Luss Horseshoe

Shorter run thus week, started at the top of Glen Luss with a slow plod up Beinn Eich. Into the clouds on the way up and all the way along, over Beinn an Lochain to Doune Hill.

Cloud began to clear revealing a red autumnal glen below.

Rain set in for the descent off Doune Hill and climb up Mid Hill, a quick visit to the first cairn then an easy run down to finish in just over 3 1/2 hours in the Glen. More pictures here.

Beinn Eich to Doune Hill

Out and back run from the top of Glen Luss to Doune Hill over Beinn Eich and  Beinn an Lochian. Good day for running, sunny with a cool breeze, views for miles. A few walkers out plus another couple of runners.

Steady run to finish inside 2 1/2 hours. More pictures here.

Luss hill run

Out and back to Doune hill over Beinn an Lochain and Beinn Eich. Longer run before next weeks Ben Rinnes. Took it easy on the way up, no views today route in the clouds all the way to Doune Hill from here. Good run, finished inside 2 1/2 hours.

Luss Hills

Set off late afternoon, plan was Beinn Eich to Doune Hill and back via Beinn an Lochian.

Beinn an Lochain and Doune Hill from Beinn Eich

Another warm day, thunder rumbling about on the run up Beinn Eich. Running up to Beinn an Lochain more thunder then the lighting started, got to the top and decided to turn back.

Mid Hill from Beinn an Lochain

A few more bangs and flashes on the way back, big drops of rain as I finished inside 2 1/2 hours with a swim in Luss water.

Beinn Eich and Doune hill

Set off for an afternoon run from the top of Glen Luss. Out over Beinn Eich, Beinn an Lochain to the Doune hill trig and back the same way. Up Beinn Eich still carrying some snow and ice towards the top.

Off the back good view to Cruach an t Sidhein off to the left, up over BAL then the short down and up to the Doune Hill trig.

Good views to Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps. Easier run back two smaller climbs, BAL then Beinn  Eich. Steady run down to Glen Luss to finish just over 2 1/2 hours. More pictures here.

Glen Luss

Friday run as I'm away this weekend. From the top of Glen Luss up Beinn Eich along the ridge over Beinn an Lochain to Doune hill, dropping back into the Glen and climb up the other side to the top of Mid Hill. Kept moving through a heavy shower and cool breeze on the way to Doune Hill, sheltered from the wind dropping into the glen, wind and rain kicked in on the way back out towards the top.

 Finished back down in the glen, 8 miles, 3500' of ascent in about 3 hours 15.

Beinn Eich to Doune Hill

Shorter run this week, from the top of glen Luss up Beinn Eich over Beinn an Lochain to Doune hill and back. Steady run up BE into the clouds , warm, luckily with a good breeze, ran straight over the top past a small group of walkers having a break. Took the lower path to BAL sheltered from the cross wind across the cloudy top and up the short climb to Doune Hills trig. No views today and didn't hang about. Easy run back with a steep climb back up Beinn Eich. Caught the walkers on the farm track just psst the style, finished in about 2 hours 15.

Luss hills

Parked at the top of Glen Luss for a run round Beinn Eich, Beinn an Lochain, Doune hill and Mid Hill. The forecast low cloud broke up on the way up Eich made for interesting views to Ben and Loch Lomond and the Arrochar Alps.

Managed to run all the way, short break at the top, ran off along the ridge to Doune Hill.

Another rest sitting in the sun just off the top. Easy run down into tussocky Sith Mor before the final climb to the two unnamed tops beside Mid Hill.

Ran down to finish just over 3 hours, more pictures here.

Glen Luss

Parked at the top of the glen running down the glen to the bottom of Mid Hill, stop start trudge up, too warm at the bottom but cold wind and rain at the top. Faffed about in thick mist finding the correct route off. Clouds cleared for a few seconds making it a bit easier, dropped down into Sith Mor. Boggy crossing the tussocks. Slow trudge up Doune Hill, blasted by wind and rain at the top. Ran over Beinn an Lochain to the last week climb up Beinn Eich. Steady run down to finish inside 3 1/2 hours. A few pictures here.

Luss Hill Run

While the clouds shrouded the runners on the tops of the Arrochar Alps, the Luss hills sat below the clouds and enjoyed a fair bit of sun. First up was Beinn Eich, along the ridge to Ben an Lochain and Doune Hill, dropping off the east ridge for a change, paused to watch 5 deer flow across the hillside below. Walked up the back of Mid Hill running back down into the glen to finish in just over 3 hours.

 Mid Hill, left, Beinn Eich, right from Ben an Lochain

 

Mid Hill from Ben an Lochain

Luss

Planned run was Beinn Eich over Beinn an Lochain to Cruach an t Sidhein. Low cloud made for a change to an out n back to Doune Hill, CatSidhein requiring more careful navigation than available time. Steady run up Beinn Eich to start, reaching BaL decision was to keep along the ridge to Doune Hill. Brief stop in a chilly cloud then back along to Beinn Eich. First view of the day on the way back down to Glen Luss, finished inside 2 1/2 hours.

Luss Horseshoe

Plan was to run Mid Hill, Doune Hill, Beinn an Lochain and Beinn Eich. Mid hill to start, then visit the two unnamed tops/cairns. Run into Sith Mor and instead of straight up Doune Hill ran along towards Glen Dougles and up on to the ridge, found a farm/quad bike track and followed it to Doune Hills smaller top. Short down and up onto DH main top with Trig. Followed the trail round the ridge over BAL and up BE. Easy run down to sit in the river to cool off, about 3 1/2 hours.

 Quiet run, saw no-one on the hill, one solitary deer!

 Sunday, cool down round the reservoir and up through the quarry, attacked by a small terrier. Up to the fort and along to the trig point, back to the fort disturbing a deer hiding in the ferns about 20 yards away, watched it bounce away too quickly to photograph.

Luss Horseshoe

Back to Glen Luss, short horseshoe, starting with Mid Hill, never run up this one before, always down, along the ridge to the two small cairns then back into the glen and a climb up Doune Hill, snow filled gullies around the summit, along the ridge over Beinn an Lochain and Beinn Eich, finished in about 3 1/2 hours. Interesting navigation in misty conditions, a wee wander on Mid Hill, before crossing back over the path into the right glen. 
 

No views today, cloud down below all the tops and ridges.

Wintery weekend

Saturday set off for Luss, same run from a few weeks ago the road works stopped. Good day for a run, no wind, ground frozen so dryish warmish feet. Parked at the top of the glen, set off for Beinn Eich, into snow about 1500'.

 From Beinn Eich towards Doune Hill

About a foot deep at the top, kept to the less snowy south (left) side of the ridge. Run towards Beinn an Lochain kept low (left) avoiding the snowier ridge path. Doune Hills top nice and snowy, picked my way down the back keeping to the tussocky ground where I could avoiding the smoother steep snow slopes.
 

 Mid Hill from Doune Hill

Climb up Mid Hill back into some snow at the top before an easy run off into the glen now filled with warm sunshine, finished under four hours, photos here. Sunday's plan was a short run over Stoneymollan, sun and blue sky changed that, set off for Arrochar. Both car parks full to overflowing, ran up the tourist path, got a row for taking a shortcut from a guy who claimed he helped make the paths.

 The Cobbler

Out the forest and a white topped Cobbler shining above a heathery hillside, the path clear of snow until the Narnain boulders, maybe that's why they are there. Ran up Narnain from the bealach, snow smoothing the way, microspikes on as it got steeper. Walkers and climbers everywhere. Snow cover made crossing the boulder field easy, stunning views from the top.

 Views down Loch Long to Arran from Narnain

Stayed and took in the views for a few minutes, fun run down in my microspikes. Finished inside three hours, more pictures here.

Beinn Eich n others

Run walk up Beinn Eich into cloud and snow, cold wind and little visibility at the top.

 Beinn Eich summit cairn

Ran down the back to the coll before Beinn an Lochain, nearly under the clouds, kept off the ridge out of the wind for the up and over BaL, difficult to find the path off the back to Doune Hill, short steep trudge and the trig point appeared through the mist. Stopped for a quick re-fuel hiding behind the trig to escape the wind.

 Doune Hill Trig

The run back a bit easier only walking the climb back up Eich, straight over the top eventually dropping out the clouds about 2/3 of the way down, 8 miles, 3000'+ in just under 3 hours.

Beinn An Lochain

A short but steep run this week 5 miles and 2500' of ascent. Early start, warm but tops in cloud. Ran along from the R&BT car park to the North End of Loch Restil, crossed the stream and went up a feint path in an obvious gulley to meet the ridge path coming up from Butterbridge. Soon into the cloud which meant we could not see the views or much of the airy drops which accompany this climb.

Reached a claggy top in 68 minutes and carried straight on over to the second lower top then down the SW ridge for a couple of hundred yards to miss the crags below the summit before turning SE then E dropping steeply down soft grassy slopes into Gleann Mor and back round to the R&BT Car Park. Finished in just under 2 hours.