Ardgarten

A wee break from hills this week with a run round the Ardgarten loop. Last time I ran here I walked over a third of the way in 12 to 18 inch deep snow, took me over 5 1/2 hours. Set off in the afternoon, sunny and cool with only a little breeze. Nice run down looking across to the snow capped Luss Hills I was up a couple of weekends ago. From Corran lochan across to Loch Goil a few snow patches, a longer run now as the new cycle track comes out quite close to Loch Goil. Ran up the road for a mile or so then jogged and walked to the top of the RaBT on forest track. Steady run back down to Ardgarten finishing in just over 3 hours 50. A few pictures here.

PWWHSM

More wintery weather this weekend so a local run round the Vale hills, Pappert Well, Whinney Hill & Stoneymollan, about 18 miles with 3200' of ascent. The plan was to go out easy and keep it that way, I struggled last time after a mudfest on Whinney Hill. A bitter wind on Pappert.

Keen to get out the wind and took the boggy race route back down instead of the ridge path, easy run across the fields and golf course then back on the road through Haldane and up the Molanbowie road. Pleased to get off road onto the Whinney Hill Trail.

The Whinney hill seat was inviting but I left it for another day. Pleasant run back through the park before another short road section through Balloch. Jogged up the Stoneymollan back into the wind. Good run along towards the trig point, snow getting a bit deeper. After the trig difficult to run, the drfiting snow hiding all sorts of trip hazards and bogs. Had to walk from Overton Muir to the Fort.

Shuffle down the hill and onto the farm track towards the radio mast for a bit of fun working my way through the waist deep drifts. Finished in a minute or two over 4 hours.

Lusstrous

Clouds above the tops but Scotland's mountains still snow covered meant another Luss run.

 I planned a longer route this week, 18 miles with 8000' of ascent. The first part of the run the same as last week, Beinn Dubh & Doune Hill,  then instead of Beinn Eich & Coille-eughain hill to finish, I planned to cross to the other side of Glen Luss over Cruach An t-Sidhein, Beinns A' Mahanach, Chaorach and Tharsuinn and a couple of unnamed tops, finishing over Coille-eughain hill. Lower down the ground wasn't frozen so cold feet to start in the melt water from last weeks ice and snow. The tops are still frozen hard so a chance to dry my feet but a bit tough to run on.

All went well until I was having a break on Cruach An t-Sidhein and a snowy squall blew through, difficult to tell how bad it would get so I dropped into the Glen missing out Beinn A'Mhanach, it was hard going through the Glen on trackless tussocky ground and as the skies cleared overhead I changed back to the planned route climbing Beinn Chaorach with a few hundred feet extra thrown in as I had passed the beallach by then. Still managed to cover 9 hills with 17 miles and 7400' of ascent, finishing in just under 6 1/2 hours. Pictures and route map here. The skylarks were singing so maybe Spring is here at last.

Luss again

Looking for a longer run this week and with the clag down thought about Arrochar as its easier to navigate, a change of plan saved the day and I set off for Luss, same route as a couple of weeks ago, starting up Beinn Dubh and finishing off down the Paps. Good running at the bottom, ground firm but not frozen hard. The wind picked up as I climbed higher, second jacket and fleece lined hat on before the top, now some icy stuff coating the grass, the wire fence rime encrusted.

Not a day for hanging about, although once on the ridge towards Mid Hill the wind eased off. Ran down into Sith Mor dropping out the clouds and into the relative calm of the valley. Picked my way up Doune Hill using the gulleys to shelter from the worst of the wind. Reached the bealach for the last push to the top the wind stealing my breath, careful to keep some idea of direction as I skirted round larges patches of ice on the way.  The summit was a blast, visibility down to a few metres with icy rain stinging face and eyes.

The icy grass hiding any sign of the path I made my way off towards Beinn Lochain, the quad bike tracks at the bottom of one steep slope a sign I wasn't too far off line. More pathless stuff up and over Beinn Lochain and I was happy to meet Lyndsay on the way to Beinn Eich, he was out for a shorter run and turned back with me. Heads bowed we kept moving as we took more arctic blasts over Beinn Eich finally relaxing when they eased as we dropped down into the glen. I crossed the glen for the 1000' in a mile trudge up Coille-eughain Hill, back into the wind but nothing like before, pleasant run down the Paps, a bit quicker than a couple of weeks ago, finishing just under 4 1/2 hours. A few more pictures here.

Lomond 1/2

35 runners for the 3rd race in thus years GP, 11 from the club and 24 guests. A hilly half, round the Horseshoe, through Balloch Park, Balloch, Lomond Shores then onto the cycle path to the Vale returning to the club round the Vale Academy. Staggered start and I went with the last group and watched them run off into the distance before catching a few on the way round. Good run for a road race, finished in about 1:49. Some pictures here and here.