The Cobbler and Narnain

Longer version today, turned out to be a fine day the weather better than forecast as rain and clouds skirted round. Ran from Ardgarten going up the Cobbler via the race route, steep once your on the hill going up to An t Sron, paths not easy to see with long grass and rushes on the way up to the ridge. Easy running from there to the base of the climb to the Cobblers summit. Another short steep pull to the top. Easy run off towards Bealach a'Mhaim and up Narnains back steps, running where I could. Chose the Spearhead descent from Narnain to the forest track back to Ardgarten.

The Cobbler from An t Sron

Ben Lomond from The Cobbler

The Cobbler from Narnain

Ime from Narnain

Lui munros from Narnain

The Brack and Ben Donich

A run round the two hills across the road from the Cobbler, set off from Ardgarten down the side of Loch Long turning up the track through Coilessan Glen, turn NE up the ridge from the col between Cnioc Coinnich and the Brack, follow a faint path to the Bracks summit trig. Descended the walkers path  towards Ardgarten to the tree line, a path runs beside a fence above the trees then turns up round some crags leading to the col between The Brack and Donich, from there up grassy craggy slopes to Donichs top and Trig. Followed the walkers path back to the top of the Rest and Be Thankful and down forest roads to Ardgarten.

The Brack from Coilessan Glen

The Brack trig point with the Cobbler behind

Looking back to the Cobbler on the ascent of Ben Donich

Ben Donichs Trig

Ben Lomond from Ben Donich

The Brack from Ardgarten forest track

Ardgarten Trail run

Very windy, planned a low level trail run from Ardgarten to Succoth round Glen Loin and back to Ardgarten, set off from the Ardgarten forest car park up to Honeymoon Bridge Car Park and onto the trail towards Glen Loin, the trail undulates up for a couple of miles before it joins the Glen Loin loop another 4 miles of climb to a stream crossing.

Ford across the allt Coiregrogain

The stream had turned into a raging torrent, turned and went back the way I came!

Plenty of water

The Brack

About 14 miles which was slightly shorter than planned and a bit easier, finished just over 2 1/2 hours.

Ardgarten Trails

Not a great forecast so back to Ardgarten for more trail running, early start to beat the storm, turned out fine, didn't neeed a jacket. Planned route from Ardgarten to Honeymoon bridge Car Park, onto the upper trail round to Glen Loin, round the Glen Loin loop in a clockwise direction rejoining the trail to Ardgarten taking the lower track down to Ardgarten, finishing inside 3 1/2 hours, the last half hour pretty slow, new Inov8 Roclite trail shoes worked ok.

 

Ardgarten Trails

Stormy weather forecast, decided to run a bit lower and drove to Ardgartan for a run over some trails. First mile or so on the road past the Ardgartan Hotel to pick up the Cat Craig Loop, stayed on the trail as it undulates up to the top of the Rest and Be Thankful. Ran down the old road, sadly it is now covered with a new layer of tarmac to facilitate traffic when the main road is shut by landslides. Joined the A83 for a short while leaving it for the old road along to Honeymoon Bridge Car Park. Took the upper trail towards Succoth turning right to take the lower trail back ro Ardgartan finishing in about 2 1/2 hours.

Arrochar Trails

Bad weather forecast stayed low and ran the trails from Ardgarten to Succoth then round the Glen Loin loop and back to Ardgarten, thought it was 14 miles, turned out to be about 17, finished in about 3 hours 40, good test with a fun river crossing. Some pictures here.

Arrochar Trails

Contrasting weather from last weekend, colder, wet n windy, route plan was to run from Succoth, along the trails to Ardgarten, Cat Crag loop and back to Succoth, about 12 or 13 miles and 2500'.

Half way round the CC loop

Not many people out today, the trees keep most of the chill breeze off, a good day to run only without the views, arrive back at Succoth and run annother 2 or 3 mile loop/500' for 15 miles, 3000' inside three hours. Mixture of trails with a couple of miles on the road to join them together. Some pictures here.

Whinney Hill and Glen Loin

Club Cross Country, round and out the back of Balloch Park. Woke up to a cool calm morning, perfect for running, pity the wind and rain blew in by the time 14 of us set off round a muddy park and onto the Whinney Hill trail. We marked the top part of the course Fri PM and had an idea it was muddy, marked the park on Sat before the race, it was worse not a lot of traction for my trainers with an inch or two of slipperiness on top. Its about a mile round the park before you get onto the WH trail which undulates up through a couple of muddy forests. The run back, mostly downhill, brought three of us together by the time we reached Balloch Park, good fun as we finished within a couple of seconds of each other. Post race tea, coffee and sugar sheltering from the elements in the castle rest rooms. Sunday's forecast poor, managed to get up reasonably early, went to Arrochar for a run round Glen Loin, anticlockwise then the out and back to Ardgarten, similar to last week but too wintery to chance a detour over the Beallach. Thought about sitting in the car until the monsoon eased, just got on with it and no respite for the first half hour. Cleared up for 20 minutes or so until I was lured into the upper reaches of the glen where it was not so pleasant for a mile or so each side of the ford, slushy snow underfoot with howling sleety rain.

Good test for my gear, and with a change of gloves the only problem was cold toes. Met a few mountain bikers sliding uphill as I ran back towards Succoth and slush free trails. Toes gradually warming up as I ran the out and back to Ardgarten, out on the lower trial, back on the upper trail from Honeymoon Bridge, about 17 miles, 3000' in 3 hours 10. No camera today, only a few phone pictures here.

Arrochar Trails and Ben Lomond

Set off for Arrochar for a run round some undulating trails, starting in Succoth, along to Ardgarten, a nice run on the trail to the top of the Rest and Be Thankful, back down towards Ardgarten on the new tarmac surface on the old road before taking the upper trail back to Succoth. About 14 miles and 2800' in just over three hours.

Clouds just above the tops, most of the them snow covered, we were lucky and got it dry. Some more pictures here.

Sunday's run, Ben Lomond, we set out early to beat the forecast wind and rain. Pleasant running up the lower slopes, dry and not too windy. On the climb up to the plateau the wind picked up, time for wooly hats, into the cloud with the first snow on the ground. The snow got deeper as we went along the plateau, but the wind dropped so not too cold. Had a go at climbing up to the summit ridge, ok but didn't fancy coming back down so I waited at the end of the plateau while my companion went on up to the summit ridge, not quite topping out, too icy. Waiting for him to come back I put on my spare fleece, jacket and overtrousers, only my feet suffering from the cold, even with Sealskinz.

Easy run back down, snow and ice along the plateau, nice slippy rocks for the rest of the way. Came back out of the clouds as we left the plateau, wind reduced to a gentle breeze, jacket, overtrousers, hat and gloves all had to come off, it was too warm, some contrast to the arctic world a 1000' feet above.

We ran about 7 miles with 2800' of ascent in 2 1/2 hours including my 15 minute wait.

Ardgarten

A wee break from hills this week with a run round the Ardgarten loop. Last time I ran here I walked over a third of the way in 12 to 18 inch deep snow, took me over 5 1/2 hours. Set off in the afternoon, sunny and cool with only a little breeze. Nice run down looking across to the snow capped Luss Hills I was up a couple of weekends ago. From Corran lochan across to Loch Goil a few snow patches, a longer run now as the new cycle track comes out quite close to Loch Goil. Ran up the road for a mile or so then jogged and walked to the top of the RaBT on forest track. Steady run back down to Ardgarten finishing in just over 3 hours 50. A few pictures here.

The Dukes Path

This weeks long run, the 20 mile Ardgarten loop. Down Loch Long side to start, the trail is covered with a few inches of snow, blue skies overhead, pleasant running, stopping for a few photos of the surrounding hills along the way. The Brack.....

Tullich and Doune Hills.....

 Tullich Hill and Ben Reoch behind....

Its good fun for five or six miles with a height gain of about 500'. The next mile and a half to Corran Lochan was where the fun started, climbing uphill another 250' was enough for the snow to increase from 3 or 4 inches to about a foot deep and a slow energy sapping trudge.

The views over an icy Corran Lochan to Clach Bheinn behind were looking good in the snow and I set off across to Loch Goil, its only a couple of miles!

No running here either but another 150' of ascent and a few more inches of snow made for a long walk, luckily a snowy squall blew through to help me along.

By the time I reached the Loch Goil track, the sky was clearing with great views to the hills across the loch. I was ready for a run to thaw out the blocks of ice that were my toes. 4 miles from here and a mile and a half past Lochgoilhead is Pole Farm and I turned on to the forest trails again for a steady 3 mile 1000' climb up to the top of the Rest and Be Thankful. Somehow the snow got deeper again and its another mile or two of walking to get to the top. I turned into Glen Crow, downhill at last, the snow didn't seem to get this and stayed about a foot deep, another couple of miles of walking towards the Cat Crag Loop turnoff where at last the snow began to release its grip and I managed a steady run for the last mile or so finishing in just over 5 hours 40 instead of the usual 4 hours.

Two Crags

A nice short race to start the year, Calendar Crags, about 3 miles with 800' of ascent. Big field of about 130, congested start helped to keep the pace sensible up the narrow zig zag path, ran where I could, it is a race after all, towards the top the gradient eases as the ground gets rougher, roots, rocks and mud, so you have to balance pace and effort, 18 minutes to the top, pass the cairn running now along and down the short ridge path into the woods where the path slalom's round the trees for a hundred yards or so before your sent along a short road section, slightly uphill at first then gets steeper downhill for about half a mile before the last half mile or so back on forest trails, finished in 35 and a half mins. Sunday's crag was the Cat Crag Loop with a few extra miles. Starting at Ardgarten I ran three quarters of the way round the CC Loop then continued up to the top of the Rest and Be Thankful on the trails on the South side of Glen Croe.

View from the Cat Crag Loop to Arrochar

Should have brought some money  for the Tea Van in the car park at the top of the Rest. Ran back down the old road into the wind past deer, cows and then horses clad in padded jackets.

Looking back up the old road

A loop on the high trail on the north side of Glen Croe to finish, it was tough running past Ardg 400' below before coming back via the lower trail.

Nearly finished! The Brack from the lower trail on the approach to Ardgarten

Finished the 14 miles with 2800' of ascent in just under three hours, got the first couple of hours dry then drenched for the last hour.