Ted Baker

9th running of the Club Hill race up to Pappert Well, hosted by Pete n Mo, runnable at about 5 miles and 1000' of ascent. 17 Millies set off in 6 groups, the idea is we all finish together, pretty good grouping as all but a couple finish in order and the first 8 finishing within a couple of minutes of each other. Started off nice n steady along the road then tried to keep a good effort on the new hardcore path through the woods beside Pappert. The moorland path is not too steep so just keep as high a tempo as my wee legs allow. Slowed slightly before the trig point then tried to pick the pace up again on the way back down past the Well. A steady run on the hardcore path through the woods before a short down, up, down on the road, the bell welcomes us back, finishing 3rd in the handicap but 4th by time in 43:43. Post run chat, cakes and tablet, courtesy of our kind hosts, how to run and put weight on!

Arrochar Alps

My last attempt at this race was a DNF, low cloud made for difficult navigation and I gave up when it was clear I wouldn't make the next checkpoint cut off. Complacency was the real culprit, although rough and trackless, a few bearings worked out in the comfort of your own home make all the difference. Low cloud forecast again this year and I left the Vale with cloud below 1000'.

Over thirty runners set off on the Glen Loin trail at 11, only a couple behind me for the 4 mile run to the Vorlich path, left the road after 40 minutes giving 1 hour 20 to get up and back down to the Sloy dam. Its a long trudge to the top and I try to settle in to a steady pace, only one or two runners in sight in the clouds, we leave the path to cut out some corners but I swing back across to the path as its smoother and not as steep. Ghostly runners come flying past in the mist when I reach the summit ridge and a few minutes later after a 55 minute climb I get to the top, no marshals, only a kite and punch to record your visit. This leaves 25 minutes which is ok for the descent to Sloy dam. In the cloud three of us miss the steep drop off the ridge and chose one further along, not as steep and no real loss of time and I swing across to pick up the ususal line and reach the dam in 2 hours and seconds.

Next Ben Vane where it went wrong last time, losing 20 minutes on the steep trackless climb. About 6 of us go to the left of the large buttress behind the dam and then up on a 220 degree bearing which I hoped would lead to a steep rock filled gulley to the summit ridge. The first part of the climb went well, my bearing tied in with a series of gullies and gaps in the crags, a couple of the other runners popping in and out of the clag on similar lines. Large crags imposed a couple of worrying deviations to the chosen bearing but I could now hear a stream which hopefully was the one that runs along near the bottom of the gulley. Just then the clouds cleared around us and I could relax, spot on for the gulley to the top. It gets quite steep for the last few yards, a bit of a scramble. Back into cloud at the top I start on my bearing for the run off Vane, when I reach this rock arc round to the left to miss the worst of the crags, towards the bottom I could see the two runners in front and appeared to be closing in until I went too close to the last set of crags which slowed me down.

From Lag Uaine I go up a narrow ridge towards Glas Bhealach the two in front going off to the left, two behind slowly closing in, hard work now, they catch and pass me just as I leave GB for the last 900' climb up Ben Ime. I catch them having a breather at the summit and ran past. The run off Ime deceptive as the path splits and the wrong one leads you to steep cliffs just as the right one fades away for a while, a 165 bearing takes me to the checkpoint at Bealach a Mhaim.

The clouds break revealing glimpses of the path for the last climb up Narnain, I try to push on but it feels very slow, thankfully its the shortest climb of the day and the summit cairns soon appear through the cloud. The run off Narnain a tricky 3000' drop in two miles starts with a careful scramble through the spearhead then a twisty narrow track down a series of steep drops. Pop out below the clouds after about 25 minutes and Arrochar comes in to view with a runner just in front, he must be struggling as I catch and pass him easily. One last scramble down a rocky muddy stream then its down a path covered with huge concrete blocks. Timecheck as I reach the forest road is 5 hours 33, and I jog in to finish in 5 hours 46 and 27th out of 30 finishers.

Beinn Duhbchraig

Set off at 12 from Dalrigh along to Cononish then up Beinn Dubhchraigs Northern shoulder, steep at first then becomes runable before it kicks up again before the summit. I was carrying enough food and clothes to run the 4 munros and as I left Dalrigh there was only puffs of cloud on the summits. Into the cloud at about 2500 feet mist more than rain, I soon picked up the ridge path and found the summit cone, a bit wet and windy up here. The run along to Ben Oss twists and turns as it drops 700 feet to the beallach between them. Rain heavier, wind picked up and the cloud seemed to be dropping lower pouring off Duhbchraigs shoulder into Coire Garbh, Loch Oss 500 feet below dissapearing faster than I was descending. I arrived at the turning point to aim for the climb to Oss's summit, feeling cold and a bit damp, checked out the map then decided to call it a day. My escape route was to descend to Loch Oss then contour round Duhbchraig's eastern shoulder where a path would take me back to Dalrigh. Dropped down to Loch Oss out of the cloud, wind and rain and soon felt better. Ran down through Coire Garbh round Loch Oss over peat hags and bog but with great views down Loch Lomond. Chased a herd of deer along Dubhchraigs Eastern face the Stag eventually gathering his herd down into a forest. Soon met the path back to Dalrigh through fir trees beside a tumbling highland stream, the fir trees soon gave way to Scots Pine, a pleasant run off th ehill. A wade through the river Cononish and across the WHW to finish. Just over 4 hours for 12 miles and 3800 feet of climbing.

Stoneymollan

Cort Ma Law

Boggiest Bog n Burn race for a while, 6 miles and 1700 feet of ascent. The rain held off but the ground was soft. After the climb up from Jamie Right's Well to the top of Cort Ma Law you think the hard work is done then you hit the undulating swamp on the run round to Lecket Hill. An emerald green sea, your not sure if its ankle deep or waist deep, you find the waist deep ones when your going like a wee train, its hard to get going again, then you stop at every one, suspicious, you hear the runner behind coming and just go for it. Three thigh deep plunges meant the runners behind kept catching up, the soft ground making for a hard run. Respite after reaching the top of Lecket, downhill and the bogs are narrow enough to jump. For a change I managed to stay on my feet in the run into the gulley then a slow trudge back out. Slowly get back to running but one more plunge just before I reach the safety of the path. Jump the fence and run as hard as possible across the moor and a fast descent to finish in just over 69 minutes.

Yetholm

The 3rd race from this years SHR Championship, this was my second as I missed Slioch, nearly missed this one as well, I forgot my shorts and lost 30 minutes finding a shop in Stirling with anything resembling shorts that I could run in. Made registration in Town Yetholm with a minute to spare. Classed as a medium race, 8 miles with 2500 feet of climbing, The route alternates between clockwise and anticlockwise, last time I ran here was in 2005 when it was clockwise, this time anti. Typical rolling borders hills, on the way out we went over Staerough, Sunnyside, Wildgoose and Latchley Hills, then up the biggest climb, the Curr, from the Curr we ran back via the Pennine way, past Black Hag along Steer Rig over White Law before an undulating grassy descent back to the start. No major climbs and no rocks or boulders to contend with. Finished just under 1 hour 34 about 20 seconds quicker than 2005.

Jura n beyond

Set off on Friday morning for the Jura Fell Race, 7500 FOA and 16 miles. I hoped to break 6 hours. A drive to Kennacraig for the Calmac ferry to Islay then another ferry across the sound of Islay to Feolin on Jura, saved energy this year and took the bus to Craighouse. Another contrast to last year was the wind, low cloud and rain. Arrived at Craighouse on a dreich afternoon, got the tent up and went into the cooperage which doubles as race headquarters. The locals put on a good show of home baking for the weekend and spent a pleasant hour drinking tea, eating scones and cakes. Time for a rest before tea and a couple of pints in the Jura Hotel. Too wet for much of a walk after tea so an early night.

Race day and a pleasant surprise, bright and breezy, plenty of blue sky. Even though not everyone was through the Start Control the race starts at 10:30 on the dot, the rest of us throw the first of our 10 checkpoint tags towards the steward and set off. The first 5 miles take us over 2500 feet of climbing and the three summit checkpoints of Beinns, Dubh, Glas and Aonach, cut off times are strictly enforced, a runner passed me wearing long pink shorts, it would be good to beat him. I reached the first checkpoint in 53 mins, 7 minutes inside the cutoff. This section is typical of Scottish hills, an undulating mass of bog and rock, a contrast to the straight up and down of the Paps. Leaving Aonach-beinn we drop steeply for the peat bog crossing of Gleann Astaile.

Next its a steep rock and boulder roller coaster over the three Paps, 4000 feet of up and down over 5 miles. The first Pap Beinn a' Chaolais starts off grassy, then gets progressively rockier towards the top where its a mass of shattered boulders, admiring the views as I approach the summit, I am caught by a sharp shower of stinging hail, luckily this soon passes, I managed to cover my face but the rash on my legs is still there nearly a week later. The run off the top a fun steep twisty scree path, I arrive at the bottom too soon for the short boggy crossing to Pap 2, Beinn an Oir, pretty much straight up again through rocks, boulders and more boulders, at the top I stumble along the rocky path then take a sharp right at an old ruin down a rocky track. The last Pap, Beinn Shiantaidh appears impassable from the glen but you pick your way up gullies and ledges to another moonscape top of shattered rock, a tough descent down scree and boulders, towards the bottom you can pick up a number of narrow trods to take you round to the last climb, 600 or so feet in half a mile up Corra Beinn. At the top I look at my watch for the first time since CP1, 4 hours 53, gave me something to chase over the last 6 miles.

The three mile 1800 feet descent to Three Arch Bridge achieved in 34 minutes with a bashed shin and several plunges into peaty ditches left me 32 minutes for three flat road miles to the finish. I could see the runner in front and worked at closing him down, then another couple, the last one I caught had long pink shorts, he stayed with me and we worked together for the last mile and a half, he urged me to go on for the last few hundred yards and I crossed the line just inside 5 hours 59. For a feel of the route and terrain check out this link for pictures taken by another, faster, runner on his way round.

More tea and cakes and a couple of pints while watching the prizegiving before I felt brave enough for the cold shower. A pleasant evening spent eating and drinking in the Jura Hotel before another early night.

Got up early on Sunday for a walk back to Feolin, wet and windy so I was lucky to get a lift within a few minutes and meant I could get the first boat back to Kennacraig. The best place to sit was the front deck outside as the sun came out with the added bonus of a pod of Dolphins leaping around in front of us.

From Kennacraig I drove up to Arisaig and Camusdarrach Campsite to meet my better half and friends for a few days beside the sea. They had been there in wind and rain since Friday, I brought the sun. I even managed a swim on Monday. Some Jura and Arisaig pictures here.

We arrived back on Wednesday afternoon and by the time we unpacked I still had time to get to Old Kilpatrick for the evening Bog and Burn race, 6 miles and 1400 FOA. Light rain greeted the start and continued for much of the race, managed to wheezily run most of the uphills. Pictures here . The first half mile is on road, then a runnable climb up onto the hill for a flattish run across moor and farm track past loch Humphrey, a couple of minor climbs then round Greenside reservoir before the short drag up the Slacks, from the trig point at the top you head straight for the Clyde a slight route change over a new style instead of the coffee table to rejoin the outward route, finished just over 63 minutes.