Today was wet. The hangers left in the rain and drove to Graythwaite, where Jeremy parked his front wheel drive car on a steep grassy downhill. It was immediately pointed out that this might not be sensible, and sure enough when he tried to move it some wheelspin ensued. After a bit of pushing the crisis was averted and he reparked in a Very Nice Woman's driveway instead.
While the hangers went and hung, everyone else arrived. The hangers all agreed that it was just as well we had the tent so we could stay warm and dry at the start, but when they went to get it they discovered it had been left in Tom's car, which had been left at the bunkhouse, giving Tom an early lead in the DRONGO of the day standings.
Dismayed and tentless, we started the training nevertheless. Jeremy had planned several courses named after drinks, making us worried about his alcoholism. The forest was 'quite light actually, but don't write that' and 'absolutely pengaluscious'.
Once everyone was sufficiently moist and chilly we moved onto James's exercise which was a choose-your-own-gaffle mass start race, where all controls were on paths or crags, in a tribute to cult classic instagame Path or Crag.
Once that was done, we all headed back. Aidan's car went to a cafe in Ambleside which wasn't Bilbo's, which was a bit disappointing. Jeremy's car went to pick up Cecilie from the biggest Lakeland shop in the world and everyone else went straight back to be dry.
After several hours of tea drinking, it was time for the annual AlcO championships. Paul set out to hang the controls while everyone else got dressed up and fabulous, then headed over to Hawes End Forest. Matthew drove over with the refreshments and soon we were ready to start.
There were 5 courses to run - the first 4 in a random order with refreshment breaks in between and then an extra special course E where reading descriptions was quite a good idea. Paul was first back because he hung the controls, followed by James, Ben and Rowan. Helen was first woman back, after taking only 4 minutes on her first drink. Soon enough everyone had returned safely and we headed back to the bunkhouse for some singing and dinner, happy in the knowledge that tomorrow is a rest day.
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