Fruin reservoir loop

Short long run this week, a run round the hills surrounding Auchengaich reservoir. Parked in the access road to the reservoir and ran along to the Strone, walked until I got onto the ridge then an easy run to Maol Am Fheidh. Dropped down into the glen aT the watershed between Luss and Fruin then another walk up Chaorach, ran and walked from Chaorach to Tharsuin then down to Auchengaich and the steep drop to the foot of the glen. Most of the run spent in clouds/mist, a bit damp and visibility down to 50 to 100 yards makes navigation a wee bit trickier and slower on the pathless sections.

Auchengaich reservoir from the Strone

Chaorach

Ardmore from Chaorach

Auchengaich reservoir from Auchengaich hill

Glen Fruin

Set off mid morning for a run over a few Fruin hills. Parked in Glen Fruin ran up the old road towards the reservoir along the Haul road and up The Strone to Maol Am Fheidh, left the ridge and crossed the glen at the watershed between Fruin and Luss for the steepish trudge up to Beinn Chaorach, return was over a few undulations following the ridge to Tharsuin and on to Balcnoc overlooking Glen Finlas, ran down the ridge for a few hundred yards before dropping into the glen to cross the Bayvoulin burn and one last short climb to Auchengaich hill, easy run down to the Fruin access road picking out the least tussocky ground. Nice breeze on the ridges, a bit warm in the glens.

Ardmore Point from Beinn Chaorach

Arrochar Alps from Chaorach

Loch Lomond and Finlas reservoir from Balcnoc

Bayvoulin burn

 

Auchengaich reservoir loop

Run over the hills surrounding Auchengaich reservoir, tough climb to start up the side of Auchengaich hill, on the top a quad bike track leads over more runnable ground to Tharsuin and Chaorach, steep drop into the glen then a trudge up A'Mhainach, chased a few deer in the mist, never close enough to get a picture. From A'Mhainach it's a steady run down over Maol am Fheidh and The Strone, low cloud all morning meant all I could see were the wee cairns on each hill top, easy navigation on paths, quad bike tracks or along side fences.

Auchengaich Horseshoe run

Sunday afternoon run over the hills that surround Auchengaich reservoir off Glen Fruin. There's a few car spaces at the bottom of the access road to the dam. It's warm with a threat of thunder, these hills provide easy escape routes should it turn nasty, set off through the gate and straight up Auchengaich hills steep flanks, tussocky run then trudge as the gradient increases. From the top its an enjoyable run with a cooling breeze, there's a quad bike track, paths and fence lines to follow in poor weather, over Tharsuin and Chaorach and back down into a warm and windless glen. The climb to A Mahanaich follows another fence shielding a deep gully, mostly walking up here. From the top gentle grassy slopes lead down over Maol am Fheidh and The Strone.

Tharsuin to Chaorach

Chaorachs cairn and trig

A Mhainachs cairn looking over the reservoir to Ardmore point 

 

Luss Hill Run

New route over familiar hills today, ran up the glen a couple of miles to the end of the road,  cutting through fields to avoid the farm at Edentaggart, after the farm continued up the glen for a mile or so on a farm track, found a small bridge to get across Luss Water and followed a quad bike track to the bottom of a nice grassy ridge leading up to Beinn Chaorach. From Chaorach it's an undulating run back to the bottom of the glen over the tops between Glen Luss and Glens Fruin and Finlas. Tharsuin and Balcnoc to start then Creag an Leinibh, turned away from Glen Finlas to drop down Coillie Eughain Hill, you always forget how much slower its peat hags make the run down this ridge, finished with a tussocky run down the paps and back over Luss Water at the Fairy Pools.

Towards Cruach an t Sidhein from the end of the quad bike track 

Another Fairy Pool?

Stream tumbling from Balcnoc

Ridge line to the bottom of the glen from Chaorach

From Chaorach towards Arrochar

From Creag an Leinibh towards Loch Lomond & Conic Hill

Ascent ridge to Chaorach from Creag an Leinibh

Beinn Dubh and Mid Hill (Glen Striddle) from CE Hill

Glen Fruin Hill Run

Slightly longer and harder route this week, picked this route in case of snow and low cloud as there is fencing beside most of the route to aid navigation. As it turned out there was hardly any snow, a few patches here and there, ice and old rusty fence wire the only issues. To start cross the thankfully frozen bogs before a steep trudge into the clouds up Auchengaich hill, From there its runnable up and over Tharsuin and Chaorach following quad bike tracks and fence lines all the way back down into the glen. A few frozen springs to avoid off the back of Chaorach along with rusty fence wire left after the fencing was replaced a few years ago. The climb up Beinn a' Mhanaich another fenceline trudge back into the clouds, set off down the ridge with a short detour to take in the wee bump of a hill Maol am Fheidh then down the The Strone to finish, Reasonably dry and frozen turf made for good running, didn't hang about on the tops in the cold wind with little in the way of views.

Quad bike track from top of Auchengaich towards Tharsuin

Tharsuin

Cairn on Chaorach

Trig on Chaorach

A' Mhanaich ascent beside gully on the left 

Gulley further up

A'Mhanaich

Boulder points the way

Maol am Fheidh

  

Glen Fruin

Looking for an easier long run this week, parked at the access road to the Fruin Reservoir and set off for Auchnegaich Hill, no running, just a steady trudge, once on top started an easy jog over Beinn Tharsuin and Chaorach with a few photo stops. A fine day, warm, gentle breeze and some sun. From Chaorach ran towards the glen dropping down then traversing across towards  A'Mhanach, another trudge, not as steep but longer, from A'Mahanach its downhill all the way to the haul road with a wee diversion via Maol am Fheidh and continuing down The Strone, short road section and I was back at the car.

Up the glen from ascent of Auchngaich

Tharsuin to Chaorach

Chaorach cairn and trig

Chaorachs trig to a'Mahanach

a'Mahanch from the glen

View from a'Mahanch

Finnart Oil Terminal

From Maol am Fheidh looking down The Strone

Friday Fruin Fun

Short long run this week, Glen Fruin Loop, Auchengaich Hill, Beinn Tharsuin, Beinn Chaorach, across the glen returning via The Strone. More blue skies and gentle breezes. Took it easy up Auchengaichs steep sides. Managed to run over Tharsuin to Chaorach then followed the fenceline down to the Fruin/Luss watershed, short trudge on to the Strone for the run back to the road.

Fruin reservoir from Auchngaich ascent

Tharsuins cairn to Chaorach

Chaorach towards the Arrochar Alps

Outward route from the Strone

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