Luss hill run, Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill, across the glen and back via Coille Eughain Hill. Bright and breezy, the Beinn Dubh bogs fairly dry. A slow and steady run up Beinn Dubh, easy running round to Mid Hill and down into the glen. Trudged up Coillie Eughain Hill, always a tough wee climb ran down to the Paps and into the ferns and tussocks reminding me why I don't do this route in the summer.
Forecast cold and windy with higher, Munro's, covered in snow so I went to Luss for a loop round Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill and Coille Eughain Hill. No sign of wind when I set off from the foot of the glen, picked up as I cleared the trees, it was cold, thankful of my double thermal base layers, fleece and Goretex jacket, thermal tights, waterproof socks, wooly hat and thermal waterproof gloves to keep me comfortable. Not many others out, one hill walker came down Beinn Dubh as I climbed, then two walkers passed as I ran along the plateau to Mid Hill. Didn't stop too often on the top or along the ridge, a short break in the glen before I trudged up Coille Eughain, back into the mist at the top before the 2 mile descent back to Luss.
Abandoned the planned bike/run/bike due to a puncture, drove to Luss for a wee horseshoe run instead.
Outward loop over Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill, return via the Glen road, Coillie Eughain Hill and The Paps. Gloomy afternoon, low cloud and drizzle, a bit windier on top, only saw 2 walkers coming off the hill as I went up. Not much of a view and wet underfoot, temp ok, not too cold, toes ok in their Sealskinz socks. Windy enough on the run along the ridge to Mid Hill to convince me to do the horseshoe rather than an out and back, Coillie Eughain Hill is a bit lower and would be sheltered by the higher tops overlooking Glen Finlas. Coillie Eughain is a good wee climb, shorter but steeper than Beinn Dubh, on top zig zagged along until I picked up the fence and path down to The Paps. Below The Paps thankfully the ferns were flattened revealing what there is of a path, from there it is a short run along tracks to the Bridge over Luss Water.
Luss run, a bit friendlier with the forecast low cloud and high winds. Beinn Dubh to start, took it steady so that I could run the whole way, into the cloud about 1500', a bit damp but not raining, round the corries met a couple of well wrapped up walkers coming the other way, dropped down Mid Hill, the loch appearing under a bank of cloud, another hill walker starting to climb Mid Hill as I reached the bottom. Short run to just beyond the end of the road across a field and small bridge to start the steep climb up Coillie Eughain Hill, walking all the way onto the peat hagged ridge and a run down the Paps to finish.
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.
Set off later than usual hoping to avoid the worst of the weather. Today's route about 3 hours, Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill across the glen to Coillie Eughain Hill and down the Paps back to Luss. Still raining as I started up Beinn Dubh, Looked like a quiet run today, no cars at the bottom of the glen. Managed a slow jog all the way up, ground soaking and boggy, Sealskinz socks keep my feet dry and warm enough to enjoy the run. Into the cloud about half way up, only a slight breeze so not too cold. Onto the ridge round to Mid Hill helped a lone walker unsure of where the path was, wonder if he continued round? Cold wind picked up on the run off Mid Hill thankful it only lasted about 10 minutes until I dropped low enough to get some shelter from Beinn Dubh to the north. Passed another 2 walkers here. Ran up the glen just past the end of the tarmac, a quad bike track through a field leads to a bridge over a raging Luss Water. Half hour trudge up the steep sided Coillie Eughain Hill. Rain off and clouds lifting made for some better views on the way back to the foot of the glen.
This weeks long run in the Luss Hills, started and finished at the foot of the glen, Beinn Dubh to start, Cruach Dubh to finish, in between a few paths, some tussocks and lots of peat hags. From Beinn Dubh ran along the ridge to Mid Hill and down to the top of the Glen Road, there's a small wooden bridge across Luss Water before the steep climb up Coille Eughain Hill, instead of running down over the Paps from there, turned west up to Creag An Leinibh overlooking Glen Finlas then running South East on a broad grassy ridge over Beinn Ruisg to Creachan Hill via 100s of peat hags, only 2 or 3 miles to go now, the first couple south west, pathless and tussocky and luckily mainly downhill, a short climb up the back of Cruach Dubh before a last run down to the foot of Glen Luss.
Loop round Glen Luss/Glen Striddle, started in the sun , soon gave way to a few squally rain and snow showers. Beinn Dubh first, jog walked, some of the steeper parts a bit slippy and walked to save energy and a face plant. Layered up with height gain, jacket then hat, buff and gloves, goggles would have been handy along the ridge to Mid Hill into the driving snow. Easy run down Mid Hill careful to stay upright. Slow plod up Coillie Eughian Hill then a nice down hill run back to the bottom of the glen. Not many out today, only a few walkers on Beinn Dubh, after that only sheep and deer.
