Day 6 - Daily Digest
Comments from Colin Matheson
They think it’s all over – it is now, it’s six. Another excellent day at Glen Affric, with an amended parking plan following some unexpected issues as the last orienteers left through Tomich on Day 5. Apologies go to those who were a long way from the arena in the Tomich Hotel car park but hopefully with flexibility at the starts you enjoyed your runs over some world-class terrain.
Almost exactly three years ago I first set foot on the area that was to be used for the WOC Long race. Initial plans were to use some of the ancient Caledonian Pinewood higher up Glen Strathfarrar but too much of this area was too tough – even Thierry might have struggled. Technical Director Graham McIntyre and Mike Stewart had decided to run along from the west end of Glen Affric “proper” and so a new area was found.Conveniently this joined on to the area previously used in 1999 but offered the choice of some very different courses. Eventually we settled on the Wester Knockfin field as the race arena, and from there it was a simple matter of sorting multiple permissions, building a couple of bridges, mapping, planning, controlling and organising. The Day 5 organiser asks me to apologise for missing the fence and ditch crossing for the Day 5 string course – our future World Champions.
It's nearly over though there are still around 40 Portaloos, 250 ground protection mats, 45 HERAS panels, 275 crowd barriers and other infrastructure to remove, clean and return. Day 6 was another great experience, enhanced by the presence of the big screen and the WOC finish gantry so that you, the Scottish 6 Days competitor, realise that you are very important to us in Scottish Orienteering and not a sideshow to the other event. We look forward to many of you returning to some wonderful locations in Deeside 2017. Jon Musgrave, Event Coordinator, assured us that there are no midges and the fields will be covered in tarmac.