Luss Dumgoyne and Breaking the Law

Sat afternon and a run over Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill, Coille Eughain Hill, 9 miles with 3700' of ascent, raining at the start soon cleared to give a warm dry afternoon with some sun, a deer and a swim in Luss Water to finish, 2 hours 40.

Sunday and after dropping No 2 son in Glasgow at 4 something am drove home via a wee run up Dumgoyne and Garloch Hill, or was it Clachertyfairlie Knowes, not sure but around 4 miles and 2000' of ascent, home to bed.

Wed evening saw me in Tillicoultry for the Lawbreaker, 3 or 4 miles and just over 2000' of ascent, the first part just about runnable then a mixture of jog and walk, fell twice on the way down trying to chase the 60 something year old in front, finished in 54th place in 54 minutes something, summit time 38 minutes something just as the winner finished.

Sunshine in Luss

Three of us jogged up the Glen road for Beinn Eich, Doune Hill, Mid Hill, Beinn Dubh, 12 miles, 4900' of ascent. The two others ran past me and up to the top of Beinn Eich, I jog walked, didn't keep them waiting too long. From the top of BE we could see walkers on all the surrounding tops, it was a good day for the hills.

View down the Glen from ascent of Beinn Eich.

Steady run up and over Doune Hill before a nice run down into Sith Mor, good steady plod up Mid Hill, hard work done we ran along the ridge over Beinn Dubh and back to Luss, finished just under 4 hours.

Fairy Glen

4th out of 15 Starters and 13 finishers in this 3 mile, 3 lap race in Balloch Park. Splits, 7:34, 8:05, 7:54, faster than I expected. Each lap follows a grassy downhill path twisting down to a flat trail on the lochside along to the bottom of Fairy Glen where a lumpy wee path runs up beside a stream, turning onto a tarmac path to the top for a brief run across flat grassy parkland, repeat times 2.

The Mamores, an even Hillier Weekend

Traveled up to Fort William on Friday after work and set up in Glen Nevis campsite for the weekend. Having run roon the mamores twice, I was hopeful this would be third time lucky, round the tops instead of the bottom. Parked at Achriabhach, the lower falls car park and just after nine started up Mullach Nan Coirean, the first in a chain of 10 Munro's with a couple of minor tops thrown in. From the Mullach's summit most of the rest are on an undulating ridge which snakes its way high above Kinlochleven to the far end of Loch Eilde Mor before crossing back towards Glen Nevis for the last of the tops, Sgurr Eilde Mor and Binnein Beag. The three out and backs along the ridge are tough, Sgurr a Mhaim, An Gearanach and Binnein Mor. The round is twenty something miles and 12000' of up and down. Low point, traverse from An Garbhanach to Na Gruagaichean, high point, fresh fruit salad on the top of Na Gruagaichean. Took nearly 4 litres of water, sandwiches, flapjacks and sweets, used snow on my head and down my back to cool me down on Binnein Mor and picked up a welcome extra litre of water in the Alt Coire a Bheinnein. Finished in 12 hours 14, it would have been nice to get under 12 but a poor choice off the last hill into Glen Nevis probably made the difference. Weather superb, mixture of sun and shade with a gently cooling breeze most of the way. Not easy ground to run over, lots of rocks, even the grassy bits were rocky. Watched an Eagle dive bomb a herd of deer on a ridge high above as I crossed from Sgurr Eilde Mor to Binnein Beag. Slow drive home today stopping at Glencoe Village for a quick up and down the Pap to stretch my legs, stunning views.

Cort Ma Law

A classic Bog n Burn race tonight, 6 miles with 1700' of ascent, starting across the road from Campsie Glen Car Park, a breezy evening meant no midgies. 65 runners set off up the steep climb to start, managed to run most of it with only a couple of short walks, the trail levels off within the first mile and pain subsides as the trail  undulates a runnable up for the next two miles where the luminous green bogs between Cort Ma Law and Lecket Hill trap the unwary. Fast running into the gulley from Lecket, slow plod back out, gradually start running again along towards the stile, the last bog claims a couple of victims, over the fence across the moor and my legs begin to wobble with the effort, plunge down the last half mile to a happy finish just over 64 mins.

Hilly Weekend

A new race on Saturday, Ben Ledi, 6 miles with 2400' of ascent, organised by Skidaddle incorpoarated a sponsored walk. About 60 runners set off along forest roads to the usual ascent path. Ran most of the way to the ridge, suffered a bit and eased back till the heart rate and breathing calmed down, I was looking forward to the views from the top, last time I was up here it was cloudy, as I approached the top over a few false summits, into the mist, no views again, reached the top in 50 minutes, ran along the ridge and down to the entry into Stanks Glen, managed to pass a few folk here before the trail flattened out, one person passed me then lost their shoe so I got past again. A mixture of forest road and rootsy path to finish in just under 75 mins. Re-fuelled on cakes and tea set off for the Gargunnock Show with its hill cum trial race, about 5 miles and 1000' of ascent. A mixture of road, fields, hill and trails, 24 mins to the top and 20 mins back down, a couple of minutes slower than last time, June 2009, a nice village agricultural show, walked around in the sun looking at the animals and tractors. Pictures from Saturday here. Sunday and found time late afternoon to fit in another run, a circuit of Glen Douglas hills, Beinn Bhreac, Ben Reoch and Tullich Hill, 6 miles and 3400' of ascent, nice sunny breezy run, great views to Loch Lomond, Arrochar Alps and beyond, Disturbed a herd of deer grazing near the ridge off Tullich Hill, just over 2 1/2 hours to get back to my bottle of Peroni cooling hidden in the stream. Some photos here.