AT THE START
Just before the Start, Hashers will form a Circle at the meeting point and be addressed by the Grand Master who will announce any Hash News. He/she will introduce the Hare who will then give a briefing on what we may expect from the Trail which he/she has already laid. In particular the Hare will give the length of trail, known hazards and will let Hashers know how many Blobs are "On". The Trail nearly always finishes at the Starting Point.
A reasonably fit Hare will have laid three "Blobs" on the trail that is "On" and on the other trails that are not "On", he/she will lay no more than two Blobs. Blobs can be up to about 100 metres apart or further.
Hares of extreme advanced age and/or decrepitation, and for reasons of self preservation, may choose to lay only one Blob to mark the trail, in which case there will be no Blobs on the false trails.
The Hare will let us know how many runners must return to the back of the Pack when they find a "Fish Hook". The Hare may also give warning if there are "Check Backs" or "Line Outs".
Walkers may do a subset of the Main Trail, or be given a map marking a shorter route usually of about two to three miles and which with any luck, will coincide from time to time with the runners" trail.
THE TRAIL
The Trail is marked in flour and/or sawdust and sometimes chalk, and for the purpose of explaining how this all works, let us assume that the trail has been laid by a virile and fit young Hasher who has laid "Three Blobs and On".
Hashers will run up any path or road leading away from the starting point, while looking for Blobs of flour/sawdust. When they find a first "Blob" they will shout "ON ONE!", at a second Blob they will shout "ON TWO!" and if they are fortunate and find a third Blob, they will shout "ON THREE!, ON ON!", thus informing all other Hashers that the correct Trail has been found. They will also shout "ON ON!" at all subsequent Blobs that they may find further on down the Trail.
Hashers following others will repeat the calls as they hear them, so that Hashers further back get an idea what the Trail prospects are. If they hear the call "ON ON!" they will then know which Trail to follow. True Hashers are known to be kind hearted folk and so upon hearing "ON ON!" they will normally call "ON BACK!" up the wrong Trails to those less fortunate in their choice of trail.
And so the first Leg of the Trail is now known, and all Hashers will follow it with a glad heart, until they come to an intersection where there may be a choice of 2, 3 or 4 ways to follow. To remove any doubt that a choice should be made, the Hare will have laid a Circular Check Mark "O" in flour/sawdust and when this sign is seen by the leading Hashers they will shout "Check!".
And so the process starts again whereby Hashers will choose a Trail to follow from the Check, in the hope that they will find a third Blob. In the meantime Hashers will continue to arrive at the Check and make their own choices, guided by calls that they are hearing coming back down the Trails.
Of course, it may well be a stormy day with rain and high winds that can obliterate the Blobs, causing disarray among the Pack and this may require some cooperation and additional sharing of information. Hashers arriving at the Check may call up a Trail to a rain-soaked distant Hasher "AND YOU?", to which the distant Hasher will respond with information concerning how many Blobs if any, he/she has found.
OTHER MARKINGS
You may now have got the picture, and understand that the Pack are making their way across the land following a Trail which runs from Check to Check, while shouting at the top of their voices. But just in case some clever FRB (Front Running Bastard) happens to have chosen all the right trails and is now well ahead, the Hare may have laid a "Fish Hook". This is laid with flour/sawdust in the shape of a fish-hook. The Hare during his briefing, will have told the Pack how many, who arrive first at a Fish Hook, are to go to the back of the Pack.
There may also be "Regroups" laid with the letter "R" in flour/sawdust. This is usually found at the end of a long stretch between Checks and is a means of collecting the Pack together in case they have got too spread out. Once everyone has arrived at the "Regroup", the Pack will set off again. On good Hashing days there may also be a "Beer Stop" where refreshment is heroically made available during the "Regroup".
Sometimes we have a Hare of malevolent disposition and they may lay "Check Backs" and "Line Outs". A "Check Back" is a cross made of flour/sawdust "X" and is usually found after the third Blob. This in fact means that this is a False Trail and that everyone on it must return to the previous Check and "Check Out" the other Trail options as one of them will also have three Blobs. It is not customary for the leading Hashers to tell others on the trail that they are returning from a "Check Back", they can find that out for themselves.
A "Line Out" is marked with a line of flour/sawdust across the Trail and on no account must this Line be crossed, even though this may be along the correct Trail. You may however go around the "Line Out". "Line Outs" are usually found on bridges that cross streams or swamps, necessitating a slightly wetter route.
Whenever finding water, mud or manure on a trail, it is customary for a Hasher to kick it over adjacent Hashers as a gesture of fun and goodwill. Warm hearted and suitably timed retaliation is encouraged. Gang activity in this pursuit is regarded as acceptable only in exceptional circumstances.
THE CIRCLE
On finishing the Trail, the Walkers and Runners will gather and form a Circle where the "Religious Advisor" will address the Hash. He/she will relate tales that have been gathered from participants, of misdemeanours, foolishness and misbehaviour that deserve humiliation to be served upon the individual "Culprits", who will be required to stand in the Circle and drink a "Down Down" to an ascending chorus sung by all Hashers.
Then it's a choice of either Home for a shower, or off to the nearest Designated Pub. By now it's usually about 1 pm.