The hashpaedia

Index letter Uu

Index 

About the hashpaedia

Countries

Events

Uganda

Kampala H3 was founded in 1986, thanks to Peter van der Meer and a few others via Addis.  The first run was from the American Embassy and the first 100 or so runs attracted packs of around 30, mostly ex-pats with a few Ugandan women also coming along.  In the early days runs were from homes and rotated around the ex-pat areas of town. Daya was the first to 100 runs and in 1994/95 Beancounter recorded a 100 consecutive runs.

By the mid 90’s special days started to be celebrated with theme runs, most notably the Christmas Bash on the last Monday before Christmas. Ugandans were now joining the hash in increasing numbers and today make up 80% of the pack, a reflection of Uganda’s growing middle class. Stephen ‘Pisser’ Luswata was the first Ugandan GM.  

    November 1995 saw the hash make their first away trip while the 500^th run in 1997 was celebrated at the Entebbe Sailing Club.  By then growing numbers were making it difficult to cater from homes and there was talk of breaking into two packs, and indeed a splinter kennel existed for a couple of years.  However, the main hash started to use pubs and restaurants – newly opening outfits in booming Kampala being particularly keen to attract them – and the two packs merged some time around 2000.  

    In 2002 McCanCan introduced out of town runs on the first Saturday of the month and in 2003 the pack saw a record 180 turn out for one run.  The 1000th anniversary run in 2004 was celebrated with a relay run to the lake side resort of Jinja.  

     Since African InterHash in Mombassa, Kampala hashers have been travelling to major events in increasing numbers and will host African InterHash in 2009.

UK Nash hash is a biannual gathering occurring in uneven years and is usually staged over the August holiday making it a four day event. It was not the first such event – that credit goes to New Zealand – but the UK version was the first to use the term Nash Hash.

Surrey was the first hosts and classic events include the wild events in Edinburgh and highly successful staging by Weesex, Glasgow and more recently Towcester’s James Bond themed event.

Camping is traditionally a part of Nash Hash although alternative accommodation is usually available.

A typical Nash Hash might include a gathering on Friday, a choose of 5 or 6 runs on Saturday and Sunday and a closing run and ceremony on the Monday. There might be additional events such as a bike hash or a naked midnight run.

Ukraine

Kiev H3 is a post-communist hash, founded in May 1994 by Christina Dalk and Kerstin ‘Electric Banana’ Olse.  They run every other Sunday, meeting at Eric’s Bierstube, a watering hole they have a particularly close affiliation with.  A T-shit is awarded after 10 runs. Odessa might possibly have a hash.  It is listed as a Saturday run on every other week, but there is no evidence of it being active.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

When the British left the region in 1971 seven sovereign sheikhdoms came together to form the United Arab Emirates and, helped by sitting on an ocean of oil, they have done very well since then. Indeed for most people the UAE means Dubai – the place you go shopping or where David Beckham owns a house on an artificial island - and this was where hashing started, with the Dubai Desert H3 being formed in 1979.  Today they have packs of between 35-70 ‘hashers, Harriett's, hashbrats and hash dogs’.  

Creek H3 is a men only Tuesday night hash dating from 1983.  They started with small numbers but grew and won over quite a few runners from the Desert Hash. Around 2001, clashes with the Barbie H3 women’s hash and rugby night got the Creek lads considering a switch to Mondays, an idea that they seem to have rejected.  It is Creek Hash who laid a trial on a Boeing 747 and on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. 

    Muff Bluster H3 try to keep their activities secret, they run the first Tuesday of the month while the women are busy on their own hash.  Discrete questions at the Desert Hash might get you a contact.  There are a couple of regular relays organised by the hash community, including the 72 k long Wadi Bih and the Creek Relay.

Sharjah

      Many ex-pats work a short distance down the road in Sharjah, which was just far enough to present problems getting back to Dubai for a run, so the Falcon H3 hash started in March 1988.  

Ahabu Dhabi

      Abu Dhabi lies some 100 plus kilometres to the southwest and has four kennels. Island H3 is the original group and was founded in 1979 by Steve Marriott, Duncan Fraser and Tony Cordery.  Mainland H3 was formed by Cameron Knight, John Kearns and Gordon Clarke the following year.  Apparently this was a break away group who wanted their dogs to be able to run with them, hence their rather cute beagle (at least I think it is a beagle) badge.  Both kennels have hosted the regional InterHash.  

Elsewhere

   Al Ain is a mixed hash, which started in April 1984.  This was the third attempt to start a hash, the previous attempts fading out during the hot summer months.  This time, however, hashing caught on and by the early nineties had packs of 70 turning up on a regular basis.  They organize the ‘Nuts in May’, an annual desert camp 4x4 Drive around the local deserts of Al Ain and the annual UAE National Day Hash on the 2nd December every year. The latter event is virtually a UAE Nash Hash.  

Wasp H3 is the latest addition and is considered ‘a runners hash’.  Ras al Khaimah in the north and on edge of mountains enjoys great terrain but ‘some of the runs are not for the faint hearted’ and care with local Bedouins, many of who carry guns, is necessary.

Nash hash

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain hashes now jointly organize the Intergulf/UAE Nash Hash, nicknamed the Rehydration Run which has taken place in late November for the past three years in desert around Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Updated with thanks to Reem Me Out

USA

Hashing is big in the States. They have nearly 500 kennels listed and many of these claim packs of 50 and over. America InterHash, which draws the majority of its participants from the USA, started in 1984 for those unable to reach InterHash and has grown into one of the most prestigious events on the hash circuit.  In 1998 Larry ‘Stray Dog’ McDowell decided there was sufficient enthusiasm for a USA Nash Hash as well.

It is surprising that the States has not yet staged InterHash and Americans certainly attend the event in great numbers.    

     Hashing in the States also has its own flavour.  Weekend trips to the countryside are an important part of the culture and ‘The Red Dress Run’ is an American invention that has been adopted by the rest of the world.  

On the down side the officious nature of their society has caused more hassle over the laying of flour than anywhere else in the world. Similarly the police regularly turn up at circles to see what is going and, in some places, to enforce public drinking laws. Similarly respect for (fear of) drinking laws means many kennels limit their events to those over 21.

See In-depth Report

US Nash Hash

The idea of a US Nash Hash, to be staged in years when there wasn’t an Americas InterHash, was suggested by ‘Stray Dog’ and first hosted by Birmingham Alabama H3 in 1997.  Paul ‘Penis Head’ Howard, ‘Stray Dog’ and Sandi ‘Catwoman’ Power have attended every event.

Urine

John ‘Urine’ Jackson will always be remembered as GM of the Cyprus InterHash.  Manchester born, Gloucester raised, he learned hashing in the mid 80’s in the Solomon Islands then moved to Amathus.  Urine is now based in London and was an unpaid consultant to InterHash, Cardiff, and a high profile worker at EuroHash 2007.

Uzbekistan

Silk Road H3 is based in Tashkent and was started in 1994 by Zaheer Janjun (ex Islamabad H3) with help from a couple of Americans, Michael Master and Mark Ufkes.