Briony on Tay09, Scottish 6 Days

Tay was my first big, big competition and Mum’s first big one. We enjoyed it and are looking forward to Oban 2011.
I think the week got better as it progressed.

On the first day neither of us was very happy about how we’d done and then we had agreed to help that evening with day 2 stuff. After my course I went out again to shadow Emily and I did enjoy doing so. When Mum and I were both back we decided to go to Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the Queen Mother. It was very interesting and we had a very good tour guide. Then we went to help at Kinnoull but we weren’t needed for another hour so we went back to the campsite.

On day 2 my run was a bit better and then I walked to the drinks station to help there. It was quite amusing; some people drank just 1 cup, some drank 2, some drank 1 then poured the water from another into the used cup and some asked for a refill. A few people poured it over their heads and one person actually poured it on his shoes!

Day 3 my shoes were rubbing, my course was fine once I was out of the wooded area. I am not that good at relocating myself in woods especially plantation woodland. Although I was faster once out the wood I wasn’t as quick as I could have been.

On the rest day we went to Scone Palace which was also really interesting. We also found that lots of people were washing clothes in the sink and basins. Mum wondered whether if it had been a wet day what people would have done. Did they not have enough clothes with them?

The fourth day was the one I liked best. I thought at first it would be really hard because of there being not many contours but I didn’t find it so. I just ran to the right ridgey bit (it was fast running ground) then followed it along more slowly to the right part of the ridge.

I also really liked Barry Buddon. We met a couple of people at the start who both said it was a tricky area and to be very careful, not just go running off. I found it hard but not quite that hard. I was a bit dubious about it what with all the “Don’t touch odd things” and “Goo filled ditches”. On my course I did come across a sign that told you not to enter an area if there was a red flag up as they would be doing grenade practice drills.

The last day we had half 1 starts so packed up the tent and everything before setting off to get waylaid by a massive traffic jam. I think we were one of the last to arrive at the event although we still had to wait around a while before setting off for the starts. I enjoyed the last day course a lot. It was rather like what we do a lot of here. Therefore I found it quite easy. I don’t feel I orienteered as well as I could have, I didn’t consult the map much, just thought “It’s that way, go”. I kind of followed where everyone else was going (it was the right way, but still…). I’m very proud that I was fifth that day but I think I’d have preferred it if I had been so on another day.

We were very impressed by how clean and tidy the campsite was. The loos were all kept clean as were the showers which always had hot water at a good pressure. The campsite quietened down early in the evenings.

Briony

Photo of author Posted on 22nd Aug 09
by Paul Frost - Website, Membership, Publicity