Loch Lochy Munros

Peaks: Sron a'Choire Gharbh, Meall na Teanga

Area: Loch Lochy, Scotland

The weather really did change overnight this time, and tendrils of mist draped Loch Cluanie when I peered out of the van after waking. These hills were therefore the perfect choice for a changeable day, as they are pretty straightforward and the nav looked simple. The rain was light but after finally deciding on my strategy for the day, I drove across to Invergarry and had breakfast and tea outside the village hall - a great venue with lots of nice seating and a heated toilet! The weather was forecast to improve, which it began to do, and by the time I parked up at Killfinnan (near Laggan Locks on the Caledonian Canal) it was dry. The route takes a gravel track through forestry above the loch, which I know well from various trips along the Spean Bridge road. I got on my bike for most of this, a great help, and then took the obvious side path through the forest. This is all aimed at getting to the very obvious col, the Cam Bealach. Steep initially, it then takes a pleasant line through the deep valley of the Allt Glas Doire (an old coffin road apparently). The bealach is the key to the day, as both hills can be easily accessed from it. Until this point, the weather had been dry and the cloudbase above the peaks. It did look a bit threatening, however, and it seemed unlikely I would avoid getting wet. I went up Sron a'Choire first, leaving my sac at the bealach and ploughing up zig-zags to another shallow col below Sean Meall, and then the summit up left. Exceptional views and an ever-changing cloudscape, with spectacular effects as the sun burst through banks of cloud. It was nice to look down to Loch Lochy and tiny cars driving up the A82. Closer, Ben Tee impressed: a traverse of these hills would be good. After a chat to a chap on the summit (rare for me to see anyone), I trotted back down to the col and picked up my sac for the longer haul up Meall na Teanga, despite its lower altitude. The path weaved steeply up to Coire Leacachan and then curved west to a steep snowfield and then a climb south to the cairn, right at the end of the summit ridge. Great views to nearby peaks and a fierce looking Ben Nevis across the Great Glen, full winter conditions up there and lots of shower clouds tracking around. I put my shell on as it was pretty cold in the wind, and on the descent one of those shower clouds hit.  By the time I got back to the bealach it was dry again, and I dropped down to a stream for a pleasant lunch, now in sunshine again. I trotted back down, past a dead deer, and it started raining as I regained the forest. It got quite heavy on the final bike section back to the van. Again, it soon stopped and I brewed a cup of tea while my kit dried out before heading for provisions in Spean Bridge and camping at a familiar halt: Creag Meagaidh.

Loch Cluanie Munros

Peaks: Carn Ghluasaid, Creag a'Chaorainn, Sgurr nan Conbhairean, Sail Chaorainn, Drochaid an' Tuill Easaich

Area: Kintail, Scotland

A quick weather check after yesterday's round revealed an annoying change: a mild front was coming in from the west. I had designs on the remote peaks between Glen Shiel and Affric, but the forecast made me change my mind and go for this less ambitious option. I actually parked, and spent the night, at the Lundie car park that represents the start of this round. It was a great route choice actually, and in fact the weather didn't really change until the evening. The round began with a perfectly constructed stalkers path, and I was able to make quick progress up this despite yesterday's exertions. Carn Ghluasaid is hidden behind a forepeak but the weaving path meant I was up in an hour from the van. There had been a weather change, high cloud, but it was well above the tops and completely dry. The next peak, Conbhairean, looked superb from this angle across a deep and impressive cwm still holding a fair amount of snow. I trotted over to a broad and rocky col and then ploughed up, the day still fairly young. At this point some sunshine peeked through and blue sky appeared overhead. It may have lacked the clarity of yesterday but it was very nice, and I really enjoyed the trot out to Sail Chaorainn. This was along a broad ridge and the summit is only a metre higher than the sister peak further north. The weather cleared further for the return back to Sgurr nan Conbhairean (which is easily the most impressive of this range) and I cut the corner to a snowfield and then a narrowing ridge down to a col. From here I trotted up to a little top, Drochaid, with superb views down to the wild valley of Gleann na Ciche, which leads down to Affric. Indeed I could see across to the big mountains of Affric like Mam Sodhail that I did on a long day two years ago. The descent takes a broad ridge above the deep cwm containing the Gorm Lochan. This was pretty civilised until a steep final section during which I was dehydrating badly having taken my usual lightweight approach. It took ages to get to a stream by which time I wasn't far from the road! After a drink I ignored the old military road in favour of the actual modern road, and trotted down this back to the van for an early finish. This had several advantages: the best of the weather (it did soon cloud over) and more time to replenish my body battery. This I did in the usual way: lots of eating, a river bath in a gorge lower down Glen Shiel, and birdwatching at Loch Cluanie: red-throated diver, goosander, sand martin, sandpiper. 

Brothers of Kintail

Peaks: Am Bathach, Ciste Dhubh, Sgurr an Fhuarail, Aonach Meadhoin, Sgurr a'Bealach Dheirg, Saileag

Area: Kintail, Scotland

Although the 'Brothers' of Kintail are inferior to the more famous neighbouring Five Sisters (which I ran on a pre-breakfast trip in 2012), this was still a grand day out in the hills - made better by the inclusion of Am Bathach and Ciste Dhubh as 'aperitifs'. After waking up with ice on the inside of the window, I drove from Forest Lodge to Fort William for breakfast then continued to Glen Shiel, and into a thick bank of fog! This was annoying after the crystal clarity further south, but I trusted the forecast and (after first dropping my bike off below the Bealach an Lapain) headed up into the mist on Am Bathach. This is a delightful Corbett and an obvious objective from Cluanie Inn - a long ridge and fine peak. A steep start led to the ridge which was a delight, and I soon detected a clearance. Sure enough, at the summit, the mist started to peel away revealing glimpses of the peaks to come and blue skies above. By the time I left the summit and got down to the very broad, boggy Bealach a'Choinich the mist was clearing in earnest and the magic began. Tendrils were left in some valleys but everything soon became crystal washed in searing clarity. First came Ciste Dhubh, up very steep boggy slopes initially, but then giving way to a superb ridge. This was as good as it gets, perfect views across to A'Chralaig and down towards Glen Affric. A contouring path below a little pinnacle led to a narrower finishing ridge to one of Scotland's smaller summits, just a plinth with fantastic views on all sides. After a quick snack I descended comfortably back to the big bealach for a long drink from a stream and lunch. I spied a way across to gain the 'Brothers' although it was obviously going to be a steep, hard climb. I went up a stream valley and this worked quite well, although the ground then became very steep indeed. This led tiringly across to a snowfield and semblance of a vague path. Eventually, and suddenly, I emerged onto the sundrenched summit of Sgurr an Fhuarail, just a top but a wonderful vantage point looking out across the entire North Kintail ridge. This was perhaps the view of the trip, and after a snack I moved across a snowy section to a dip and then climb to the second Munro of the day, Aonach Meadhoin, a large dome and a lesser viewpoint. The ridge continues, absorbing stuff with a few narrow sections, the odd bit of scrambling, up to Sgurr a'Bealach Dheirg. Here, the summit is along a narrow and rocky ridge, a fantastic spot. A huge snowfield lent definition to a great view over to the Saddle. The South Glen Shiel ridge also gave happy memories. The rest of the ridge went easily, although I was tiring a bit, as Saileag is a bit of an afterthought, but still Munro number four of the day. I jogged down to the marked Bealach an Lapain and the horrible descent down this. I had been up here before on my Five Sisters day and it is unpleasantly steep throughout, even worse in descent. I retrieved my bike from the car park and cycled all the way back up Glen Shiel to the van, a nice warm down after a 1900m elevation day.

Stob a'Choire Odhair

Peaks: Stob a'Choire Odhair

Area: Blackmount, Scotland

A period of high pressure but some juggling was required to get this short window for my spring Highlands trip. Eventually I headed up after a 9am lecture, arriving much later than my usual routine and parking near Forest Lodge, Bridge of Orchy. I didn't start until 4.30pm, in absolutely perfect conditions: crisp and wonderfully clear and sunny. I had been here a couple of times before, once rained off as a youth in 1990 or so. And once more recently, running up Stob Ghabar while Kate and the kids had breakfast in Tyndrum. I missed this, Stob Ghabhar's less illustrious neighbour, at the time for reasons of family diplomacy, so it made an ideal short objective today. Actually, it's not all that short, as there is a longish track alongside the Shira first. At Clashgour Hut, the main hill route starts, north up the valley of the Toaig. This is quite civilised and you can move pretty quickly on it. As the walls of the two peaks close in, I took the steep direct route up Odhair. This gains height quickly and eventually a broad plateau is reached with a rocky slog over to the true summit - exactly an hour from the Clashgour Hut. With the sun dropping, I was on the tops later than I usually am and therefore the quality of light was really special. Stob Ghabhar dominates across the col, but the rest of the Blackmount and the big expanse of Rannoch Moor is equally good - it must give the best view of the latter, every ripple of the landscape visible in this light. I made a little loop by trotting down the ridge to the col and then descending the whole of the Toaig back to the hut, Forest Lodge and the van. I took a chilly river bath in the Shira as the sun set then had ravioli before a quiet night in the van with drumming snipe and owls calling.

PitP parkrun

'Race': Park in the past parkrun 

Time/Position: 19.59 (6th from 143)

Another perfunctory jog around the local parkrun, still well down on the times I was running on this course last year. Nice spring weather for the jog across the fields and the laps were a little drier than they have been recently. My worst ever finishing position at this parkrun, although I was even slower than this a month or two ago.

Spring 5

Race: Chester Spring 5

Time/Position: 30.14 (51st from 358 [2nd V55])

One of the long-established local races that I've never won my category on (although I did win the V50 prize three years ago due to its scrupulously fair age-based prize structure). Sadly I didn't win tonight either! Although this was a disappointing performance, a minute slower than my V55 PB set at Holyhead last summer, and almost two minutes down on my course PB, it was actually a perfect illustration of where I am form-wise at present. It was nice to see some old faces and age-group rivals at the start, and I knew I had some stiff competition in the category. In the event, though, I was nearly a minute behind the winner and couldn't hold the pace of Jez or Tom either. I did start pretty fast with a 5.24 first mile - this is too much for me to handle these days and I inevitably paid for it later on. This is now a common pattern: I run the pace I think I should be able to maintain but then start to suffer after 5k. The exact opposite of what I used to pride myself on: solid consistent pacing. An unfortunate effect of the ageing process and perhaps a reason for some kind of semi-retirement from this sort of racing after 1000 or so lifetime races.

Warrington parkrun

'Race': Warrington parkrun

Time/Position: 18.49 (4th from 561)

Despite my Warrington associations I had never done the parkrun before so thought it would make a good shakedown/tester in advance of next week's Spring 5. I haven't done much speedwork or even much running over the past few weeks so anything under 19 minutes seemed a decent target. As such, I was pleased with this over a nice course around narrow tarmac paths from Victoria park just east of the town centre. After a short grassy climb and field we reached the Manchester Ship Canal and the Trans Pennine Trail. I slowed a bit after a quick start but managed to keep the pace ticking over back to Victoria Park: a good half minute slower than the V55 course record though. An Ikea breakfast and shop followed, nice combination.