Glen Mollochan Horseshoe

Another earlyish start, drove up to the top of the glen, the one car space was full, as I turned to go back down the glen a couple of guys came out the field carrying rucksacks, parked just down the road to wait and see if they had camped and were on their way, a few minutes later and off they went so I got my space and set off.

Beinn Eich with Doune Hills two tops back right

Beinn Eich to start, taking it easy up the initial steep slopes, into the mist just before the top.

 Running off the back of Beinn Eich heading for Beinn Lochain

Looking back to Beinn Eich on the way up Beinn Lochain

Slow and steady running along the undulating ridge over Beinn Lochain and up Doune Hill.

Doune Hill Trig Point

Doune Hill's second top

Stopped at Doune's trig then down and up to its second top, the descent into the glen much smoother from here as the drop off after the first top is gulley ridden making for a stop start run.

 Looking along the glen towards Glen Douglas

Sith Mor with Mid Hill behind

Ferns and tussocks to negotiate as I reach Sith Mor, pick my way through sticking to the grassier bits as much as possible before the trudge up the back of Mid Hill, a few clegs in the stillness of the glen encourages a bit of effort to gain height and hopefully a breeze to discourage the stealthy biters. Breeze kicks in about half way up then its back into the mist for a wee detour to the two small cairns on the unnamed tops that you need to visit.

Unnamed top "657"

Turned round and ran back in to the glen to finish in three and a bit hours.

Glenstriddle Horseshoe

Went to Luss for a shorter hill run this morning, ended up a bit longer than planned. Started up Beinn  Dubh, into the clouds about three quarters of the way up. Ran round the Corries to Mid Hill then decided to drop down into the Glen, cross the road and take in Coillie Eughain Hill as well. Ran down over the Paps through the tussocky forest and through Luss water to finish inside 3 hours.

Arrochar Hill Run

Arrived at the car park before 8, handed a ticket paid until 3pm by someone leaving as I went to pay. Route was to be Narnain and Ime coming back via Lag Uaine and Glen Loin, changed my mind on the way up Narnain and decided to go over the Cobbler after Ime descending behind the Cobbler crags rejoining the Buttermilk Burn path at the top of the zig zags.

Easy running to the bottom of the concrete block path then steady trudge up the front of Narnain, the views improving with height.

The Cobbler from ascent of Narnain

Nice and sunny to start, lasting until I was just about on top of Narnain before it started to cloud over.

Narnain summit

Met a walker on top of Narnain who had bivvied out on Ime the night before, said it was a bit chilly this morning as he set off for A Chrois.

Ime from Narnain

Ran down to Bealach A Mhaim and started up Ime, soon walking, bumped into fellow runner Alan on his way down he had been out since 6:30 and done Vorlich and Vane before Ime.

Looking towards Loch Lomond over the gnarly ridge from the top of Ime

No one at the top of Ime when I arrived, turned back towards the Cobbler and on the way down the sole of my trainer split from the upper, quick repair by tying my laces underneath solved the problem well enough to let me continue. Steady trudge up the back steps to the Cobbler, then jog walk to the central summit, busier here.

Set off down behind the summit crags for a quieter descent at least until the top of the zig zags where I rejoined the tourist path.

Ran down to finish inside 4 hours. Time Lapse

Cort Ma Law Hill Race

Tough wee Bog and Burn race, steep climb to start, managed to run pretty much all of it, yo yoing positions with the jog walkers, after the first kilometre the gradient eases and although undulating up for the next 4 km the route becomes quite runnable if you can navigate the luminous emerald green bogs between Cort Ma Law and the Leckett. Managed to pick off a few runners before the Leckett then another few in the short drop to the stream crossings, jogged most of the way back to the crossover point apart from a short section cutting the corner as you come out the ditch. Running into from the broken fence the wind strong enough to blow you about as you begin to tire before picking off another 3 or so runners on the fun run down the steep slopes to finish inside 69 minutes.

Approaching the finish making sure I'm not overtaken.

Photo courtesy Barbara McLeod, Westies

Mullach Nan Coirean and Stob Ban

Friday evening run in the Mamores, to avoid a 6 am start to pick up my youngest son near Inverness at 10 on Saturday morning I drove to Fort William after work on Friday. This would mean a more civilised 8 am start. Arrived at Glen Nevis camp site about 5pm, quick tent pitch and drove up to Achriabach. Started running up the track beside the river, dark clouds appeared over the hills in front and rain started to pour down, hoping it was a quick shower kept going for a few minutes then stopped to put jacket and hat on. Took a wrong turn on a forest road and ended up on the old path now covered in fir tree branches after the forest had been cleared, 10 minutes of slippery trudge to get through it and reach the steep path that climbs up beside the fence. Probably another 20 minutes of effort to reach the ridge. A short run to the bottom of the rocky summit cone and another walk to the top.

View from Mullach summit towards the rest of the Mamores, Stob Ban right, Sgurr A'Mhaom left

The rain had stopped and cloud cover clear of the tops meant good views, only time for one more hill tonight, Stob Ban, a wee favourite, running easily along the ridge felt good, taking in the views, not another soul around.

Stob Ban from the ridge from the Mullach

View from Stob Ban back to the Mullach

Last wee climb to the top of Stob Ban

Over a couple of rocky parts, nice and slow, soon on the last wee climb up the quartzite rocks to the summit cairn. The exit point a few yards down the hill, slowly and carefully again down the rocky path.

Sgurr A'Mhaim and the Devils ridge from Stob Ban

Glen Nevis from the top of the ridge to#wards Sgurr A'Mhaim

Looking back to Stob Ban

Soon on the grassy ridge running towards the stalkers path back to Achriabach.

Stob Ban's crags

Easy run down the twisty path overlooked by Stob Bans stunning rocky face and beside some nice waterfalls to finish back at Achriabach in about 3 1/2 hours. Time lapse here.

Stoneymollan Hill Race

Next race in this years GP, run as a handicap, 6 of us took part, finished 2nd, in just over 43 mins, just under 5 miles and 1000' of ascent, good wee race

Luss Hill Run

Wasn't sure where to go this week, decided on an out n back route and I could cut it short if I didn't feel like it. Started before 8 at the top of Glen Luss up Beinn Eich along the ridge over Beinn Lochain to Doune Hill, turning back at the Trig point.

Starting the climb up Beinn Eich

The mist was above Beinn Eichs top on the way out then dropped as I ran down the back, sitting about 1200' for rest of the run.

Beinn Lochain from Beinn Eich

Couple of zig zags required to find the path either side of Beinn Lochain as it fades in and out.

Doune Hills Trig Point

Same coming back off the top of Doune Hill.

The loch from Beinn Eich descent

Good run, finished just inside 2 1/2 hours.

Jura Fell Race

Weekend away to this engaging Inner Hebridean Island hill race, the journey is part of the experience, car to Kennacraig, Calmac ferry to Port Askaig on Islay, Eilean Dhuira ferry to Feolin on Jura, cycle to Craighouse.

Blue skies and cool breeze on the Friday. Set up camp in front of the hotel and avoided beer.

Dinner then an early night, the weather forecast for race day worsening. Woke to a grey day, as race start approached the rain came on and the last two hills disappeared into the mist.

Through kit check and registration by the 10:15 muster and we were off at 10:30. The first three hills (Pips) and checkpoints are over heathery moorland, a bit boggy at first, drying out as height is gained, each summit area bouldery, a flavour of the bigger Paps to come. No navigation issues with the first checkpoint, we are all pretty much in a line,

Easy running between CP1 and 2

Looming out the mist between CP1 and 2

1st to 2nd ok if you remember where to turn, we came up pretty good, about 30 yards left of the ideal line.

Approaching CP2

The middle section of 2nd to 3rd seemed more vague than I remembered but no problem reaching the CP,

CP2 to CP3

Down into Gleanne Astaile before the first Pap,  a few boggy tussocky patches but still running easy.

Drop into Gleann Astaile

The first Pap, up and across and up and across a few times picking the grassiest way up the scree covered flanks, lost a few places on the last up before the rocky summit dome.

Pap 1 summit

Across the top and down the ridge, steep gravel at first then scree which has drifted towards the bottom over the years. Short run across the coll, stopped to empty the gravel out my shoes before the climb up Pap #2, climbed well until I reached the ridge where cramp decided to visit quads and calves, drank some of the electrolyte fluids I was carrying which took a few minutes to kick in.

 The road along Pap 2 summit ridge

Descending off Pap 2 in the mist

Not much visibility on the run down to the next coll, slightly off line concentrating on keeping my still stiff legs moving as easily as I could, got back on line on the run across to Pap #3. I had started with my jacket on and stopped here to put bottoms on. Climbing ok until cramp kicked in again, more electrolytes, they took a few minutes longer to work this time.

Pap 3 Summit

Along the bouldery top past the CP turned for the descent, thought about a new line to try to pick up my usual second scree chute a bit higher up and save the Talus traverse. Decided against it and went with the usual twisting gritty path that gradually becomes a nice scree chute, had to dodge one large spinning medicine ball sized boulder thankful the runner behind had listened to the race brief instructions on warnings.

Overtaking down the scree chute

 Having a wee seat on the way down the scree chute

Talus traverse

Reached the end of the first scree chute and traversed across the Talus to the next one, followed it down and eventually picked up the traversing path towards the last hill Corra Bheinn. Across the lochan covered coll to start the short steep climb, cramp immediately brought me to a halt, more electrolytes helped at first but I didn't take enough as I was trying to keep some for the top and Three Arch Bridge, stopped again for some more.

The last climb, Corra Bheinn

Soon moving up more easily again, catching a couple of the places I had lost and I still had some electrolyte left for 3AB. Marshalls were hiding behind the summit out of the wind, had to work out a slightly different line to pick up the rough descent path. Passed a few coming up here who had taken a wrong turn off the third Pap, ouch, that would have hurt.

Half an hour of grassy, boggy descent to 3AB

Kept as high a pace as I could down towards 3AB, across the stream and hit some deep bogs, cramp came screaming back and the last of the electrolyte came to the rescue, a few minutes and I was at the road, waterproof bottoms off and set off on a steady 3 mile run to the finish in just over 6 1/4 hours.

Can I go round again?

This was 21 seconds quicker than my first Jura in 2010 run in similarly misty conditions.

I carried my GoPro camera in a chest harness and set it to take a picture every minute, I saved this in youtube as a time lapse video, just over 7 minutes long, link.