and it is not the tower.

Follow the markings as indicated and thou shalt see the place of Father Abraham, where thou shalt perform incantation.

As thou followest trail, thou shalt perceive that which is known as UP, and also that which is known as DOWN, for these are declivities of the trail, yet thou shalt treat these as being the same having no difference between them.

As thou perceivest not that which is DOWN thou mayest harden thy heart against the hare, and cast thoughts towards thy crossbow, yet fear not as thy reward awaits at the great and goodly Feast of the Goddess, at the place of high achievement, which is ancient and was ancient in the time of the said William Tell and some say that his ghost lingers and lets his iron bolt fly into the apples of unwary virgins.

At the said place of High Achievement thou canst partake in Esportment and Merriment in the manner of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

Following much libation and good cheer having refreshed thyself thou shalt mount thy tiny unicycle and fly as like an eagle along trails cool and dark, pausing to take refreshment at places of water, their number being three, and three being their number, where thou mayest refill thy vessel with cool water.

Thou shalt then proceed in the same direction with the signals indicated until thou reachest the Labyrinth and then the Place of the Circle, where upon taking water of the Barley, all secrets are revealed.

When:

We'll meet at 1:40 pm (train leaves ZHB at 1:18pm, platform 21) to start at 2:00pm.

There's a charge of CHF 5 for participating, which covers beer/cider (and non-alcoholic alternatives) plus snacks afterwards.

All Welcome:
If you are new, curious, and want to get out of the house, stretch your legs, talk shit, enjoy a drink, and hopefully a laugh, then here's what you need to know:
• Physical fitness is not required, but a sense of humor is useful.
• The aim is to find the 'Beer Stop' at the end of the 'trail' and have fun.
• 'True Trail' is typically 4-7 km. Some will go less (especially those walking or walk/running) and some over-achieving fast runners will go further.
• The 'Hare', which changes each event, cleverly lays the trail (typically with flour marks) so that everyone reaches the end at the same time.
• There is always a place to deposit your bag and sometimes a place to change.
• After Trail, we group for ~30-45 minutes for drinks, snacks and some fun. This 'Circle' is typically outside, so leave something warm in your bag in winter (and bring a flashlight when it's dark).

Why bother leaving your warm sofa?
If you enjoy getting outside, being around people, and doing something a bit different, you will probably enjoy hashing.

'Hashing' and the idea of some physical activity to work up a thirst, have been around for almost 90 years and there are groups (Hashs) in most major cities. Its humor and 'traditions' can be explored on the internet - or you can just come along and find out. See you there.

We are of many nationalities, all ages, full of misfits and idiots (at least there is no one taking themselves seriously!) and always welcome newbies 'Virgin Hashers' and visitors from other groups.
For more about Zürich Hash House Harriers, check out www.zh3.ch ( http://www.zh3.ch/ )