Wintery weekend

Saturday set off for Luss, same run from a few weeks ago the road works stopped. Good day for a run, no wind, ground frozen so dryish warmish feet. Parked at the top of the glen, set off for Beinn Eich, into snow about 1500'.

 From Beinn Eich towards Doune Hill

About a foot deep at the top, kept to the less snowy south (left) side of the ridge. Run towards Beinn an Lochain kept low (left) avoiding the snowier ridge path. Doune Hills top nice and snowy, picked my way down the back keeping to the tussocky ground where I could avoiding the smoother steep snow slopes.
 

 Mid Hill from Doune Hill

Climb up Mid Hill back into some snow at the top before an easy run off into the glen now filled with warm sunshine, finished under four hours, photos here. Sunday's plan was a short run over Stoneymollan, sun and blue sky changed that, set off for Arrochar. Both car parks full to overflowing, ran up the tourist path, got a row for taking a shortcut from a guy who claimed he helped make the paths.

 The Cobbler

Out the forest and a white topped Cobbler shining above a heathery hillside, the path clear of snow until the Narnain boulders, maybe that's why they are there. Ran up Narnain from the bealach, snow smoothing the way, microspikes on as it got steeper. Walkers and climbers everywhere. Snow cover made crossing the boulder field easy, stunning views from the top.

 Views down Loch Long to Arran from Narnain

Stayed and took in the views for a few minutes, fun run down in my microspikes. Finished inside three hours, more pictures here.

Ben Bowie

Saturday, first run for a week, touch of manflu, through Chrsitie Park to the Stonymollan, followed the 3LW to Ben Bowie.

 
Hail shower sent me back towards Stoneymollan after a couple of minutes, along past the Trig, Fort and Radiomast, finished the 10 or so miles in just under 2 1/2 hours. Sunday recovery run up behind the reservoir, through the quarry to the Fort, back down via the Radiomast.

Carnethy 5

Snowy day for this years charge round 5 Pentland Hills.

Not at my best so took it easy across the bogs, 1st climb felt ok, good stretch on my legs, passing a few on the way up, flats and downhills slow, repeat another 4 times, good to pass folk going up for a change probably as I wasn't using much energy or oxygen on the flats or downs. Slowest C5 time and my 1st race where it snowed the whole way. RO insisted on an extra layer worn or carried, sensible, very cold on the tops, although fine if you kept moving. Report and links to pictures here. Finished 408th out of 499 in about 97mins.

Luss

Plan was Eich, Doune, Mid, roadworks half way up the glen threatened to delay the drive home. Back to the bottom of the glen, route change, Dubh, Mid, Coille-eughain, a bit shorter and less climb, still about 10 miles and 3500' of ascent.

Not too cold to start, breeze picked up nearer the top into the cloud then snow, jacket and wooly hat on. Run along to Mid's snowy tops.

Drop back into the glen into sleety hail, the cloud level had dropped. Easy jog up the glen road before crossing the new bridge and slippery trudge up CE Hill. Steady run down the Paps across the fields back to the bottom of Glen Luss, just over three hours.

Ben Bowie

Set off late pm, along the bypass to Stoneymollan, followed the 3LW turning off to summit Ben Bowie.

Ran back the same way to the top of the Stoney then along the moor passed trig and fort descending past the radiomast, always seemed to be running into the wind with a bit of snow about and flesh eating hail squalls every15 minutes, finished in about 2 1/2 hours, more pictures here.

Trossachs Night Trail Race #2

Second of three races, this one at Calandar, smaller field, about 70, cold, mixture  of clear skies and sleet, going better than the last one until about 1 mile from the end, took a wee detour out an back to a Calandar Housing Estate, oops, trundled in about last, warm soup in the Wheels Cycling Centre, good fun.

Carman Muir, misty Luss

Saturday's PM run up behind Carman Resrvoir, through the quarry to the fort along and back to the trig then home via the radio mast, out for just under 90 mins. Sunday, PM again, Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill, Coille Eughain Hill finishing down the Paps. A warm 13 degrees in the valley, all the snow gone from the top, windy up there too, no views, into cloud above 1500'. Easy run up Dubh, only saw 5 people today. Ran along the trail to mid hill and down into Glen Luss, across the new bridge.

Trudge up Coille E's steep flank back into the clag, worked my way round the peat hags to the wee trod down to the paps and back out the cloud, 10 miles, 3500' inside 3 1/2 hours, finishing as it began to get dark.

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.

Beinn Eich n others

Run walk up Beinn Eich into cloud and snow, cold wind and little visibility at the top.

 Beinn Eich summit cairn

Ran down the back to the coll before Beinn an Lochain, nearly under the clouds, kept off the ridge out of the wind for the up and over BaL, difficult to find the path off the back to Doune Hill, short steep trudge and the trig point appeared through the mist. Stopped for a quick re-fuel hiding behind the trig to escape the wind.

 Doune Hill Trig

The run back a bit easier only walking the climb back up Eich, straight over the top eventually dropping out the clouds about 2/3 of the way down, 8 miles, 3000'+ in just under 3 hours.

Ben Bowie

Last run of the holiday's, through Chrstie Park to the Stoneymollan, followed the 3LW turning off to take in Ben Bowie's misty twin summits, no views today. Back to the top of the Stoney then along Bromley and Carman moors past the Trig point to the Fort, home past the radio mast and Cemetery. Just over two hours, about 20 minutes quicker than last time.

Glen Finlas

Finlas loop, probably about 10 miles, up the road towards the dam, taking the rough trail off to the right past the reservoir then straight up onto the peat hagged clagged in ridge. Undulating run round the ridge, cold when exposed to the wind from about the coll at the top of the glen and most of the way back.

Dropped down to the reservoir before the last top on the ridge and an easy run down to finish in about three hours. A few pictures here.

Beinn Dubh and Mid Hill

Up Beinn Dubh, along the trail to Mid Hill and back in a couple of hours, quite a few walkers out today, cloud level about 2000', the tops with a little snow, best day for a while, sunny, little wind, the white capped peaks of the bigger hills to the north and Ben Lomond to the east disappearing into cloud. More pictures here.

Luss

Set off for Luss this morning, missed the better weather, a bit wet n windy by the time I started up Beinn Dubh. Managed to run the bottom half, closer to the top more of a stagger and avoid getting blown over. Not many out today. Round the summit cairn without stopping and steady down, the wind easing with height, warm for the time of year but wind chill could catch you out, character building run, finished in about 90 mins.

Whinney Hill

 
After timekeeping at the club cross country, went for a run up and down the Whinny Hill trail, freezing conditions helped firm up the muddy bits, great views from the seat, Finlas and Luss hilltops sitting above the clouds, majestic white Ben under a pale blue sky, good day for a run.

Wreckless running

Thursday night Wreckless Eric in the Glasgow CCA, took the Friday off rather than risk the new dd laws.

Friday run up to the Fort then along to the trig, instead of turning back ran striaght for the Vale.

 Stopped for a photo of the valley from Balloch to Dumbarton.

Ben Bowie

Set off about half two, sealskinz socks, gloves, wooly hat and head torch, along to the stoneymollan, up through the trees for shelter, along the deforested forest trail, wet n windy. Back in to the forest for some more shelter before an exposed climb to Bowies tops, staggered about in the wind, turned back for the Stoney, detour on the way back via trig and fort, the last descent in the dark, finished just over two and a half hours.

Trossachs Night Trail Race

Good crowd for tonight's trail race, about 5.5 miles, the first in a series of three, website here, the other races are Jan 27th and March 9th. My Petzl Myo headtorch outshone by ones masquerading as car headlights. Good mixture of firm trails, rootsy muddy trails, a couple of wee uphills and mostly downhill towards the end. Soup in the Forth Inn to warm us up after, finished in about 50 mins.

Stoneymollan

First weekend run for a couple of weeks, planned for an easy run up to the fort. Breezy with a hint of moisture in the air, decided to run on to the Trig point and continued down to meet the Stoneymollan trail. Short rest then turned back for home, nice and soft underfoot, toes took a while to thaw out, time for Sealskinz, finished inside two hours.

Stoneymollan

Short run Saturday, round the reservoir, through the quarry and up to the fort, out for just over an hour finishing in the dark. Stopped for a few pictures otherwise might have reached the trig point.

Dumyat Dash

My first race for a while, the short sharp apt Dumyat Dash. 120 plus runners for the 3 miles and 1300' of climb. Different route again this year with a wee diversion to go through some scree and then Castle Law 's summit before Dumyat. Uphill's mostly walking, running the undulations in between, steady run off the back of Dumyat to finish just inside 58 minutes. Collected my SHR Mug for completing 4 of the 6 selected races, Birnam, Ben Lomond, Slioch and Durisdeer, in this year's championship.