History of the Combined Rhine Area Pack for Cologne, Bonn & Düsseldorf (CRAP H3)
The Combined Rhine Area Pack (CRAP H3) is a chapter (“kennel“) of the Hash House Harriers. The group covers the Rhineland Area, primarily the cities of Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf. Recently it has also expanded to include cities further north (Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr & Essen). The group also sets trails as far south as Koblenz.
Bonn H3 Hash House Harriers – The Beginning
The Bonn Hash House Harriers was founded on October 9th 1984. Founding members were Mike Caldwell and Bob Hammond. The two had previously hashed in Australia before taking up posts at the Australian embassy in Bonn, Germany. When they arrived, they decided it would be a good idea to start a pack in the West German capital.
Bonn H3 was at its height from 1990 to 1995. Back then it consisted of about 150 people. Members came from the diplomatic community and local German residents from Bonn and surroudning areas. Runs took place at various locations around Bonn and Bad Godesberg.
In 1994, the Bonn chapter hosted the 6th German Nash Hash (German National Hash). We held the Terry Fox run in 1992, 1993 and 1997. Over the years, various other social events and activities took place. These included barbecues, road trips, parties and more. The kennel also visited other hash venues all over Europe and the rest of the world for various celebration runs. Often these were very low cost and down to the hospitality of fellow hashers.
Highlights over the years included Brussels, Oslo, Vienna, Hamburg, Hannover and Prague. The kennel also went to Interhash 1998 in Cyprus, Interhash 2004 in Cardiff and Australian Nash Hash 2005. Other locations were Copenhagen and Budapest to name a few.
Düsseldorf Hash House Harriers is Born
In the mid-90s, the German government and various embassies started leaving Bonn. Bonn H3’s membership dropped, leaving only a small core of hasher to keep it alive. These included Mick “Local Yokel” Caulfield, Silvia “Shit For Brains” Caulfield, Ingo “He-Man” Kranforst, Ingo “E.T” and Dirk “Maradona” Wanke.
Low membership and the defection of Mick “Local Yokel ” Caulfield and Silvia “ Shit For Brains ” Caulfield to Düsseldorf meant it was time for a new development. Now living in Düsseldorf, Local Yokel and Shit For Brains rounded up several people interested in hashing but who were not willing to travel to Bonn every week. They hosted runs in Düsseldorf under the Bonn H3 banner before founding the Düsseldorf Hash House Harriers on July 4, 2004.
Shortly after a Cologne chapter was also founded. This enabled three runs every three weeks in different areas. The idea was to bring in new hashers who would be willing to travel up and down the Rhine each week for trail, complementing each other.
CRAP H3 – The Combined Rhine Area Pack is Born
Three mismanagements was probably two too many. So, after 2005 it was decided to have a single mismanagement team. The three chapters were combined to form the Combined Rhine Area Pack.
In practice, the Bonn Hash House Harriers still exists. The same mismanagement, the same old faces but a larger pack and more areas where we run. Having a different name encourages people who want to run but can only run in their area. We now try to keep runs and events evenly spread out between the three cities. Of course, this depends on the availability of hares who can set trail.