Beinn Dubh, a burst bladder, GU5MRR, a Cobbler and his wife

Forecast was ok for today, cold but not too windy, I set off for a circuit of Glen Luss just as the sun rose.

My backpack was a bit damp at the bottom and I stopped to fix it and empty some water out, maybe too full, leaving about a pint in, somehow it managed to drip itself empty by the top.

Over and under trousers soaked, a biting wind at the top and I gave up on the days run and ran back down, 4 miles, 2000' inside 90 mins. Dried my gear out, re-fuelled and set off for the Glasgow Uni 5 mile road race in the afternoon, good for a road race, a few undulations, I last ran it in 2008. Not as many runners as there used to be, about 160 start, I finish 99th in 36:37.

Sunday and we set off for Arrochar, not quite sure where to go, we decide on the Cobbler and Narnain. Perfect day, cool, sunny with a few clouds about to spice up the views. We zig zag slowly up the tourist path, a bit warm at first then a nice gentle breeze as we clear the treeline on the way towards the Narnain boulders. Thankfully the gradient eases a bit and its a nice run past the Cobbler, we turn up the steppy path at the back, soon slow to a jog walk up the steep steps, its only a few minutes and I'm running again to the beallach between the first two tops. We plod over greasy rocks to the middle top through a flickering mist revealing a faint Brocken Spectre below.

We spend a few minutes taking in the views in the warm sun before running back down and up the airy first top, I stay in the middle away from the precipitous drops, a fogbow sits between us and Narnain.

A few minutes here then we plunge back down beside the steps and up a muddy path to Narnain. Again we come out the clouds near the top, great views all around, mountains popping in and out as the clouds shift around while we take a short rest and photo stop.

Back down Narnain we go towards Beallach A' Mhaim, turning left to pick up the track beside the Allt a' Bhalachain, we take it easy down the twisty trail on tired legs. Super run today, 12 miles, about 5300' in just under 3 1/2 hours. More pictures here.

Sealskinz, Microspikes and Stoneymollan

Saturday morning run over Ben Vane and Ime, started up Glen Loin to Coirgrogain, great morning for a run, cool, with no wind and blues skies above.

Onto the the Ben Vane path ground frozen lower down instead of the usual bog didn't test my new Sealskinz socks out, feet dry and not frozen. Into the snow about 2500' a few icy patches which my microspikes coped with ok. The snow was deeper and mixed with icy rocks over the last few lumps and needed careful route choice. Met one other walker out in full winter gear, crampons and ice axe, showed him an easier route down. Took about 20 minutes longer than usual to get to the top, well worth the effort for the views.

Ran further than usual along the ridge on gentle slopes before dropping in to a cloud filled Lag Uaine. Usual ridge up towards Glas Bhealach then the snowy north facing ridge up Ime.

Patchy snow at first then smooth compacted and frozen hard when exposed to the wind. No chance my microspikes were good enough.

What I learnt, Sealskinz are good and worth the money. Microspikes only good for low level snowy and icy trails. To continue on the Scottish mountains through winter would need an upgrade to proper crampons, ice axe and learn how to use the axe.

Sunday's run over Stoneymollan rewarded with a variety of cloud inversions in the valleys. Frozen underfoot helped keep the feet reasonably dry. Stopped for a few photos.

More pictures, from Saturday here, Sunday here.

Tinto and Ben Narnain

White topped hills greeted us to the borders for Tinto hill race, 200 plus runners set off up the trail, 2 miles up and 2 miles down, set off trying to run all the way up, managed it apart form the last climb in single file on slippy snowy ground. As I ran up other runners would run past then slow to a walk, so I would pass them, this pattern continued all the way to the top, jog stagger round the summit cairn and set off down the heathery slopes beside the path, managed to pass a few on the way down with some good tussles on the stoney path, the last few hundred yards tough as the trail leveled off, finished inside 47 minutes, then back to Symington village hall for soup revival and my 2013 SHR mug. Forecast for Sunday was good, a late start after a late night, Ben Narnain was the target, clear blue skies and snowy tops made for busy mountains. Ran up to the Narnain Boulders and into the snow.

Ran past the Cobbler and up Narnains NW shoulder, a slow trudge in the snow, the views got better and the snow got deeper as I climbed up, a clear day and I could see from Ailsa Craig to Ben Nevis.

The breeze picked up towards the top, nothing a light jacket and gloves didn't solve, as the gradient eased towards the top the crust froze and supported your weight, good for running and the snow filled gaps made the boulder field easy to cross.

Snowy mountains for miles from the top.

Fun descent going on to soft fresh snow to the right of the steeper walkers path I took on the way up, all too soon I was back down at Bealach a Mhaim and turning for Succoth on the path between Narnain and the Cobbler. 2 hours 50 runtime for 11 or 12 miles and 3800', more pictures here. Great hill run in perfect winter conditions.

Dumyat Dash and Stoneymollan

My third go at this race, from Menstrie, 5 or 6 miles and 1800' of ascent. Starting at 11 along with the rain we set off from the village green along the road for a hundred yards or so to a turn onto a mixture of farm track and trail zig zagging its way up and round the side of Myreton Hill, working too hard to bother about jacket or gloves then the trail levels off and we traverse round into the Glen dipping down and up over the First and Second Inchra Burns, gloves on, the next down is on muddy fern covered ground, somehow manage to keep my feet, at the bottom we cross the Third Inchra Burn then the Menstrie Burn before a run walk up the NE Flank of Dumyat, cold, wet n windy, jacket on, head down and follow the guy in front, grind out the last 300', steep! Round the summit trig and judder down steep tussocky ground, pick up pace as the gradient eases before slowing for the last few muddy feet at the Menstrie burn. Trail turns SE and follows a muddy path alongside the burn. A few slips but no falls and we're back on the outward route for a fast half mile, pleased to finish inside 72 minutes. Sunday and another late start, set off for Stoneymollan, up the trail behind the reservoir through the quarry and along the moor to the top of the Stoneymollan, detour on the way down, turning along a faint trod behind the trees towards the radio mast, the path fades in and out, gradually rougher and I bale out down hill past the Paintball woods and through Overton farm, 8 miles and 1300' in two hours. A few pictures here.