The Cobbler Hill Race

Third go at this hill race, turned out to be my slowest. a Championship race this year, about 200 runners, ladies off first , 15 minutes later the men. Dry and calm until about 15 mins before the ladies set off , wind and rain set in, forecast just about spot on. Through a fire break to start, walking up steep muddy ground, exit the trees, walking up steep tussocky hillside to the An t Sron checkpoint, ran and walked form here to the rocks and last steep climb to the top, the strong winds justifying more walking than usual, some hail, weak sunshine and cheery Arrochar MRT Marshals at the top, set off down the rocky trail passed two or three, couldn't see anyone else in front, finally caught a couple nearer the bottom then back into the trees, slid and slipped down the firebreak now a muddy swamp, finish with a short run on the forest road.

Ladies Start

Birnam Hill Classic

First race in the Scottish Hill Runners 2023 Championship, one of the 2 short races, I ran it in 2011 & 2015. After a short road section steep up on a twisting path through trees to a peaty craggy top, the descent steep, rocky and muddy at first then a stoney track before a mile or so of undulating track back through the forest to finish. Cool and dry, good for running. The big field was split in 2, Ladies and older Vets first, the rest half an hour later. I ended up in the second group, on the first climb there was only 3 or so behind me, got past 3 on the way up then 3 on the way down, when they put all the results together I had an ok place, 238/297.

At least this guy waited for me at the finish 

Race started at Beatrix Potter Garden in Birnam

Glamaig Hill Race

3rd race in this years SHR championship gave me a good excuse to have a go. Mean to be a tough race even though its only a short one.

About 200 set off from the Sligachan Hotel across a bridge and along a short section of road before joining a narrow walkers path undulating gently upwards across moorland towards Glamaig.

The ascent is a a steep grassy climb, a few rocks come flying by dislodged by runners ahead. Gradient eases and after a grassy gulley a bouldery clamber to the top, round a cairn gasping at the stunning views then plunging down steep scree covered slopes, rocks and dust flying everywhere, towards the bottom the scree blocks a bit bigger slow the pace a bit then onto grassy slopes back to the road to finish at the hotel in about 84 mins.

130th out of 199 finishers.

Great wee race with the Sligachan Hotel providing a free dinner, drink and ceilidh after the race. More pictures here.

Yetholm Hill Race

Next SHR Championship race, long drive about 2 1/2 hours to get to the start at Halterburn in the hills behind Kirk Yetholm. About 140 set off, anticlockwise this year, I've done both clock and anti clock before. The anti route undulates up over five wee hills on the way out to the Curr then two on the way back. The first climb and the Curr are the biggest. Walked the ups ran the flats and downs. From the Curr the route undulates down and managed to run all the way, finished in about 1 hour 47.

Chapelgill Hill Race

Chilly short race, the first counter in this years SHR Championship.

Field slightly down on expected, about 130, probably due to the baltic condititons in Glenholm. Started towards the back and immediately felt like I was hyperventilating, this lasted 5 or 10 minutes, after that I revertted to a wheeze, behind many I would normally keep up with. Slope eases towards the top and manage a slow jog round the summit marshalls tent. Steady run back down through the heather avoiding the frozen path, managed to overtake a couple on the way down, finished warm in about 37 minutes, soon cooled off once I stopped. A few pictures here.

Pentland Skyline

Final counter in this years SHR championship, time to make amends for a DNF at Jura. Fourth time at this race, 2003,04 and 11, times from 3:47 to 4:09, hoped to finish the 16 or 17 miles and 6000' of ascent inside 4 hours today. Over 300 set off, 45 mins late, a number of people had parked in the ski slopes main car park ignoring the organisers request not to and had to move their cars before the off, sorted out as it should be without any drama hopefully to the satisfaction of the ski centre. Off we went, not much breeze, felt warm jog walking up the first climb, the big field began to spread out towards the first of 16 hill tops, ran easy over the ups and downs to the water stop at Flotterstone, steady now on the long climb up Turnhouse, over Scald Law and Carnethy, popped out to run over South Black hill, back for the Kips and steep drop down to the Drove Road water stop, just over 2 hours. Short farm track then turn for home over slightly rougher ground, some heathery stuff to get through and some boggy bits, luckily these were reasonably flat or down hill sections, ease back a bit and save some energy for the ups of Hare, Black and Bells Hills which are on mostly better paths. Finished the last of my juice, must have been getting dehydrated as it quickly made things a bit easier. Three hills to go, not far now, although the remembered third water stop never appeared, working harder, getting away from a few who had been edging past me from Scald Law, cramp starting to slow me on the flat sections but the ups afforded a wee stretch and managed to run most of these to the end, relaxed and pushed a bit harder down the last descent egged on by gravity happy to finish in 3:53, 177th place out of 295, the winner inside 2:16, last home over 5 1/2hours, plenty of juice n cakes at the finish and a wee lie down on the cool soft ground.

Merrick Hill Race 2016

The Scottish counter in the British hill running championship, and part of the SHR Champs as well, a return to almost the original route, one of my fav races, just missing out Bennan, probably due to deer fencing. About 200 set off for 8 miles and 3000' of ascent, short trot along from the car park towards Bruces Stoneto spread us out a bit, sharp left and jog walking up Ben Yellary, a steep muddy, potholed, rocky path, topped out in a few minutes, running again across the short undulating boggy section to the forest road, the stoney road drops down to meet the tourist path towards Ben Yellary, managed to keep running, gradually working ahead of a few determined jog walkers, up over the top speeding down the Neive of the Spit to the traversing climb up Merrick, nearly at the top and those ahead speed past off to the right, round the cairn and chase after them down the Rig of the Gloon, at the bottom its typical Galloway tussocks then a short trudge in a ditch beside a wall up to the undulating ridge to Buchan Hill. The run down, a boggy rocky path come stream to start then something of a path covered with potholes and tussocks before a couple of fields.

 Photo courtesy of Scottish Hill Runners

Turn out onto a forest road for the last hurrah, only about 250m but steeply twisting up to finish in about 2 hours 9. More pictures here.

Eildon Hill Race

Long drive for a short race, race starts and finishes in the grassy square across from the Greenyards, a short lap and onto the road through Melrose, exit via  narrow alley down some stairs onto a path leading up through woods past some fields and onto a single file path runners queuing as we zig zag up the first hill. Run down and traverse past hill no3 to hill no2 on narrow trails, overtake where I can, no2 is a short climb, walk the first steep bit then running again and off towards no3. Stomp my way up no3, force the pace to try and catch those in front. Descent begins down a stoney trail with a flat muddy traverse to rejoin the outward route, finished just over 53  mins. Race pictures here. 

Jura Fell Race

Got a late entry just before Slioch, holiday booked, set off with car boot full of camping gear and bike. Free Bunnahabhain 12 and 18 year old on the ferry to Islay, glorious sun, and a few dolphins made for a good start.

 
Short hop on the Jura ferry and a slow cycle to Craighouse, home for the weekend. 

 Usual feast of pizza, rolls and cakes in the distillery all weekend. 

 Sat morning, easy kit check and running for 10:30, three pips first, inside the cut offs, climbing the first Pap, Beinn a'Chaolais, slowed down to a crawl, stepping aside every 50 yards or so to let those behind pass on the narrow trods. 
 

Reached the top, CP 4 still inside the cutoffs and decided not to continue, showed the next two runners the route off and down to the saddle before Beinn an Oir and pointed out the onward route. Cut down to 3 Arch bridge via a swim in the boathouse lochan and the delightful 3 miles of road to the finish, still out for over 5 hours despite missing the last three climbs. A swim in the sea to cool off and spent the rest of the day rehydrating and mulling over the run. Sunday cycle back to the Feolin ferry to Port Askaig and on to Kennacraig, calm waters, sunny sky, but no Dolphins or Bunnahabahain on the way back. 

 

 
Stopped at Inverary to capture the Castle on film and bagged a Heron as well!

Durisdeer

Nearly 300 lined up next to Durisdeer church for the Scottish and British championship race, I ran it in 2012 when it was a Scottish Championship race, 150 ran that day. Overcast today, not much of a breeze made for a warm run. About 11 miles and 3800' of ascent. There are 5 climbs, Black Hill to start and finish, a couple of colls and Well Hill, the initial climb and Well Hill not too runnable the rest are if you've got the energy. Set off steady keeping to the lower path. Relaxed descent off Pettylung towards Dalveen, running most of the way round Staygail apart from the trudge to the second coll. Soon running again, this route has a lot of ankle and knee trashing traversing! The climb alongside the Lavern Burn tussocky and slow, not a slow as the climb up Well Hill, kept the effort up from here on.

Tussocky undulations on the way up Well Hill

Run mostly down until the second climb up Black Hill, ran the last section catching and closing those in front, pushed the first part of the descent catching another couple, steady round another traverse before last gasping descent, across the bridge, a short up and sprint back to the church for coffee, sandwiches and cakes, finished just over 2:20 204th out of 269 finishers. Sunday cool down run up to the fort, a fresher sunny June day.

Jura week

A week of running around Scotland's Hills. The plan was Jura, Glen Shiel, a wee rest then the Slioch Hill race. First up was the Jura Fells race, even getting there is fun, drive to Kennacraig, ferries to Islay and the short hop to Jura and with a bit of luck a bus to Craighouse. New showers and toilets at the hotel has brought a small charge for camping. Race day cool, little wind, a bit boggy underfoot, clearish tops, only slight navigational challenge CP 1 to 2. Wheels stayed intact this year, a few creaks going up each pap and a bit of a struggle to push down Corra Bheinn to Three Arch Bridge, the last km a trifle boggier than usual, the road to Craighouse is the road to Craighouse, finished in about 6 hours 25.

View of the Paps on the way home.

Got on the early bus on Sunday to take advantage of the earlier than usual boat back to Kennacraig before the drive up to Shiel Bridge Campsite. Planned to use Monday as a rest day and to recce a route for Tuesday. As Monday's weather improved decided to take advantage and set off from the campsite for the Saddle, handrailling a series of tracks, walls and fences to circumnavigate the tricky Forcan ridge. Soon just below the summit, unsure of the last wee climb turned back as I hoped to climb the Whelk as well, a steep rocky climb took me to the bealach between the Whelk and Sgurr Na Signe, left turn for the Whelk and great views up and down Glen Shiel.

Sgurr Na Signe from the Whelk

Tuesday, ready for some RnR, I drove to Applecross via the 2000' plus Bealach Na Ba, eerie in the mist. A nice day wandering this isolated village. Wednesday set off for Gairloch for a rest stopping in Glen Torridon for a run up Beinn Eighe via Coire Mhic Fearchair, the Triple Buttress Coire. Beinn Eighe means Fire Mountain, not today, wet n windy with sleety hail greeting my approach to the top of Ruadh-stac Mor one of Eighe's two Munro's.

Sail Mor

Didn't hang about dropping back into the coire and the bouldery track back to the car. Spent the rest of the week based in Sands Campsite near Gairloch with a visit to the Redpoint beaches. Saturday's journey home was broken up with a run in the Slioch Hill Race, dreich day, clag down, a slight route change required as a burn crossing at the penultimate checkpoint was a raging torrent, about a mile shorter, still a testing run. Starts and finishes with 2 or 3 miles of riverside trail, all the hilly stuff in between, Sgurr Dubh to start, hands, knees, teeth, heather, rock, mud, its a stiff wee climb. Misty ridge run to Slioch's twin summit checkpoints, runners passing like ghosts on their way back, feel our way along, easy pace to avoid any expensive navigational errors. The route change sent us down the hill walkers path, a muddy, rocky eroded mess, good fun. Finished in 3 hours 40.

Beinn Eighe from Slioch Finish

 Totals for the week, 19 hours running, 50 something miles and 21,000' of ascent. Lots of picture here.

Ben Lomond

2nd counter in this years SHR Championship, forecast wasn't great, turned out just about perfect. Sunny with a cool breeze. Shuttle bus from Balmaha arriving in plenty of time at Rowardennan, relaxed in front of the hotel in the sun. Short warm up and we were off along the road onto the tourist path.The first part undulates up through trees, some deforesting going on. Lose a few places on each steep up, onto the plateau and reel in a couple, the leaders streaming past a bit earlier than hoped for. Slight route change climbing the summit ridge. On top stop for a drink and to take in the stunning views. Off down the path, cutting the corner down the steep grassy bank For a change we stayed off the path right along the plateau and down past the first gate, rejoining just before the bad step, good descent fizzled out a bit here, steady down through the trees and rocks and the final jog along to the finish in 1:52 for a soup and seat in the sun by the hotel. Pictures here. Sunday total change in the weather, low cloud and lashings of rain, recovery run up Beinn Dubh and an out and back along to mid hill, struggle to follow the path in the swirling mist and rain, just over two hours, 8 miles and 2700' of ascent. A few pictures here.

Birnam

SHR championship time again, first one Birnam, short and steep, 4 miles, 1750' of ascent, big field well over 200. Started at the back not feeling particularly strong, a short road section gradually climbs before we start onto the hill, kept jogging similar pace to those around me walking, picked off a few then dropped into walk mode and lost a few. The path twists its way up through trees then levels out onto a scraggy path over a series of minor tops. The run off starts down steep soft muddy ground for a few minutes before joining a forest trail. The trail drops down quickly twisting and turning its way back towards Birnam. Save some energy for the last miles wee undulations. The last few hundred yards gently downhill, finished under 47 mins, a few slower than last time.

Dollar

First SHR Champs race for me this year as I missed Scolty. Nearly 300 set off on this undulating run over a few grassy Ochill Hills. Once your up the first climb pretty much runnable all the way. Held back a bit on the first climb this year with the large number of runners meant I had some energy left once on the tops, with plenty of people in front to use as targets managed to pick off a few along the way, finished the 10 miles and 3000' plus just inside 1 hour 50 for the first time. Cake fest in the pavilion after, no mean feat providing home catering for 300 or so hungry runners and their friends. Pictures here. Sunday's cool down an extended Stoneymollan. Pictures here.

Ochil 2000's and Ben Lomond

A new race for me and the one to complete my 4 from 6 in this years SHR competition. The blurb says 18 miles and 5000 feet of ascent, in the end I did a wee bit extra and lost half a dozen places with a couple of bad route choices. From the finish at Stirling Uni we are bussed to the start in Glen Devon, the aim to run back covering all the Ochil hills over 2000' plus Dumyat, there's 10 over 2k. Expensive for a hill race at £13, you get a bus trip, use of a Dibber, soup and cake when you finish, showers too. Cloud was down at the start but cleared as we went along. After the first hill, taken very gently, on to familiar ground covering parts of other race routes, Doller, Maddy Moss and the Law Breaker, zig, zag, up, down, a few times, all on too runnable grassy trails. After Ben Cleuch, hill 7, the highest top it was new ground, the first couple continued the theme, runnable, grassy hills, then from Ben Ever to Blairdennon it gradually changes to a pathless tussocky boggy traverse, some good route choices gain me a couple of places for no extra effort, its only half an hour to the top, seems longer, fun starts running off Blairdennon, follow a fence then supposed to turn SE, follow a track and other runners instead, soon back on track going towards Jerah before the last climb up Dumyat, somehow go wrong again following paths and runners, stop for a confab and re-route to the race line, a painful slog back up to the track we should have been on coming out behind several runners I had eased past along the way. Start a painful crampy walk up Dumyat, a couple out ringing cowbells encourage me to run again. Soon back to a walk as the gradient kicks up. Reach the top in 4 hours giving me half an hour to match my 4 to 4 1/2 hour target. No pace just cramp as I run down the rocky trail at the top, eases a bit as the trail gets grassier. Through the woods trying to push on then down the road before grinding slowly uphill on the track alongside the wall, move better after the trail turns downhill and push on to the finish grabbing back a few places as runners come out the woods from all angles. Finished in 4 hours 24, it took awhile to recover. Photos here, here, and here. Sunday, beautiful sunny day, thought about a short run in Glen Douglas, a change of mind when I saw the Ben. There was lots of walkers out so I kept the pace up a bit more than usual and ran where I would have walked, 80 minutes up and 45 down, a bit quicker than my usual training runs.

Goat Fell

200 plus runners in the third race in this year's SHR Championship, a medium at 8 miles with 2900' of ascent. Started in Brodick on roads going towards Brodick Castle Estate, turning into the grounds of the Estate, onto the hill path after 1 1/2 miles. The path runnable as it undulates up through forest, a bit too warm with thermal top and vest. Soon enough we pop out the trees onto the rocky mountain path winding its way across towards GF's eastern shoulder, we turn west, walking and scrambling now as the ground gets a bit steeper, more exposed, wind, rain and the runners in front bombing past complicate the climb up the slabby ridge. Round the trig point, no views today, running back down, carefully at first down the steep bouldery ground. Pick up speed as the gradient eases the runner in front holds me up for a few minutes, too risky to pass as we negotiate the rough boulders, ease past down a wider slab then I can relax and pick up the pace again, its a fun full concentration descent as you cross back towards the forest track, eyes constantly scanning the boulders ahead for your next foot placement, only glancing up to pick a line past a runner or hillwalker. Good fast running through the forest then its 1 1/2 miles on the road back to Brodick finishing in 129th place in 1 hour 58 to tea, sandwiches and cakes before the Calmac ferry back to Ardrossan. Loads of pictures, here, here, here & here.

Stuc A'Chroin 5000

2nd race in this years SHR championship and the SAL Championship Hill Race as well. The Stuc 14 miles and 5000' of ascent over rough mountain tracks. 206 set off from Strathyre only 193 finished today. The rain started as we were on the two mile run up the forest track towards the hill and stayed for most of the race reinforced by the wind as we climbed each of the ups that help make this race a tough classic. The marshals were stars assisting troubled runners and handing out water, jelly baby's and encouragement in testing conditions. The warm up continues through the forest onto the hill and the traverse towards Glen Ample, a boggy delight. A couple of hundred yards behind a running friend, just up for a run, not the race, fell and broke his wrist as he jogged along, a trip to the Vale Fracture Unit for us after the race. The drop into GA reverts to its usual straight down one this year, across the marshy valley to Beinn Each's climb, starts with a series of steep ups with a few 10 yard flattish sections to break it up. Up we go on a narrow overgrown trod beside an old fence,  Heather and fence posts are all used to help pull me up. We pass a few marshals before and after a short traverse across some cliffs then its onto the upper part, more exposed to the wind, jacket and gloves on to keep me safe and comfortable. Really wet and windy at the top, more marshals with water and sweets. Hesitant on the run down onto the ridge to the Stuc, unfamiliar and slippy in the mist. The ridge is two miles of rock hopping, the first mile undulating, the second undulates a bit more, up a thousand feet. The front runners pass on their way back down.Its survival stuff now, freezing, gale force winds, a mixture of driving rain and sleet, must buy a decent pair of gloves. A hypothermic runner passes me being helped off by two others, a bit more focus on taking care today means I don't notice the uphills so much, through a series of climbs and I'm soon at the last steep rocky section, someone takes a tumble coming back down, thankfully only superficial damage and they get up able to continue. Round the cairn and turn for the relative calm of Bealach nan Cabar, can't seem to push as hard as I would like and tiptoe down the muddy, rocky and snow covered ridge. A slight slip and the resultant blow of rock on shin slows me down for a while, happily the Bealach soon comes in to view and with it the drop back down Glen Ample's grassy slopes. Good fun along the narrow muddy track in the rain with only the short slippy drop to the valley floor to hold back on. Steady walk out Glen Ample's steep slope then running again across the boggy moor. Drop down in to the forest and a poor route choice, the wrong side of a tree, puts me in a deep bog, pull myself out, shoes still on and run through the forest to the track for the last two miles back down to finish in 3 hours 48. A big thanks goes to the 40 or 50 marshals who looked after us runners for hours in the freezing rain, all of them cheery and supportive. This was the 25th anniversary of the Stuc, my 10th, here's hoping for a few more.

Carnethy 5

The 43rd running of the Carnethy 5 and my 9th. Its the first race in this years SHR Championship series and a record field turned out on a good day for running over these five Pentland hills, dry and cool with little breeze. Usual charge across the bogs to start, the new Carnethy financed gate less of a hold up than the old style we used to climb over. Soon we're climbing up Scald Law, 22 1/2 mins to the top, steady run along a squidgy path to the sharp ups and downs of the Kips via South Black Hill. Got my breath back for a while on the traversing descent from West Kip to the Howe. The climb up Carnethy soon fixes that, three short ups in succession, track, gulley then the pull up to the summit. Round the top for the first part of the descent on steep grassy tracks, a chance to relax before the heathery plunge to the bottom. The heather takes its toll and I almost come to a halt before finding slightly easier going down what used to be a path to a short fast scree section, why some people slow down here I'm not sure, more heathery bits before I hit the bottom with dead legs for three or four minutes of torture across the bogs to finish just under 84 minutes, a few seconds quicker than last year. As usual loads of pictures, Bobbies, SHR, Sandy Wallace, Bob Marshall, see if you can spot the Milburn Vest!

Durisdeer

A wet Saturday for the 2nd medium race in this years SHR Championship, doubling up as the 2012 SAL Championship as well. A good field of 150 plus turned out despite the rain, hill runners like their cake. Set in the Lowther Hills we start with a charge up Black Hill before dropping down over Pettylung and a steep descent for the first of two crossings of the A702 onto farm track through Dalveen where a minor navigational error cost a few minutes. The route loops round Steygail on good tracks and paths over a couple of minor cols, the second one steep enough to force me to walk, before dropping down to cross the road again after Upper Dalveen. A steep climb through grassy crags and a tussocky jog to the foot of Well Hill, another walk to the top. Pleasant run down following a fence line before a short runnable climb back up Black Hill and a downhill cruise to finish in 2 hours 45 for the 10 miles and 3800' of ascent. A runners pictures here give you a feel for the route. Three runners went missing, luckily they phoned the Moffat Mountain Rescue who went to pick them up so we could all enjoy our tee and cakes in the old Durisdeer Church.

Clachnaben

The first race in this years SHR Championship, just south of Banchory, its a long day out. I ran this race in 2009 the last time it was a championship event. New course for this year a bit shorter although over the same two hills, Mount Shade and Clachnaben with its rocky Tor. Car parking on a forest road and then a 10 minute walk into the forest to registration. At noon a couple of hundred of us set off from reg to the start a few hundred yards down the track.

Soon we are off onto a muddy trail winding through the forest then we start to climb up via a couple of short firebreaks before coming out on the open hillside. Time for a photo break in the queue for the style, the field strung out ahead on their way to Threestane Hill.

Heathery stuff now, after Threestane Hill we continue up the ridge towards Mount Shade, with Clachnaben peeking out behind. 

The descent from Mount Shade takes us south, away from Clachnaben then skirts the edge of some woods and a traverse round Mt Shade's Western flank back towards Clachnaben for the last climb zig zagging up to the summit Tor.

From the Tor we run down a scraggy walkers path beside a narrow stream, a soft peaty heathery mush. I'm catching up those in front until we hit the forest road again for the last 3k where they pull away from me. We get to within a few hundred yards of the finish and are sent off on a narrow track through the forest, uphill of course, a few unexpected minutes effort brings me in to the finish, I should check the route map more carefully in future.

Time for a seat and a beer courtesy of Deeside Brewery one of the race sponsors. Plenty of prizes, apart from the ones for those that run quickly, prizes are given out for the dirtiest runners, the runner with the most Scottish name, the most helpful DNF and those who found the tiny Easter chicks hidden around the course.

Pictures here here here and here.