Roon the Vale

PWWHSM, a mostly off road run round the Vale, taking in Pappert Well, Whinny Hill and Stoneymollan. Tried to take it easy at the start as my legs always suffer on this run. A mile of road to start then up and round the Whinny Hill trails crossing a couple of fields and the Golf Course to pick up a trail into the back of the Haldane, another mile or two of road up past the Hospice behind Balloch Park onto the Whinny Hill trail, coming back down through Balloch Park and another mile or so of tarmac onto the Stoneymollan to finish inside 3 1/2 hours.

 View up Loch Lomond from Whinny Hill

 The Ben and the Loch from Stoneymollan

Carman Reservoir over Dumbarton Castle from the Fort

10 mile handicap

Clubs 10 mile road race, run as a handicap, 1st time I have run it since 2014, was looking for 80 minutes, route is just over 10 miles, pace on my app gave me 8:01/mile and finished in just over 81 minutes, so not too far away.

Eich Doune Mid

Luss horseshoe, parked at the top of the Glen, slowish run up Eich and over Beinn Lochain onto Dounes double top. Good run into Sith Mor, found a new quad bike track up the first part of Mid Hill, made for an easier start. On top visited the two wee cairns before turning back down Mid Hill to finish in about 3 1/2 hours.

Beinn Ime and Narnain

Started off clockwise round the Glen Loin loop, left the trail at the disappearing stream for a trudge towards Lag Uaine. Climbed up the back of Ime beside the Gnarly ridge, up to the minor top and on to the summit. Tried and failed to shelter from the wind and set off for the Bealach before the short climb to Narnain. Another short break to take in the stunning views, left the top through the Spearhead and the interesting descent to finish in about 4 1/2 hours in Succoth.

Beinn Dubh

Easy run this weekend, an out and back to Mid Hill over Beinn Dubh, about two hours. A few walkers out. Quiet on the out and back from Beinn Dubhs summit cairn.

Ben Nevis Hill Race

Back at the Ben for 15th race in 16 years, great weather, maybe a bit warm. Usual weekend in Glen Nevis, registration, 2nd breakfast then back for the race.

Reasonable pace to the end of the road, kept it going up the tourist path, gaining a few places on the first Melantee short cut. Windy corner usual stress as the gradient increases, good drink from a pleasantly cool Red Burn, up the screes ok at first then a bit of cramp cut the pace, struggled to get back running as the gradient eases, time to take in the views, hand in my number to the summit marshals and down we go, took it steady as it was very busy with walkers, found some good lines going down the screes to the Red Burn crossing kept me ahead of a couple of keen runners behind. Down the rough trod from the high to the low path round Melantee, ignored the short cuts and picked up a few places.

Road slower than the way out running round the track to finish just over three hours.

Ben Lomond

A run up the wee Ben before next weeks Big Ben. Another run where the rain stopped within the first few minutes. Went up the tourist path, busy with walkers despite the poor forecast. Took it at an easy pace so that I could run all the way and take in the views. Too warm and stopped after 5 minutes to take my jacket off once the rain stopped. Onto the plateau, wind getting stronger, jacket back on at the base of the climb up to the summit ridge. Stopped at the trig point long enough to put my gloves on, went down via the Ptarmigan ridge.

Peace and quiet here, except for the wind, more exposed than the tourist route, only a few walkers coming up. Finished in about 2 1/2 hours and stood in the waves for a few minutes to cool off.

5 Mile Handicap

Next race in the club GP, 6 of us set off, slowest first, steady run but eased off slightly in the 4th mile and lost about 30 seconds, good run.

The Cobbler and Ben Narnain

Longer run before the Ben race in a couple of weeks, earliesh start up the zig zags and past the Narnain Boulders to Bealach a Mhaim, ran up the back stairs to the Cobbler, stopped a couple of times to catch my breath. Reached a murky summit, the Needle appearing through the mist. Didn't hang about, back down the stairs to the Bealach. Bags of boulders have been dropped up Ime's muddy path in preparation for more path construction.

Steady progress up Narnains newly constructed blocky path using the same approach as the Cobbler, jog and rest and jog, reached the summit cloud swirling around giving brief glimpses of the surrounding tops.

Stopped for a couple of pictures then off through the spearhead and the twisty rocky descent back to Succouth in just over 3 hours.

Ted Baker Pappert Well

Good night for the next race in the club GP Series, just over 5 miles with nearly 900' of ascent and descent. Quite muddy on the hill section, good turn out with 9 running in handicap format, times from 40+ to 60+ minutes.

Beinn Donn

A day out at the Appin show, muddy underfoot but plenty to see and do, tractors, a variety of old combustion engines with examples of belt driven washing machines, steam and paraffin engines, lots of animal stock showing, lamas, cart horses, highland cattle, sheep, with dogs and shearing, hens, a dog show, 4 classes and champions, flowers, crafts, home backing, home brew. On the racing front pig races, ferret races and a hill race, almost 3 miles with almost 1000' of ascent, a beer tent too. A good day out.

Mid Hill

Short long run this week, 4 miles up and down Mid Hill, taking in the two wee cairns on the unnamed tops. Stopped for a couple of pictures before an easy jog down, a nice drizzle kept things cool.

Up Doune Hill

A tiring week so I went for a shorter run out and back to Doune Hill from the top of Glen Luss. Pleasant running some sun, a cool breeze and only saw two walkers while I was out. Slow jog up Eich luckily the ferns are not as tall as on the Stoneymollan.

Cloud sitting above the Luss tops but cutting off Ben Lomonds summit cone and the tops of the Arrochar Alps, the top of the Cobbler just in the cloud by the time I reached Doune Hills trig point. About turn and back along the ridge, stopping for a few pictures and to take in the views.

By the time I got back tot he top of Eich the cloud had cleared Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps. Easy jog down to the glen passing the two walkers near the bottom to finish just over two hours. Time Lapse.

Fairy Glen

Next race in the clubs annual GP, a 5k, 3 laps about 1 mile each taking in the bottom part of Fairy Glen joining Heart Attack hill about half way up each time. Every year you are determined to smash the hill and it just has a wee chuckle and you end up happy at just being able to keep running, finished in just over 24 minutes, good fun.

Vorlich and Vane from Inveruglas

Fancied a rockier run with a bit more height than the past few weeks. Parked at Inveruglas and took the Sloy dam access road. Ben Vorlich first, up the newly laid boulder steps into cloud from about 2000 feet. Passing the odd ghostly walker on the way.

Vorlichs Trig Point

Turned at the trig rather than the real summit, missed the sloy dam drop off in the mist descending the slightly longer less steep boulder stairs.

Vane from Vorlich

I coud see the cloud was rising and decided to take the more direct route up Vane from the Sloy Dam rather than the tourist path, I would come down that way, making the route more of a loop. Ran up the road and across the dam, going right of the big crag, slow plod up pathless ground to the ridge between Vane and Dubh.

Looking back to Vorlich from Vane

Reached the top a bit quicker than I thought and Vanes summit looked further away than it was. A bit of both really as I had come up onto the ridge one gulley further along than I wanted to.

Along the ridge to Vanes flat summit, a couple of misty pictures as the top was just in the clouds then off down the steep twisty path.

Back onto the tracks and road for an easy mostly downhill jog to finish in about 4 1/2 hours.

Luss Highland Games

First time since 2015 when I had a slip on the downhill part of the hill race, damaged my knee ligaments and was out for 6 weeks. The games have changed since then, instead of two hill races they run one combined local and open race. I started with the local 90m handicap, coming 4th out of 4, then the local 200 handicap, 3rd out of 4 for a prize! A couple of hours later the hill race with about 18 starters. A lap of the games field to start, a short run along the road to a path that takes us under the A82, through a few fields where the climbing starts, running in about 11th or 12th place, a few just in front begin to take a slight detour following a track round the ferns, I head straight up the hill through them re-joining the track further up. Round the flag at the top and pick up the track for the first part of the descent, manage to pass a couple of guys on the way down, left the track cutting the corner across some tussocks fairly sure those just behind would follow and lose time. Down through the fields no one in front or behind, along the road and a lap of the track, happy to finish 5th overall and second local, another prize.