Kevin Harding first went to the Scottish Six Days back in 1979 and has missed only one or two since. In contrast this was Rebecca Harding's first Six Day and, in fact, her first solo orienteering competition. For Pacemaker both kept a diary of the event.
 

Saturday

We arrive at our cottage in Arisaig for yet another Scottish Six Day. This year our party consists of eleven Hardings, two Moores, one Chereskin and a dog, though only seven of us are entered for the event.
 

	Rebecca, with mum (Alison), at the training event at Mardley in July, when she was preparing for her first solo event at Lochaber 2001.

Day 1, Sunday

Kevin : All my attention is centred on Rebecca. It is her first ever solo event, and it is on complex terrain in Scotland. It is also her first encounter with electronic punching too. We all headed to the start together, with us trying to 'walk' Rebecca through what to do. She had the first start and we watched her disappear off up the hill. I'm sure I was more apprehensive than she was. When I started and picked up my map it just looked like a Jackson Pollock - a dappled yellow and white with brown lines squiggling all over the place. I found the day infuriating, as there was only one leg that I could actually run on; the rest was struggling to keep myself in contact with the map. I nearly succeeded until near the end where I was left stranded in head high undergrowth (or is that overgrowth?). Was relieved to find Rebecca at the end, and find that she had enjoyed her first foray.

Rebecca : Everyone was asking me how I felt, and I felt nervous, but quite confident. When we got to the start, Dad and Mum explained my course with the map that the organisers left out. When they called my time I walked up and used my dibber. It was the first time that I had used a dibber and I was excited. When I started I knew which way to go. After a minute a girl came up behind me, but I kept her behind me. It was quite an easy course following fences and tape. I came 5th.
 

	Kevin, current club champion, proving that he can orienteer (nearly) as well he can fell run.

Day 2, Monday

Kevin : Today when I picked up the map I could see some line features, and the forest/open land was well delineated. I felt more confident. I started slowly as I was still finding it hard to locate the controls once I was in the circle. Bumped into Quentin half way round and we had a couple of shared controls. We seemed to work well as a pair - perhaps we should enter a few Mountain Marathons together. Next I caught up Alistair and overtook him, only to catch my eye on a twig, lose concentration, and get dragged off course going across a hillside. The course ended in an open area, where the contours were far enough apart for me to visualise the ground. This was the first time I felt I was really able to run and orienteer at the same time. Rebecca is definitely getting the hang of this, and even had enough energy left to do the off-string. Perhaps I don't need to worry about her getting lost.

Rebecca : We had to get to this day quite early. It was two hours drive from Arisaig. The white and blue courses were together, so I had to go to the start with Auntie Sue. She explained the course to me. When I was finding number three I went the wrong way down the track and found the red start, but I did find no. 3. When I got onto the moor area I could see millions of people. I saw some yellow and black tape for the first time. I had more controls than on day one.
 

Day 3, Tuesday

Kevin : Early starts meant an extremely early departure from Arisaig. Rebecca was on the same start as me, and we had to rush from the car with Rebecca setting the pace up the hill. We arrived ten minutes early, which gave me plenty of time to walk her through her course - the descent down the stream, though taped, looked tricky. She set off chasing a lad in a Wrekin O-suit along the fence and out of sight. I love this sort of open area; a few less controls and a few more kilometres and I would be in my element. Other than the lack of water (I had forgotten to drink before I set off, and we were advised not to drink from the streams) I couldn't fault the area or map. I'm still losing 30 seconds a leg due to small blunders or just dithering. Rebecca had trouble with the penultimate control and spent 15 minutes looking for it. She showed me what she had done wrong and was very matter-of-fact and unflustered about it. She has the makings of a good orienteer.

Rebecca : I had to go really early from Arisaig (about 7am) because I had a 10:11 start. It was a steep long walk to the start. It was quite easy, the course at first following tape. Then it got a bit harder and I had two boys following me. I had difficulty finding no. 7, because the knoll in the field didn't look like the knoll on the map so I went to the wrong place. I was going to go to the finish and tell them I couldn't find no. 7 then I saw it and I sprinted to it, with my cousin, Katrin, cheering me on.
 

Rest day, Wednesday

Kevin : We spent the day on Eigg. I'd bought myself an altimeter the day before and had to have a play with it by climbing An Sgurr.
 

Day 4, Thursday

Kevin : Back to Strathmashie, but the weather had turned wet. Once started the rain was forgotten, though the ground was by now slippery. Still wasting 30 seconds a control trying to read the detail on the map. Trying to pick out open areas under marsh seems to be one of the biggest problems. With so many short legs there is minimal route choice, and I am relying heavily on my compass, which slows me down (On MMs Quentin does all the navigating and I do the compass work). This was the first day with 2 legs on a steep wooded hillside, my Achilles heel. The first, uphill, leg I enjoyed as I ran past other competitors, but on the downhill leg I saw no one (possibly the straight line route on compass wasn't the best choice). However, taking it at a snail's pace, I hit the control first time! I lost the Harding run-in challenge (time from last control to finish courtesy of electronic punching) for the first time to Q by one second.

Rebecca : I could not do this day because I had stomach pains. We think I pulled a muscle in my stomach.
 

Day 5, Friday

Kevin : Our late starts for the week, and the area is only four miles from our cottage. We spent the morning on the beach, and watched the rain blow in from Rhum. By the time we arrived at the event it had stopped. The area was intricate moor land, which required keeping in touch with the map at all times. This I managed for the first 11 of 17 controls, where I started looking in the wrong re-entrant for my control. I realise that I'm not pacing anymore and am now over-compensating for earlier days when I was running past controls. Each day seems to remind me of a technique that has long been forgotten. Rebecca was at the finish to cheer me in. She is getting faster each day and, more importantly, enjoying every minute of it.

Rebecca : Today we got to get up later than usual because the event was only four miles away. When we got there I had a sandwich then climbed the steep hill to the start with Grandad. He explained the course to me, then I started, but when I got to no. 2 I nearly went the wrong way following people, but in the end I went the right way. I had a really good run that day with 20:40 for 13 controls.
 

Day 6, Saturday

Kevin : Last day and still feeling physically fresh. I walked the 2.4km to start with Rebecca. The forest looked like thick, Scottish forest (the sort that I abhor), but by the time we arrived at the start we had views over the fells. This was much more enticing. The first 11 of 17 controls were in the open and provided fast running with the odd good climb, and I was running well (at last). Then 11 to 12 was downhill, and I picked out my aim point and set off. Alarm bells should have rung as the control was on the edge of the open in the glacial moraine. The contours bunched up, I couldn't decide what was up or down, and spent a couple of minutes working out what I'd done wrong. I repeated the error when the course entered the thick forest we'd seen on the way to the start. Instead of slowing down, I headed into it at full speed looking for a vegetation change. The result was having to relocate on a ride/stream crossing and slowly work my way back in. By now I'd given up. What should have been a good last run was now certainly one to drop. Rebecca on the other hand has moved up another gear and recorded by far her best run of the week. I think that I will stick to fell running and leave the 'O' to the younger generation.

Rebecca : Today I went to the start with Daddy. It was steep downhill then steep uphill. Dad told me what a ride was then after that I was fine following fences, power lines and tape. I got my best time. I think it was the rest on day four that did it. I took 16:00 minutes for 11 controls. I've had a great time this week. I hope that I was in the top 10 overall.
 

Rebecca succeeded in her wish, finishing 6th in W10B. Despite his reservations, Kevin finished 5th in M40L, and Alison (Mum) was 11th in W40L