Whinny Hill

Last of the Club Cross Country races, only 5 of us today, gorgeous day for running, blue skies, frosty underfoot dried a lot of the muddy parts making it easier to run through them, Finished a couple of minutes slower than last year but a place better.

Roon the Vale in the snow

Another longer run this week, up behind the reservoir, Stoneymollan, Ben Bowie, Killoeter, Whinny Hill and Pappert Well. Walk the steeper hills and run the rest aiming for about 6 hours. Forecast wasn't good, turned out fine. Snow on the ground down to about 500', not much of a breeze which is ok for a long run. Jog walked up to the Reservoir and up towards the trig, into the snow, a bit deep to run and walked to the Trig and down to the Stoneymollan trail bruised shins from snow crust. Ran out towards Ben Bowie, stayed on the 3 lochs way trail then the Hel n back route to avoid higher snow covered ground on Ben Bowie and Killoeter. Ran most of the way to Whinny Hill except a couple of short sections through the forest. Back down the trail then across fields past Robin House through the Haldane housing estate leaving via tinkers loan up the road towards the dump, a track leads across behind the golf course, another detour, this time into a field to avoid a large bull, re-joined the track to find another 3 bulls luckily they were far enough away to allow me to scuttle past. Across a muddy field to cross to reach the Whinny Hill trail, went up the fire break, snowy swampy ground slowing me to a walk again. From the trig point straight down the ridge onto the trail and home via Bonhill Bridge and the Magic Roundabout. Finished in just over 6 hours.

The Ben from Stoneymollan Trig point

Looking towards Dumbarton from Stoneymollan Trig point

Ben  Bowie from Stoneymollan

Dumgoyne and Dumfoyne from Stoneymollan

Glens Finlas and Luss across Loch Lomond

Cameron House Marina from Whinny Hill Park

Pappert Well Trig Point

SMBBWHPW

Reverse of the route I ran at the end of November with an out an back to Ben Bowie added in, aim today was a brisk walk up the steeper hills, running the easier hills, the downs and the flats. Set off towards Carman Fort before dawn, clear skies, no wind, a little snow on the ground which was frozen, dry feet!

I could see a runner ahead on the traverse from the Fort to Bromley Muir Trig Point. The sun rose just as I reached the Trig Point, gradually caught the runner in front, Ian, who ran with our club a few years ago, good to catch up with him, he might even come back to the club now he works closer to home. 

Loch Lomond from Ben Bowie

The Arran hills above Greenock from Ben Bowie

From the top of the Stoneymollan track ran the out and back to Ben Bowie, leaving a couple of other loops for my next longer long run if we're still in lockdown.

Ran down the Stoneymollan trail, into Balloch, ran through the Park along to Fairy Glen and up to the Whinny Hill loop. Round the Whinny Hill Woods trail, low clouds coming over so no views. On the way back I cut through fields to avoid some road miles. Up through the Haldane and the trail to Auchencarroch taking the road towards the Dump then onto farm tracks avoiding the swampy fields and golf course.

Onto a muddy Pappert Well trail up to the Trig Point, returning past the Well down through the Vale to finish just outside 5 hours..

Short running

Busy weekend, no long runs, three short runs, Sat up and back to the trig on Carman Muir,

 Snowy Ben over green stripes

Sun, Stoneymollan race route, Monday Whinney Hill from Moss O' Balloch, all in about 3 hours, 15 miles and 3000' of ascent.

Whinny Hill and Beinn Dubh

Took the times at Saturday mornings club cross country managed a run in the afternoon through a snowy Balloch Park.

Out n back along the Whinny Hill Trail.

Finished in just over an hour.

Sluggish start to Sunday, eventually managed a trot up and down Beinn Dubh, visibility nil at the top, white clouds and sky merged into one.

 Looking up or looking down?

Made an attempt at the ridge to Mid Hill, soon gave up the snow too soft and deep with the lack of walkers. Easy run back down, 4 miles, 2000' in just over 90 mins. More pictures here.

Whinney Hill Cross Country

Small field for today's club Cross Country race, 8 of us set off round Balloch Park and onto the Whinney Hill  trail. Undulating up for the first couple of miles then undulating down for the next couple of miles. About 5 miles all in with 500' of ascent in just over 45 mins. Stoneymollan Sunday cool down.

Hills, Parks, Squirrels and Ducks.

Icy wind under blue skies, opted for a run over a couple of local lumps, Pappert Well and Whinney Hill, with a bit of road before and after each lump. Not sure why this run always feels harder to me than other ones with more ascent and rougher ground. Set off nice n steady once clear of the houses and trees slip and slide round the snow and icy mud path. With some imaginative route finding managed to keep my feet relatively dry and warm. Great views all the way.

Got to the trig point and forgot how to take pictures on my phone, Trig points don't provide much shelter from the wind and I started to freeze trying to work out what was wrong, after a few on off's realised why the screen went white and that pressing the zoom didn't take a picture.

Running again through more trees and mud, left the trial at the style, across fields and onto the road behind Balloch Park and the Whinney Hill Trail. Lot of walkers out today. More mud and trees, stopped to take in the views over to Luss and up the Loch. Round the loop and back down to Balloch Park, lots of life, human and wild.

Tired legs and took a shortcut through Balloch station, Argyle and Christie Parks, about 14 miles, 2100' in just over three hours. Sunday's plan was for a few easy miles, along to Stoneymollan, same blue skies and icy wind as Saturday. Ran up through the trails, keeping off the road as much as possible. On the way up we decided to go along the 3LW to Ben Bowie. On the way back we ran along the moor to the fort above Carman Reservoir. 

Snowy paths icy in places a few muddy bits to avoid off trail. A bit further than planned, worth the effort, 11 miles, 2000' in about 2 1/2 hours. Pictures from Saturday here, Sunday here.

Whinney Hill and Glen Loin

Club Cross Country, round and out the back of Balloch Park. Woke up to a cool calm morning, perfect for running, pity the wind and rain blew in by the time 14 of us set off round a muddy park and onto the Whinney Hill trail. We marked the top part of the course Fri PM and had an idea it was muddy, marked the park on Sat before the race, it was worse not a lot of traction for my trainers with an inch or two of slipperiness on top. Its about a mile round the park before you get onto the WH trail which undulates up through a couple of muddy forests. The run back, mostly downhill, brought three of us together by the time we reached Balloch Park, good fun as we finished within a couple of seconds of each other. Post race tea, coffee and sugar sheltering from the elements in the castle rest rooms. Sunday's forecast poor, managed to get up reasonably early, went to Arrochar for a run round Glen Loin, anticlockwise then the out and back to Ardgarten, similar to last week but too wintery to chance a detour over the Beallach. Thought about sitting in the car until the monsoon eased, just got on with it and no respite for the first half hour. Cleared up for 20 minutes or so until I was lured into the upper reaches of the glen where it was not so pleasant for a mile or so each side of the ford, slushy snow underfoot with howling sleety rain.

Good test for my gear, and with a change of gloves the only problem was cold toes. Met a few mountain bikers sliding uphill as I ran back towards Succoth and slush free trails. Toes gradually warming up as I ran the out and back to Ardgarten, out on the lower trial, back on the upper trail from Honeymoon Bridge, about 17 miles, 3000' in 3 hours 10. No camera today, only a few phone pictures here.

Trailing undulations

Arrochar trails beckoned in the low cloud and rain. Plan was to stat at Succoth up onto the trail to Ardgarten and back followed by a loop round Glen Loin, if the weather cleared on the way back to Glen Loin go up the Cobbler trail to Bealach a'Mhaim and come back through Glen Loin. Drizzly to start then lashing as I ran along the high trail to Honeymoon Car Park just past Ardgarten.

Looked like today's pictures would be the waterfalls along the way, did manage to snap a couple of hazy pictures of The Brack and Ben Donich through the gloom.

Started back up the lower trail keen to get back into the shelter of the trees, looking back the Cobbler's SW top above Glen Croe was clear.

The rain and wind eased so I went up the Cobbler trail, its a good climb reaching 2000' in 3 or 4 miles. Past the Narnain Boulders any sheltered spot was covered in snow. The weather closed in again on the approach to the Bealach, hail instead of rain.

The run across to the Bealach fun as I found a few ditches and streams hidden under a smooth layer of snow. Big detour to avoid the swamp at the exit from the Bealach, happy to drop down into the shelter of the Glen, nice new fence to hold onto down the steep slippy ground.

Took the rougher path to the right of Alt Coiregrogain to avoid crossing the swollen river further down. Hail had turned to rain for a soaking steady run down the Glen back to Succoth, 16 miles, 3500', 3 1/2 hours.A few more pictures here. Sunday we had a recce round next weeks Whinney Hill race route from the Moss O'Balloch, rain pouring down as we started, gradually cleared and dried up with some blue skies as we finished, underfoot went from wet to muddy to wet to muddy.

Good fun despite the weather. A squidgy 6 miles in 1 1/2 hours.

Local runs

First club race of the year, Polaroid Cross Country, 17 starters and 16 finished. 2 Laps, just over 2  miles per lap. Started out in third place, gradually dropped back to fifth and stayed there till the end, slowed in the second lap. Sunday, another lazy late start, a run round Whinney Hill, our next club race in a couple of weeks. Plenty of mud and a few fallen trees look set to make it an interesting run. Low cloud so no views of the Luss Hills from the Seat.

Ben Ime

Clear blue sky for today's run up Ben Ime from Succoth, 10 miles and 4000' of ascent. Tee shirt and shorts to start up the gradual zig zags, across the forest road and more zig zags, a bit steeper, still running, past the Narnain Boulders up to Bealach a'Mhaim, still running, up the boggy SE ridge and on to the summit ridge, still running, reached the top with only a few stops, 2500' to put on my Helly and a few pictures on the way. Superb views to the Clyde estuary and Ben Nevis.

Easy run back to Succoth, finished inside 2 1/2 hours. Sunday cool down round Balloch Park and the out and back to Whinney Hill, nice n easy and a few more pictures.

More pictures from Saturday here, pictures from Sunday here.

Glen Douglas and Whinney Hill

Set off from Invergroin up into the clouds on Beinn Bhreac, passed a few deer on the way up. Dropped out the cloud on the way to Ben Reoch, passed more deer running towards Loch Lomond, cloud lifted off the Glen Douglas tops for good Loch L views, Arrochar Alps still in cloud. Followed the fenceline for a steep run down off Reoch and then up Tullich Hill, more deer at the top, spotted antlers on the horizon and tried to sneak up for a photo, they took off too soon & I still can't run fast enough to catch them. Finished just over 2 1/2 hours. More pictures here.

Sunday drove to Balloch for a run through the park and on to the Whinney Hill trail, couple of loops round the top then detoured onto the Boturich track on the way back.

Whinney Hill

A wintery day for the last Club Cross Country of the season, the only record broken today was the number of runners, 23. A lap of a soggy Balloch Park to start then we exit on the narrow path to Boturich road. Into Whinney Hill then across the road, nice path to start soon deteriorates into a slippy muddy root strewn path up the hill. No respite when at the top with ankle deep mud until come out the other side. Similar to Polaroid, the first three away and clear I'm in the second group of three, we swap places a few times along the way. Through the deer fence and I plod my way up the top section towards the seat and back into the mud,. From the seat its downhill and slippy for a while then a wee rest before turning up into the forest and the mud fest again, gradually pick up pace along the top before a tricky run down to the road crossing. The path back down to the park easy to run on then a twisting turning muddy path back to finish at Balloch Castle in just under 48 mins and a Team Millie Soup kitchen in full flow.

Riveting runs

Glen Loin was the chosen punishment on Saturday, forecasts varied from breezy and sunny to gales and blizzards, we got a bit of both. Left the car park at the usual 8:40 for an anticlockwise run round the Glen, the first few miles pleasant enough in the sheltered lower Glen with blue skies and bright sunshine, the numerous toads and associated spawn suggesting Spring isn't far away.

All change once we left the forest for the short section of road at Coiregrogain the wind picked up and shrouded the surrounding tops, heads bowed to avoid the driving snow in our faces as we struggled forwards. A slight respite once we crossed the bridge, Ben Vanes lower slopes affording some shelter. Into the upper glen and the skies cleared but we were back into the teeth of a cutting wind.

 The run back down the other side of the glen pleasantly sheltered through the trees. We cut off the last corner running down through the trees looking for signs of the Glen Loin caves. 11 miles and 2200' in 2 hours 15. A few more pictures here including an underwater action shot.

Sunday was a fine morning and I had a chance for a run over Stoneymollan, we found a "new" trig point overlooking Dumbarton.

Ran past the quarry on to the hill running the reverse of the club race route back down to the Vale. Stunning views over loch and snow capped mountains.

It was such a nice day we continued to Balloch Park and a run up Whinney Hill, the trail newly cleared of fallen trees. Plenty of walkers out including a few who were lost and not really dressed for the frozen mud.

By the time we started back towards the park I was struggling from the weekends efforts and gave up on the idea of a jog up to Pappert Well. Finished the 14 miles and 2100' in 3 hours 10.