The Cobbler

Poor forecast, possibly glimpses of something better later in the day. Afternoon run up the Cobbler, The rain got heavier the further I went through the Glen, past the Narnain boulders, lashing, suppose I should put my jacket on. Passed a few walkers, watch out mister it's really cloudy up there, windy up there, watch oot fur ma twa pals there only wearin trackies, good fun really, wet and windy but not too cold, reached the back stairs, slow jog up to the middle peak, a couple of pics then steady trudge back down, on the way back, skies tried to clear and the sun almost came out, 8 miles, 3400' of ascent in a couple of hours. On the way home visited or rather spied on the boys overnight camp at Butterbridge. Pictures here.

5k

2nd Club race in a few days, starting  in groups, never easy, 20 or so minutes of tempo running, about 15 seconds outside my target.

Club Duathlon

Next race in Club GP, the Duathlon, 4 mile run, 8 hilly mile cycle. Staggered start and staggery run for me. Fared slightly better on the cycle, 31 minute run, 33 minute cycle, good fun.

Stob Ban and the Grey Corries

Improving forecast and a pass oot! Glen Nevis Campsite Fri night, early night, early rise and a taxi to the top of the glen. The plan, to run up Glen Nevis past Steall to Tom an Eite, across the glen to start the climbing over Stob Ban and the Grey Corries, if anything left Aonachs, CMD and the Ben, 22 miles and 10,500'.

Jog walked up the track rucksack heavy packed with food, water, spare clothes, maps, bivvy bag and headtorch. Across boggy moorland to the first climb up Stob Ban's NW flank, a herd of deer high above.

Clouds sitting on the tops of the Grey Corries 500' above. A sleet and hail squall blew through as I started the steep scree run off Stob Ban to the beallach, jacket and leggings on, break for food and drink, then the sun came out for the climb up Stob Choire Claurigh, ( pron stob corrie clorry) and the start of the Grey Corries ridge that extends to four munros and four other tops before the Aonachs.

Showers would blow through for the rest of the day. The grey colour comes from the quartzite rocks and stones that shroud these tops and doesn't make for steady running, more of a jog, walk, shuffle, and the odd scramble while taking in the views. Each top on the ridge appears as a puzzle that unravels the closer you get. The ridge narrows in places but not too narrow that you have to hold on.

Nav error leaving Stob Coire Easain, takes me off the ridge down steep shattered boulders on its NW flank, I dislodge one the size of a rucksack and watch it crash down a couple of hundred feet below. A rainy squall blows through, lose about half an hour here, going too slow to keep warm as I pick my way carefully down, change of gloves at the bottom and manage to generate a bit of heat on the climb back up to the ridge. Decide to keep going for now and run over the last couple of tops towards the Aonachs and climb out the gullies on the way to Stob Coire Bhealaich, met a Ramsey Rounder three hours into his hoped for sub 24 hour run looking remarkably fresh having covered the Ben, CMD and the Aonachs.

 I looked at the cloud topped Aonachs above and decide to drop back down to Steall and run down Glen Nevis instead, finished just under 10 hours for same distance as planned, 22 miles, but only about 7500' of ascent. More pictures here.

Lui Munros

Drove to Dalrigh for a run over the Munros in the Ben Lui Nature Reserve, last time I managed three, losing time to navigation thru low clouds, with decent weather I hoped for the 4. Route choice, finish with Lui, leaving the 4 or 5 mile farm track to the end. Ran the track towards Cononish's green huts, Lui's bulk cloud free in front although low clouds leaking in from behind Beinn Chuirn and Meall Odhar, luckily they never came to much. The trail climbs gradually then just before Cononish cross the wooden bridge straight onto the stiff climb 1000' up Beinn Dubhchraig's North ridge, over a fence the gradient eases, initially pathless but runnable old fence posts help with route choice, a path gradually forms as it gets steeper, jog walk to the lochans, its going to be a long day, then a short run to the top. Discuss route choices with a couiple of walkers. Great views, Crianlarich Munros all visible, Loch Lomond, Arrochar Alps, Bidean Nam Bian's head touching the clouds. Run past the lochans and down the zig zags to the Bealach, the path contours past a knoll overlooking Loch Oss. Climb up beside a burn to the short trudge up Oss's NE ridge.

Stop for some food here then exit beside Creag Dhubh a'Bhealaich round Coire Laoigh and start up Lui's SE Ridge. To avoid climbing Lui twice I reach about 800m and contour across to the Bealach between Lui and a' Chliebh (pron a'clave) a short 500' climb and I'm on top with views over Loch Awe and the Cruachan horseshoe.

There's three tops, I cover them all then realise the first one is the summit. A few minutes and I'm back at the Bealach for the last climb of the day, just over 1000' in half a mile, glad to have a couple of stops on the way to take in the views.

A rest at the top taking in the day's route and planning my way back to Dalrigh. Down the SE ridge then onto the path to Stob an Tighe Aird past the plane wreckage before dropping steeply thru Coire Gaothach crossing the Allt an Rund onto the track to Dalrigh passing the big green Cononish huts on the way. Quiet day, met two walkers on Dubhchraig summit, one on a'Chleibh and two on the track back to Dalrigh.

Today's route, 18 miles, 6500' of ascent in just under 7 hours. A few more pictures here.