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

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.

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 

 

Arrochar and Glen Fruin run

Easier run planned this weekend, on good paths over The Cobbler and Narnain, set off late Friday afternoon, early enough to finish in daylight. Trails and hills quiet at this time of day. Started up the path behind Succoth's houses missing out the stoney lower zig zag path, steady jog through the upper zig zags and past the Narnain Boulders to the back stairs, made it up with only a couple of short breaks. Only saw one other person, a ghost in the mist at the top, didn't hang about back down the stairs and plodded up Narnain, round the trig and back the way I came up, finishing in just over three hours.

Narnain from the Narnain Boulders

The Cobbler

Cobbler summit

Narnain shrouded in mist

Narnain clears for a few minutes

Being watched

Naranins trig

Squeezed a short run in on Saturday. The Strone and Beinn a Mahanaich, managed to keep a steady jog to the top, no views again today, easy run down to finish in about 90 mins. Strava feed failed after a few seconds, restarted at the summit cairn.

The Strone and Auchengaich reservoir

Across the Gareloch from The Strone

Beinn a Mahanaich's summit cairn

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Lusstrous

Abandoned Arrochar due to low cloud, snow and poor forecast, decided on to repeat of a run I did in Sept 2014, 18 miles and 8000' of ascent, all the hills overlooking Glen Luss, last time I took about 9 hours having become dehydrated. Started just after 7 up Beinn Dubh then Mid Hill, Beinn Eich and Lochain, Cruach an t Sithien, Beinn Mahanach, Chaorach, Tharsuinn, Creag an Leinbh and Coille Eughain Hill. Took just over 2 litres of juice. Beinn Dubh and Beinn Eich the bigger climbs, about 2000' each, Mahanach and Chaorach over 1000' each, the rest undulations up to a few hundred feet. Took some of my homemade nutrition, raw energy balls, made from mixed nuts, raisins, cranberries and dates with some water and ground cinnamon. Brisk walk on the ups, running the flats and the downs. Juice and an energy ball on each top/every hour or so seemed to keep the cramps away. Walk run strategy worked fine, pausing only on longer/steeper sections of Mahanch and Chaorach. Snow to start on the top of Beinn Dubh, cloud gradually broke up over a couple of hours giving some sunny patches, made the right choice as Arrochar stayed in the clouds most of the day, only the Cobbler breaking free for a short time later on before black clouds descended again and chased me down Coille Eughian Hill. In between a mixture of sun and cloud with a wee hail shower going up Cruach an t Sithein, cleared at the top for good views to the rest of the route. Good weather over Mahanach and Chaorach , the threat of snow and thunder not far away made for a steady pace over Creag an Leinbh and Coille Eughain Hill to finish ahead of the cloud inside 7 1/2 hours.

A few tups at the start

Beinn Dubh summit, light snow

Loch Lomond from Mid Hill

Glen Luss from Beinn Eich, the river going towards the top heading for Glen Fruin

Cruach an t Sithein from Coille eughian Hill

Lamb on one side of the fence, mother on the other?

Finnart Oil Terminal from Cruach an t Sithein

Mahanach rom Cruach an t Sithein

Cruach an t Sithein from Mahanach

Route back to the foot of Glen Luss from Mahanach

Conic Hill from Mahanach

Dark clouds over Cruach an t Sithein from Creag an Leinbh

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.