Kilpatricks Hill Race

100 plus set off, warm and damp midgy night, first and last half mile on the road. Slow jog up through the crags, undulating moorland run interspersed with farm track, spikey muddy lochside trail, jog up the Slacks then down hill all the way back for a half mile of foot slapping road to finish in 66 plus minutes.

Jura

Returned for my fourth run in the Jura Fells Race.

Arrived on the late boat from Kennacraig, no bus to Craighouse lucky to cadge a lift from a couple who had hired a bus. Race day sunny with a cool breeze, perfect conditions. 200 plus set off at 10:30 fuelled by Cakes from the Cooperage. Steady run over the boggy Pips before crossing Glen Astaile for the Paps.

Trudge up Beinn a'Chaolais, alternating grassy ramps and scree, super views as we reach the top. Fun twisty scree covered descent brings a smile to my face then its back up Beinn an Oir, not as long a climb.

Bumpy run down and we're soon at the spring and a refill of water bottles at the bottom. Beinn Shiantaidh climb develops into a zig zag up a rocky path before the boulder field to the top. The ruin off alternates scree and boulders to the traversing track to Corra Bheinn, short slow climb to the top then a 40 minute run off to Three Arch Bridge and the 5k road run back to Craighouse, finished just inside 6 hours 50. A few more pictures here.

Ben Lomond

Back to the usual start this year from the Rowardennan Hotel, along the road and the undulating path to the top. The hill covered by cloud as we started in the sun, cloud gradually clearing as we trudged up. A few minutes slower to the top than last year, turned for home and pushed hard down the grassy bank, back on the tourist path and trundled down the combination of stony paths, grassy bank, tussocks and rocks, finished about 1 hour 53.

Dumyat and a 10k

Another 300 plus runners set out on this nice midweek blast up and down from the grounds of Stirling Uni. The first and last couple of hundred yards on road, in between, a twisty forest path and an undulating hill path, runnable apart from a few rocky parts and the odd bog. Good night for running dry overhead, damp underfoot, Mudclaw's with better grip than my Swoops but a bit harder on my feet. Reached the top just over 32 mins, and ran to finish just under 51 minutes. Thursday night and the next club GP race, our road 10k, 21 runners, ran as a recovery run to stretch the legs after Dumyat, finished in 55 mins.

Stuc a'Chroin

160 plus runners in this years Stuc, better weather than last years freezing wet hell. Tighter safety rules and checks at registration. Trotted along the two mile forest trail and onto the hill through forest. Across the moor to Meall Mor and in to Glen Ample. Work my way up the Beinn Each climb in stages, three steep heathery sections then a rocky traverse onto a steep eroded path, a few minutes and the gradient eases as we climb towards BE's top. Sharp left down onto the ridge to the Stuc pass a couple of tentative descender's. The ridge twists and turns and undulates, reach the crossover at Bealach nan Cabar in 1 hour 40, the next ridge section to Beallach Glas longer than I remembered then its up up up to the top of the Stuc. Turn the cairn in 2 hours 24. Pass the last few runners on their way up as I stagger my way back along the ridge to Beallach nan Cabar, more down than up. Good trail marked into Glen Ample and I'm soon traversing along to the crossover. Jog walk across the bottom of Glen Ample then trudge up to Meall Mor, a weary trundle back across to the forest and down the trail to the finish and soup at Strathyre, 4 hours 7 this year. Another good Stuc, water, sweets and support from plenty of marshalls all over the route, every turning point manned on the fully marked route.