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.

Ardmore

Decided on a lower level run as the forecast was for snowy showers and wind on the hills. Started out in bright sunshine.

Climbed Mount Malow and down towards Carman quarry turning off on a farm track towards Cardross, came out just behind what was the Priest College.

Still some paths through here although not maintained, the old castle hasn't changed much apart from some graffiti and the ivy we used to climb up on the front of the castle has been cut away. Ran down to Cardross shore and along to Ardmore.

Round the point and I could see a few dark clouds approaching started up the Red Road, snowy sleet started as I reached the black Third farm.

The sky quickly cleared as I crossed the moor on the Three Lochs Way/John Muir Trail into the Vale, finishing in just over three hours.

Killoeter and Ben Bowie

An out and back route over Stoneymollan today, up behind the Carman reservoir, along the muirs to the Three Lochs Way quickly turning off past Shepherds pool and the Black Third, climbing up for a run along Killoeter's ridge, across the Three Lochs Way for the short up and down Ben Bowie to the John Muir Way back to the top of the Stoney, along the ridge past the Trig point to the Fort, descending home via the Radiomast to finish in just over three hours, light was good this morning, a lot of duck egg blue, the Ben hazy in the distance.

The memory trees behind Carman reservoir

Ardmore and the Clyde off Helensburgh

Looking back down the climb up Killoeter

Looking over Killoeter's cairn to Glen Fruin

The Ben, Loch Lomond and Conic from Ben Bowie

Inchmurirn and Conic from the John Muir Trail

Trig on top of Stoney looking towards the Ben, someone's re-built the cairn!

Luss Hills and a cycle

First time for a while away from the Vale hills, cycled to the top of Glen Luss, ran out over Beinn Eich, and Beinn Lochain to Doune Hill, then back to the top of the glen.

Overcast when I left the house, sun came out as I started to run, quickly up into the clouds, not a lot to see until I came back into the glen at the end of my run. Good to be back on a bigger hill, ran at first then a brisk walk as legs stiff from my cycle took a while to ease off up the steepening lower slopes of Beinn Eich.

From about half way the gradient eases and managed to start jogging again, pleased to keep it going to Doune Hill then all the way back. Finishing inside 2 1/2 hours. Quick change then an easy cycle home.

SA Virtual Challenge and Balloch Park

Another Scottish Athletics virtual race, 5 miles instead of the usual 8km, used the clubs 5 mile handicap route in reverse. Took a few seconds off my mile splits compared to the last virtual run but Strava added 16 seconds to my total. Followed this with an easy run in the opposite direction adding in a loop round Balloch Park

SM BB K WH PW

Monthly long long run this weekend, Mount Mallow to start via the track behind Carman Reservoir.

Carman Reservoir and Dumbarton from Mount Mallow

Last hill, Whinny Hill from the first hill, Mount Mallow

Along past the Trig Point to the top of the Stoneymollan track, along the John Muir Trail until it starts to descend towards Glen Fruin then a short steep climb up through trees to Ben Bowie.

Helensburgh from Killoeter

A frozen Shepherds Pool

Killoeter next then onto the Red Road up past the Black Third and Shepherds pool, down the Stoney trail to Balloch.

Fairy Glen 

Into the bottom of the park along to the Fairy Glen trail up to the loop round Whinny Hill trail, back in to Balloch, up through the Haldane and followed track and trails that pass between the Golf Course and dump to Whinny Hill.

First hill, Mount Mallow from last hill, Whinny Hill

A lot of the paths were as hard as the roads, frozen solid with ruts and lumps, tough on my feet in fell shoes with their thin soles. Covered over 20 miles and nearly 4000 of ascent, walked the steeper up hills and stopped every 1 to 2 hours for some food, flapjacks were good except nearly frozen and brain freeze quickly followed each drink of juice.

SA Virtual Challenge and Ben Bowie

Two runs today, first up a Scottish Athletics Virtual Challenge, as much climb as you can do in 30 mins, managed just over 300m except the Strava software only registered 279, which is a few metres more than the one I did in June. The SAL verification process corrected my June effort but not this one despite being advised of the error. Back home and changed tops and added a windproof jacket for an out and back run to Ben Bowie. We ran this route on Thursday night but turned back when the snow got knee deep and we couldn't find the path up to the twin summit. Not as much snow today, a few patches compacted into ice along the 3LW and John Muir Trail. Plenty of walkers out today and a couple of other runners and cyclists.

SA Virtual Challenge

This weeks SA Virtual Race, another 8km, finished in just over 37 1/2 mins, happy to run about 1 1/2 mins quicker than three weeks ago, probably ran fresher, used the same club 5 mile race route except in reverse, followed the race with an easy 5 mile recovery running the route backwards, next week the Virtual Hill Challenge, how much vert can you do in 30 mins.

Ben Bowie and Killoeter

 Another Ben Bowie run, changed a few loops to keep it fresh, started straight up to the Fort.

From the Fort ran along the muirs past the Trig Point to the top of Stoneymollan.

Onto the Three Lochs Way to Ben Bowie then John Muir Trail and 3LW to Killoeters ridge dropping down at the top of the Red road running up past the Black Third farm to the top of the Stoney.

Dumgoyne from Stoneymollan

Back along the muirs dropping down to the quarry for an extra bit of vert up to the Fort, down past the Radiomast to finish just over 3 hours.

Ben Bowie

Another local run, up round the Carman reservoir, past the Trig point along to Stoneymollan, then  a loop round Killoeter and Ben Bowie.

Most of the snow gone, some icy patches, the ground soft on top but still frozen underneath with a lot of surface puddles making for cold toes.

On to the Three Lochs Way for a short while then down past the Black Third farm, turning up through the trees onto Killoeters undualting summit ridge, dropping down and across the Three Lochs Way over to Ben Bowie. Over Ben Bowies two tops to the John Muir Trail back to the Stoneymollan. Thought about a short cut through the Vale to avoid more cold toes, turned out fine the frozen turf kept my feet above most of the freezing puddles, ran along the muirs to the Trig and the Fort, descending past the Radiomast to finish in about 3 1/2 hours.

SA Virtual Challenge

Ran another of the Scottish Athletics Virtual Challenges this morning, this one was 8km, used the club 5 mile race route and finished inside 39 minutes, a couple or so minutes slower than the club race last September, gives me a target to work towards as there's a few more of these planned over the next couple of months along with another "max ascent in 30 mins".

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..

Ben Bowie, Killoeter, Stoneymollan

Ben Bowie again this week with a couple of loops added for more hill, less trail. Through the woods beside Upper Stoneymollan Road and onto the Three Lochs Way and John Muir Trail, busy with walkers.

Up to the top of Ben Bowie using paths and woods on the west side, good views to Loch Lomond and Dumgoyne.

Ran off the west side of Ben Bowies twin tops, across the Three Lochs Way and up onto Killoeter, disturbing a few deer on the way along the ridge, all but one too fast for the camera and it didn't get too close either. Views to Clyde estuary, Ardmore and the Arran hills beyond. Returned via Stoneymollan Trig and Fort, hard work running off path to avoid the ice bubbling up through the grass.