Duathlon

Only 5 of us today, 4 mile run round the Vale and about 7 mile bike ride up the Horseshoe and back. Transition in Stuart Macs, good fun, not last but that was because one person took a wrong turning!

The Cobbler

Afternoon run up and down the Cobbler, warm, hardly with any breeze, a few walkers out, easy/steady up through the trees ontothetrail past the Narnain Boulders, stopped for a drink at the bottom of the back steps, worked hard all the way, didn't stop until the top.

Great views to Arran and Jura. Steady run down trying to concentrate and ignore the walkers. Fnished in about 2 hours. More pictures here.

Riverbank 5k

7 clubbers and 3 guests ran this years 5k, starts at the back entrance to Cameron House, through Lomond Shores, on to the cycle path to finish at St Martins. Steady run gradually increasing the effort pleased to finish 4th just over 22 minutes.

Crianlarich 5

Returned to these hills after last Saturday's bail out due to low cloud. Waited until Sunday as the Saturday forecast not as good as Sunday's which was for Loch Lomond and Trossachs hills to remain covered in cloud with the odd sunbeam or two to and Central Highlands clear, persuaded myself these hills were central! About 10 when I started, lots of cloud, An Caisteal first, up into the cloud, not much wind so ok. Spoke to a walker who had come over Beinn Chabhair, he gave me confidence the col's were clear and should be able to pick out the ascent line to Chabhair. Dropped down to the pass between Caisteal and A Chroin and managed to work out how to get to Chabhair.

Turn right down a grassy gulley and right again to traverse along to the col crossover which was below the clouds thankfully then straight up steep pathless hillside in to the mist, recognised the top from my last visit in 2009. Met a couple of runners, one rather famous with a couple of wee dogs. Ran straight back down to the col pleased to drop out the mist about 50 yards from where I went up. Tussocky trudge back to the path to A'Chroin. A well worn path to A'Chroin zig zags through a few crags. would be quite airy in clear weather. Gradient soon eases and run walk to the top where I meet a few walkers I passed ascending An Caisteal, they are not sure how to get down and are about to go back the way they came, a big climb back over An Caisteal, managed to help them, A'Chroin has three tops and they didn't realise this! The exit path is from top 3, walked to top 3 with them and sorted their route out. The OS maps they have weren't as clear as my Harveys Superwalker. Used my phone app gridref to confirm exactly where we were, seemed to work perfectly.

 Gulley to Sron Garbh traverse

Next was a traverse under Sron Garbh, down a broad grassy gulley into pathless tussocky slabby terrain, then steep ascent of Beinn Tulaichean.

 Sron Garbh on the left, Tulaichean's ridge behind

A bit stop go up Tulaichean's steep sides as I start to tire. On top and turn right along the undulating ridge to the summit, cool breeze so didn't hang about and turned back along the ridge towards the final munro, Cruach Ardrain, kept going through a few ups until it was only downhill in front of me, must be the top! Set off down a steep twisty path, probably not the best route, I think I should have gone back along the ridge to pick up a path that would take me to the planned descent route down Grey Heights. Gradient eased and although I new roughly where I was gridref gave me a bit more confidence in the mist and set off around the Coire towards Grey Height, involved a wee bit of re-ascent, nothing too much.

 I should be up there

Good run down over a couple of minor tops and suddenly everything became clear, I was under the clouds Crianlarich down below, looking back the tops began to clear. Ran down to finish in about 8 hours, more pictures here.

An Caisteal

Hoped for run over 5 Western Munros didn't happen, set off hoping cloud would rise above the tops, ran along the new track then walked up the ridge to Sron Garbh, by passed its top on the way out, running along twistin hill, the last climb up to An Caisteal through some minor rocky scrambles, ran on from the top for a while, on a path but no visibility.

 Small lochain and some sheep by An Caisteals summit!

Gave up and ran back over the top and down the same route except over Sron Garbh's top, joining the outward track a bit further down. Good run and try out of these hills, ran Beinn Chabhair 6 or 7 years ago, will come back and try to combine a few more on a good day, finished in about 2 1/2 hours, more pictures here.