Glen Fruin

Loop round a few Fruin hills, The Stone up to a'Mhanaich, then Chaorach and Tharsuin, a wee add on running round to Balcnock, then a tussocky drop to cross the Ballevoulin burn and up over Auchengaich hill. Runnable to a'Mhainaich and down to the start of the climb up Chaorach, walk up here then an undulating run round to Balcnock, dropped off the ridge too early and had a tussocky traverse to get along to where I wanted to descend, slow run down to cross the burn then another walk up to the quad bike track that runs up to the top of Auchengaich. Picked my way down more tussocky ground to finish at the bottom of the reservoir access road.

 

Fruin reservoir loop

Back running, heel appears to be recovering, went for a shortish run on the hills surrounding Auchengaich reservoir in Glen Fruin, same route from 6 weeks ago except in reverse. Snowy on top with low cloud which cleared as I went round so got a few good views. Auchengaich hill first, walked up this steep tussocky hillside to the sound of gunfire from the nearby military firing range, ran the quad bike track from the ridge to Beinn Tharsuin and jog/walk to Chaorach beyond. Ran on the path beside the fence into the glen, drops steeply, slowly, at first in the snow, then lower down soggy from meltwater. Another fence to walk beside to the top of A'Mhanaich, from there an easy down hill run to Maol am Fheidh and The Strone, gunfire again ringing out from the now much closer range, didn't hang about to look at the views.  

Reservoir with A Mhanaich behind

Deer at the top of Auchengaich Hill

Rime Ice on Chaorach

A Mhanaich ascent beside the gulley on the left

View from A Mhanaich to Chaorach and reservoir, Ardmore point in the distance

Path from A Mhanaich towards the Strone

Fruin Rerservoir Loop

Weather window forecast for Saturday morning, and with my local hills clear of snow decided to try a hill run round the Fruin reservoir (Auchengaich), started up The Strone, soon into the clouds, good paths to follow so no  navigation required, detour out to MAF then A'Mhanaich, from here a fenceline into the glen then up Chaorach, pathless to start took a rising traverse in the general direction of a fence and trod which I met about a third of the way up. A wee bit of snow nearer the top but easily avoided or crossed. Along the ridge to the trig, now running into the wind, gloves on, didn't hang about, not long until I reached Tharsuin a short climb to the stoney cairn, cold drizzly rain blowing through and decided to give Balcnoc a miss, left the fenceline now on a quad bike track, took my time a few icy patches to negotiate on the way to Auchengaich hilll, turn right at the top down pathless tussocky hillside to finish just as the rain started.

Maoll Am Fheidh

Rock on the way to Beinn A'Mhanaich

Beinn A'Mhanaich

Stream on the way up Beinn Chaorach

Beinn Chaorach trig

Beinn Chaorach cairn

Beinn Tharsuinn

Glen Fruin

A loop on the hills overlooking Auchengaich reservoir. Parked on the access road to the reservoir, straight up Auchengaich hill, just a steady walk, onto the ridge and the argo track, ran up Tharsuinn and over to Chaorach, good day for a run, a bit of sun and a breeze. Along the top of Chaorach followed the fence line into the glen, retrieved a couple of plastic bottles I left during LDFF then chased some deer up A'Mhanaich, they got away. Easy run down to the glen over Maol Am Fheidh and The Strone.

Auchengaich Circuit

Short long hill run, the hills around Auchengaich reservoir just off Glen Fruin. Trudge across tussocks and bog to a steep climb up Auchengaich hill, started after 3pm so likely to be dark before I finish. Cold wind on the ridge up to Beinn Tharsuin glad of my triple thermal layers and windproof jacket, ground partially frozen meant dryer and warmer feet than usual, Chaorachs top, cairn and trig point separated by a rime covered fence, not a place to hang around despite the good views, ran along the undulating ridge to the steep drop back into the glen crossing over for the fenceline path up to A Mhanaich, still light and I push on down towards Maol am Fheidh and then the Strone,my eyes adjust to the fading  light, headtorch only switched on for the last couple of hundred yards and the run along the road busy with evening traffic.

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.

Fruin horseshoe

Hadn't been to Glen Fruin for a while, started on the access road for Fruin reservoir, through the gate and turn right for a trudge straight up Auchengaich hill, from the top run up Tharsuin picking up a fence line over Chaorach and down steep grassy slopes into the glen. Another trudge by a fence takes me to the top of a Mhanaich, down hill now to the Strone with a wee detour to the minor top of Maol am Fheidh.

 

Finlas and Fruin

Bike, run, bike today, cycle to the top of Glen Finlas, run a loop round the Finlas and Fruin reservoirs, cycle home.

The Ben from Duck Bay

Bright and breezy morning with some cloud on the tops. Along the track until just past the reservoir then up joining the low part of the ridge between Creagan Hill and Beinn Ruisg.

Conic Hill and islands of Loch Lomond from Beinn Ruisg

Finlas reservoir and Loch Lomond from col at the head of Glen Finlas

Followed the ridge round the top of the glen over Creag an Lenibh to a top marked 693. Due west to Beinn Tharsuin then NW to Chaorach.

Beinn Chaorach summit cairn and trig

Conic from Chaorach

Mahanaich from Chaorach

Steep drop NW into the glen and across Auchengaich burn.

Fruin reservoir from Mahanaich

Continuing NW climbing up into the clouds to find the top of Beinn a Mhanaich. South from here down the ridge skirting the bump that is Maol am Fheidh and down the Strone to the Haul road.

Fruin reservoir from the start of the climb up Auchengaich hill

Crossed the Auchngaich burn again and turning east immediately through the gate up Auchengaich hill, North to Tharsuin then East to top 693, South over another bump called Balcnock.

Ardmore from Balcnock

Descent to Finlas reservoir

SE and East down steep slopes to the Finlas reservoir in just over 5 hours.