Balloch Park Cross Country

Last race in this years club grand prix, 7 of us set off for 3 laps round Balloch Park, about 4 1/2 miles all in. Started in 5th place, finished 4th, caught one runner at the start of the third lap. Managed to run a fairly even pace, all three laps within 13 seconds of each other

Glen Luss

Set off later than usual hoping to avoid the worst of the weather. Today's route about 3 hours, Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill across the glen to Coillie Eughain Hill and down the Paps back to Luss. Still raining as I started up Beinn Dubh, Looked like a quiet run today, no cars at the bottom of the glen. Managed a slow jog all the way up, ground soaking and boggy, Sealskinz socks keep my feet dry and warm enough to enjoy the run. Into the cloud about half way up, only a slight breeze so not too cold. Onto the ridge round to Mid Hill helped a lone walker unsure of where the path was, wonder if he continued round? Cold wind picked up on the run off Mid Hill thankful it only lasted about 10 minutes until I dropped low enough to get some shelter from Beinn Dubh to the north. Passed another 2 walkers here. Ran up the glen just past the end of the tarmac, a quad bike track through a field leads to a bridge over a raging Luss Water. Half hour trudge up the steep sided Coillie Eughain Hill. Rain off and clouds lifting made for some better views on the way back to the foot of the glen.

Beinn Dubh Cairn 

Crossing Luss Water

Beinn Eich from Coillie Eughain Hill

Beinn Chaorach at the top of Glen Luss from Coillie Eughain

Mid Hill from the bottom of the Glen

Kiloeter and Ben Bowie

Wintery today, maybe an inch of snow with low cloud and fog meant I went for the safety of local trails and hills. Through Christie park and the Vale Hospital to the bottom of the Stoney onto the John Muir Trail/Three Lochs Way for about 3 miles. Turned off for a 4 mile loop over Kiloeter and Ben Bowie, then 4 miles back home. Apart from the odd bit of ice off road was fine with frozen turf helping to keep the feet dry. Good to be out.

 

Glen Finlas Horseshoe

Great forecast for Saturday, instead of heading for bigger hills I stuck to the planned run over some hills around Glen Finlas. Parked at the bottom of the haul road to Garelochhead/Faslane and ran up the road to the Finlas dam, a track runs along the north side of the reservoir, ran up there across a few land slips from the recent rain. At the far end of the reservoir a faint path climbs beside an old fence, trudged up to the top of the ridge and set off on an undulating run over Beinn Ruisg, Creag an Leinibh to Balcnoc, from here an out and back detour over Beinn Tharsuinn to Beinn Chaorach. Back at Balcnoc set off towards Loch Lomond, the frozen ground made it easy to traverse the many bogs on this descent. Picked up something of a path going North and came down into Glen Finlas just past the reservoir. Usually I run down the road, but last May I had watched the Loch Lomond Motorcycle club coming up what must have been a path or track and set off to find it, the first mile or so was fine, undulating with a few bogs and streams to cross, path faded so for about 1/4 of a mile it was a slow trudge up and down through tussocks and bracken before an easy run down a couple of empty fields. Perfect weather for this run, the usual boggy cols and peat hags frozen just enough to take my weight, most of the time, Super day, great views Paddys Milestone, Arran and Jura visible to the south, north, Arrochar and Crianlarich Munros, Ben Lui and many hills beyond.

Duathlon

Only 5 of us for this years club duathlon, 4 mile run followed by a 12 mile cycle. Run went as well as could be expected, a bit slow but made it round, cycle didn't go as well, probably set off too fast, too many strava segment bests on the way out, lost 3 or 4 minutes in the last 3 or 4 miles!

Glen Striddle Horseshoe

Friday afternoon run this week , drove to Luss a bit later than hoped, headtorch in the bag just in case. Up Beinn Dubh to start, ran the first half, walked and jogged the second half into a cold north wind, ground getting back to its boggy best, should have had my waterproof socks on!! Jacket , hat and gloves on just after half way. Past the summit cairn jogging into a now strong cold wind. Didn't heat up until round Mid hill and going down towards the Glen, stopped about a mile short of the glen and turned back up Mid Hill and along to Beinn Dubh, warmer now, the wind at my back helping keep a better pace. On the way back up to Beinn Dubh's summit cairn light noticeably fading, turned the head torch on for the last mile or so finishing in the pitch black.

Glen Finlas Hills from Bein Dubh

Beinn Dubh

Ben Lomond from Beinn Dubh

Loch Lomond Islands from Beinn Dubh

Loch from Mid Hill

Cloud topped Arrochar Alps over Glen Douglas hills from Mid Hill

 

Tinto Hill Race

My tenth go at this race, 200 plus starters, better than usual weather, dry and bright and not too cold or windy. Aim was to get back under 50 minutes after last years 50+PW , set off near the back, steady up to the gate, after the gate the climb starts, mixture of running the flatter bits and drop into a fastish walk on the steeper ramps. The second mile slower, there's more ascent, round the cairn, brakes off for the descent, managed to overtake quite a few only lost a few seconds waiting to get past someone on a narrow section just before the gradient eases, pushed on and happy to finish inside 50 mins about 40 seconds quicker than last year.

Ready for the off

Finished!

Sandwich run

Luss hill run this week was a bit greener than usual as I cycled there and back.  After 12 before I made it out, route planned was Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill back via Coillie Eughain Hill. Set off up Dubh, ran the first steep section to where the gate used to be then lapsed into walk the steep bits and run the rest. Cloud lifted off the top of Beinn Dubh as I gained height, good views up and down the loch but the Arrochar Alps stayed cloud topped throughout. Easy run along to Mid Hill and down to the glen, couple of route choices, stick with the plan, turn off for the Lollipop route or the harder double back over Mid and Dubh, Reached the glen and chose the harder option, trudged back up Mid Hill then an undulating run along to Dubh and the last two miles easy down hill to Luss. The cycle back was easier than expected.

Across the Loch to Conic

Looking over one of the Mid Hill cairns to a cloud topped Glen Douglas and Arrochar hills

Loch Lomond islands from Mid Hill

Ben Lomond from Mid Hill

Loch Lomond from Beinn Dubh

Roon the Vale

Decided to run local as the forecast was for gales on the hills. A 17 mile anti clockwise route round the Vale of Leven, taking in Pappert Well, Whinny Hill and Bromley Muir. Pappert Well first, across Bonhill Bridge over the river Leven, a gradual climb beside houses to start then grassy and muddy paths to the Pappert Well Trig. Sunny with a cool breeze, kept moving and just warm enough without gloves or jacket, great day to be out. Looped past the Well down a muddy fire break before turning through fields towards Whinny Hill  More houses and tarmac to the back of Balloch Park, straight up more fields to the Whinny Hill trail loop and back to Balloch Park. Another mile or so of tarmac to get to Upper Stoneymollan road. Last 5 miles off road, legs starting to suffer but felt better buoyed by the lack of tarmac to come. Three Lochs Way to start then the walkers paths over Bromley Muir to the Carman Fort. Last mile and a half mostly down hill on paths and though fields.

Pappert Well Trig

Upper Stoneymollan

The Ben and Loch Lomond

Mount Malow cairn, Carman Reservoir & Dumbarton Castle

Autumn

 

Is it a path or is it a stream?

Took to my local hills today, the access roads were like rivers. Up towards the fort and the path flowing like a stream which would be the the same for most of the morning, no avoiding it as it is surrounded by ferns and heather. Incessant rain but not much of a breeze so it was fine for a run. Along Bromley Muir to the top of the Stoneymollan then the three lochs way to Ben Bowie, stopped for a bit of path maintenance through the forest to divert a stream that was ripping up the hardocre path. Ben Bowie to Killoeter via the ridge and the Hel n Back route, not much in the way of views but still good to be out. Down though the forest on my way back and my path repair had worked but probably too late as there is a 4 inch deep groove where water had been running down the path.

Bromley Muir Trig

Ben Bowie Cairn

Killoeter Cairn/Stick!

Narnain and The Cobbler, the quiet way

Fancied a longer run today, changed my mind at the Succoth car park ticket machine, wen for a 3 to 4 instead of a 4 to 5 hour ticket. Straight up Narnain, by the Block path at first then the new steps winding my way up into the mist, the sun trying to shine through. Only passed two people just before the Spearhead, no one on top, stopped for a picture and a drink. Down to Belach a'Mhaim and up to The Cobblers summit, a few people leaving as I arived, left before anyone else came up. Down via An t Sron, took my time, again no one on this ridge. A mile or so on forest track to finish, another couple of people sitting taking in the views. Good peaceful run, cloud and mist made for atmospheric views, and finished before 12.

Ben Lomond from Narnain

The Spearhead

Narnain summit cairn

Narnain summit Trig and cairn

Towards Butterbridge from Narnain

Arrochar from An t Sron

Loch Long