LIVEBLOG: RAG LOST 2016

We’ll be liveblogging for the next 12 hours – follow your fellow students as they try and make it from King’s Lynn to The Cambridge Union via Birmingham. If you want to be featured on our liveblog, email [email protected] or follow #CambridgeVarsityLost

21:30 We’re expecting to see the first Cambridge teams who’ve checked in at Birmingham making their ways back to the Bubble in around half an hour. More to follow on the winning teams then, and as the results start coming in tomorrow.

RAG has been a massive administrative effort, with the team checking in on the 50 plus Cambridge teams to check their all soldiering-on (and, well, haven’t made it all the way to the Ocean). Well done to them for remaining so enthusiastic and non-panicked all day long – top job to RAG.

21:21 Not only has the Cambridge contingent received rather brutal fighting-talk from this troll on Facebook, but Oxford RAG has now joined in. Keep it friendly, guys.

21:12 In the last ten minutes, the scorecard has gone up: Cambridge has 8,140 to Oxford’s 9,427.  Keep it up Cam, this really is everything to play for.

21:08 We’ve already featured this team on our Liveblog, but they’ve just proudly informed us that earlier today they made it to the Ocean. The only RAG team to make it to the actual Ocean. Bragging rights.

It’s already cold enough in Cambridge, so congrats to this brave Cantab for bearing the November weather.

21:03 The RAG team has been up since 5AM getting everything ready for a 150 strong group of Cantabs and Oxons to have a good time, and raise money for Charity.

Week 5 has already been hard enough, but here’s to the full team who are now ready for a good night’s sleep:

20:58 We’ve just been told by RAG the scores are 9427 – 7585 to Oxford, with everything to play for in the next few hours.

Given that Cambridge dwarfs The Other Place’s contingent with 112 participants to Oxford’s 50, Cambridge still has more scores to be added to their total so the winning side is still up for grabs by both teams. Come on Cantabs!

20:48 Another ~hardcore~ RAG challenge has now been completed, to some degree. One Cantab has ran into singer-songwriter Bruno Major on a train, and has managed to get their endorsement for RAG.

20:44 We’ve just heard no one who’s checked in at Birmingham (i.e. the ‘real’ winners) have made it back to Cambridge yet. So, for the first person back to Cam, it’s everything to play for.

The winner of Selwyn Snowball Tickets will be known soon after everyone gets back, when each team’s points have been tabulated.

20:42 We understand it must be difficult when Lost in the wild to keep your manicure on fleek. But, kudos anyway to this Cantab for representing Cam, even if we might not be winning in the real competition.

20:38 We’re now resuming the RAG LOST Liveblog, to bring you all of the updates on scores between Oxford and Cambridge. God Damn Bloody Oxford.

18.30 We’re going to pause the liveblog for the next two hours on the assumption that people are going to brave the cold (seriously, it’s terrible, I’m currently refusing to move from sitting in front of the radiator) to see the fireworks. We’ll be back at 20.30 to pick up with Oxford’s sneaky tactics and some cold, LOST, Cantabs.

18.28 And, speaking of Oxford being sneaky af, here’s what the scoreboard is looking like now: 4,910: 8,418

We’re sure those extra ~3000 points has nothing to do with underhanded tactics…

18.20 Oxford are (unsurprisingly) being shit (Tab editorial judgment there). They’ve given their teams a letter which lets them get trains for free. So Cantabs who’ve been allowed to get trains for free are then being kicked off by the ticket inspectors while their counterparts from The Other Place are allowed to stay on. RAG HQ – having just learnt from Oxford that it is “standard practise” (apparently) to send letters – are trying to get them to the Cambridge teams.

Purely editorial judgment here but it seems like Oxford RAG has been really fucking sneaky here and ‘forgotten’ to share something that has helped their teams quite a lot.

18.09 Will has now been assigned a new job! Bets on how long it takes him to forget to do it.

In other news, the first people (who didn’t manage to make it to Birmingham, so aren’t in the running for a prize) have made it back to the Union. When asked to describe their experience, they said “We saw a lot of people who were trying to hitchhike but we just went up to different people and asked for money.” There’s definitely a life lesson there.

18.05 RAG President Will is so busy ‘googling helicopters’ (read: doing fuck all) that he hasn’t even noticed that Chair Charlotte has taken over his job. We’re not making any comment about what that says about the way he’s running RAG.

18.01 RAG is finally updating us on the shit that’s gone down in the last two hours.

• One team left all their money on the coach and are now stuck in Leicester
• Another team had a dramatic divorce, with one member coming home and the other joining up with another team (Keeping up with the Kambridge Kardashians, amirite)
• We had a false alarm that one team had broken a world record (for the most number of post-it notes that could be attached to a face in a minute) but it’s looking less and less likely to be confirmed

17.52 One team has been begging RAG President Will to get them a helicopter. He’s currently attempting to find them one because he’s a “man of the people” but is unimpressed that the only options available have spelling mistakes in their website.

17.50 £14657 has been raised apparently which is nearly double the £8400 raised last year – amazing work to all the teams

17.45 Team 39 has apparently been stuck at a petrol station for three hours, having been left behind by their ride. They’ve been trying ever-more-desperately to find a ride as they literally cannot leave unless a motorist takes pity on them. Please, someone, save them.

17:30 Relieved RAG President Will is delighted that the cow, previously blocking the trains to Birmingham for three hours, has now moved. “Thank fuck” he told The Tab. “Fucking Cows”.

17:07 Theatre Ed Dan here, battling the cold, dreary weather hitting Cambridge, going to the extreme lengths of warming up his feet on the Union’s radiators.

17:02 Cambridge students may still be making their way home from Birmingham, but it is fashion columnist Meg who knows the true meaning of Lost.

Here she is battling her way through Tragedy. Oh, and doing her English degree.

Update: Meg is wondering if she can get any more tragic than this.

16:37 One of our Cantabs competing has given a weather forecast, smashing one of the hardest challenges set by RAG this year.

16:31  Impressive feat that costumes remain in tact after five gruelling hours (trust us, sitting here is just as gruelling) of Lost.

16:02 People seem to be making progress with their challenges, but still no update on whether people have actually been able to escape Kings Lynn because of the cow.

15:51 This statue has appeared again. We still don’t know who it is.

15:38 People seem to be making the most of being stuck in various places, with picnics on the beach.

15:20 Tab Fresher Columnist David Grounds taking part in RAG has just given us an update. Things are clearly going downhill: he has dyed his hair, pierced his ear and is still stuck in Kings Lynn attempting to make it to Peterborough (cow on the line highly suspected as the reason for delay).

15:11 The sharks usually confined to Sunday Life seem to have escaped Cambridge. Fresher’s all over the country: watch out.

15:07 We are getting increasingly jealous of everyone partaking in Lost getting food. Still starving in the Union.

14:52 Wally has been found.

14:49 Updates have dwindled as people are getting increasingly desperate to get home. We have resorted to playing geography games to ease boredom. Very productive.

14:36 Cantabs may be currently lost in the unknown, wider world outside of the Bubble, but it’s comforting to know that Fashion Columnist Meg Honigmann hardly knows where she’s going, even in the confines of Cambridge. Meg’s last piece of wisdom was our ‘Eighth continent’, South East Asia. Meg is planning on writing her latest column on why maps are offensive and oppressive.

14:34 ‘Why is the cow still on the fucking tracks?’ – quote from RAG President

14:20 Still the main focus seems to be getting food. We admire this attitude. Please, if you are near the Union, send us food. We are hungry.

14:05 A real novelty for Cambridge students. Buildings more dilapidated than our very own accommodation.

14:00 Apparently there are cows on the line near Peterborough. Anyone attempting to get a train out currently stuck!

13:59 Typical Oxford Students and their Moats. We have cheesy chips, and they have their draconian gothic architecture…

13:54 Challenge 7 is an absolute Zinger. Time to go for a Swim, Cambridge…

13:52 Somewhere in Hunstanton, a parallel exists to our humble Van of Life. The people of Hunstanton go and buy their cheesy chips, on their way home from their own Wednesday night clubbing. Now there’s a thought.

13:45  LEADERBOARD UPDATE! Cambridge is on 2425 points, whilst Oxford’s score is only 623. We’re killing it.

13:40 As if running up and down the country wasn’t enough work, some people have actually taken to doing MORE exercise. They do know you dont actually get a blue for this, right?

13:36 Apparently Cambridge students now think they are immune to pneumonia by taking a dip in the sea…

13:33 Pictured here with this unidentified Animal onesie, this fun Cantab has been making friends with Army Veterans. Adorable.

13:30 It may be free, but still not a patch on our very own Van of Life.

13:26 Cambridge students are no strangers to Law Enforcement, if an average 3am Sunday Life stint is anything to go by. Here’s to our more happy interactions with the PoPo.

13.24 Cambridge students sure know how to haggle – who cares if you don’t win Selwyn Snowball tickets if you get a free potato?

13:20 Cambridge students posing with a famous figure from Antiquity, looking as though they are going to take over the world. Oh Cambridge students and their Ambitions.

N.B. Shani, Rory and even resident historian Hannah had know idea who this historical person is. Lord Nelson? Please comment below if you know.

13:15 The main focus of Cambridge students seems to be food – obviously an excellent priority.

13:11 Breaking the typical Cambridge tradition and going to a tesco – perhaps the most shocking event of RAG to date.

13:05 This Cantab has decided to dress up as Wally, and found this rather delighted woman and her dog. Often the Cambridge Bubble can leave you with existential crises: but don’t find yourself, find Wally instead.

13:02 Wearing that camouflage won’t hide you from the other team…

12:57 More Cantab-outside world proposals here. You heard this new progressive movement on The Tab first. Never say that we’re not open minded, or bogged down by centuries-old traditions…

12:53 In addition to our Cantabs drinking Wine, they’ve also been having cold pizza slices. Student life is definitely well and truly alive.

12:49 Frazzled Cambridge students opening a bottle of wine on a rough day. So no change there then.

12:44 Cambridge students mimicking fossilised dinosaurs in front of onlookers. Is there any better visual metaphor for the position our University has with the wider world?

12:37 Dep Ed Hannah here joining Shani and Rory! RAG has given a rather difficult challenge in this years Lost. Cambridge students are being encouraged to make friends with the outside world. Good luck to all of the Trin Mathmos out there competing, then…

12:31 Cambridge University announces its new ‘Cambridge Outreach Program’, planning to bring Cambridge courses across the UK. Pictured here, the very first participant taking part in Rag.

12:26 In a new development, Cambridge Rag this year has been condoning a new form of college marriage with Cantabs choosing to elope with members of the outside world. If you’re worried about college proposing, check out our Ultimate Guide here.

12:20 Not long ago, this team was despondent about being stranded in King’s Lynn. Apparently, RAG time is even more compressed than Cambridge time and it takes a mere 10 minutes for fortunes to change.

12:18 Teams are on their way. Here we have two students dressed up as a species of human more often seen lurking on the side of the dancefloor in Lola’s on a Thursday.

12:16 At the start of the morning, Team Oxford here catching up on sleep before the beginning of the race. Fools. Cambridge students don’t sleep.

12:07 Contestants have been attempting challenges – challenges get points and points mean better prizes (the first prize is tickets to the now sold-out Selwyn Snowball). We’re going to bring you the best of the ones submitted so far.

12:00 Welcome to the beginning of our LOST liveblog! Editor Shani and Dep Ed Rory here to start bringing you the stories of the 100+ lucky Cantabs who’ve managed to escape the bubble. We’re live with the RAG team, getting minute-by-minute(ish) updates. Here are the competitors just before they set off: