Saturday, March 22, 2014

Luss and a double Dumgoyne

Set off on Saturday for a run round and over Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill and Coille Eughain Hill, 9 miles and 3700' of ascent. Didn't quite turn out that way. Beinn Dubh first, climbing up, jog walk for the first half, then mainly walk, into the clouds and then snow with a cold wind whistling around. Stopped in a wee sheltered spot just short of the summit to put on a second jacket, head scarf and fleecy gloves.


On past the summit cairn snow a bit deeper now, not easy to run in places, slow plod round towards Mid Hill, dropping below cloud base level then back up through drifting snow a couple of feet deep in places. The wind whipping snow off the ground, good for the complexion.



Reached the cairn at the top of Mid Hill and turned back retracing my tracks, by the time I started up Beinn Dubh wind blown snow had covered them up.



As I ran down towards Luss all change within a couple of hundred yards, I dropped out the clouds with patches of sunshine around. Finished just over two hours, 8 miles and 2500' of ascent. Pictures here.

Sunday, sunny but cold and a run over Dumgoyne to the Earls seat and back was planned. A bit sluggish on the initial climb but it was a good day to be out.


From the top of Dumgoyne views to Loch Lomond and snow capped mountains all around. A lot of the boggy ground was frozen, combined with Sealskinz meant reasonably warm  (not frozen) feet. Slow jog walk up Garloch Hill before a breezy run to the Earls Seat. Although only a couple of hundred feet lower than Luss there was no snow only a freezing wind so didn't stop long at the trig. Managed to run all the way back until the last steep wee climb.



Over Dumgoyne again, an easy walk on the short steep climb up the back and a run down the front for the first time, usually take the easy way round instead of over. Loads of walkers out now. Finished in about 2 hours 20, 7 miles and 2700' of ascent. Pictures here.

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