Arrochar run

Fine weather forecast for Saturday decided on an Arrochar hill run for the first time in 3 months, last one was the week before Christmas. After two years of cancellations a new race up and down the Cobbler is hopefully going ahead at the end of April, decided to try and find the route. After a couple of miles on forest tracks from Ardgarten found a white marker on a narrow path heading through fir trees towards the SE end of the An t Sron ridge, steep, out the trees a faint path and still steep until the An t Sron top then run walk the undulating path up to the Cobblers summit. Continued over the Cobbler down to Lag Uaine and maintained a slow jog to Ime's summit, back to Lag Uaine then the short trudge up Narnain. Dropped back down to Lag Uaine onto the Buttermilk burn path past the Narnain Boulders to the top of the zig zags, from there traversed across around the lower slopes of An t Sron hoping to pick up the Cobbler race descent. Pathless tussocks at first then an old quad bike track, followed that as it dipped towards the forest, made for an easy route through the trees and soon reached one of the many forest tracks, a few switchbacks later and I was on familiar ground, a short easy run back to Ardgarten.

Loch Long

The Cobbler from An t Sron

Ime from the Cobbler

Ime's summit

The Cobbler from Narnain

Riverbank 5k

Club race, flat 5k from the back of Cameron House through Lomond Shores and along the river Leven cycle path to finish at St Michaels Primary school, 8 of us ran on a cool clear evening, pleased to finish slightly quicker than the last couple of years.  

Wander in the Luss hills

A longer run this week, walking the ups, running the flatter bits and the downs, start and finished at the bottom of Glen Luss, climbed Beinn Dubh as the sun rose, the moon visible above the Glen Finlas hills I would return over on the way back, along to Mid hill, fantastic views to the Arrochar Alps and Crianlarich munros in the early morning haze. Dropped into the top of Glen Luss at Sith Mor, rough climb up to Doune Hills trig point, Beinn Lochain next before Cruach an t Sidhein, a steep descent and traverse round Mahanach at the back of Glen Fruin, gradual climb up Chaorach at first then straight up beside the fenceline to the Trig and Cairned summit, most of the climbing done now, an undulating run across Tharsuin, and a couple of minor tops before descending over the Paps finishing at the bottom of Glen Luss.

Arrochar Alps from Beinn Dubh

Ben More and Stob Binnien from Beinn Dubh

Beinn a Mhanach from Cruach an t Sidhein

View from Cruach an t Sidhein, route back via hills on the right

View from Chaorachs Trig/Cairn summit to the Clyde/Ardmore point

Conic Hill from Chaorach

Loch Lomond from the Paps

Beinn Dubh and Mid Hill double

Planned route was from the bottom of Glen Luss up Beinn Dubh, along to Mid Hill dropping down to the top of Glen Luss, turn round and go back over Mid Hill along to Beinn Dubh finishing where I started. Couldn't wait for the afternoon and better forecast, set off just after 9, passed a few walkers on the way up, into the cloud and rain about half way up, turned to sleety hail on the top them snow as I ran over Mid Hill along with a bitterly cold wind,  running down into Glen Luss thinking I might run down the glen instead of  going back over the hills, warmed up a bit as I got out the wind and with an extra fleece, wooly hat and ski gloves set off back up Mid Hill, thankfully the rain stopped and also got a blow dry in the wind along the ridge between Mid Hill and Beinn Dubh, felt good to finish the run.

Whinny Hill

Last of the Club Cross Country races, only 5 of us today, gorgeous day for running, blue skies, frosty underfoot dried a lot of the muddy parts making it easier to run through them, Finished a couple of minutes slower than last year but a place better.