This is a swim variation on my LSD run/scramble route (Lochnagar, Stuic, Dubh Loch). The route is approx 25km and starting at Glen Muick carpark takes in Black Spout gully on Lochnagar, the Stuic Butress on the Stuic and Central Gully on Dubh Loch with approx 2500mtrs of climb. It just so happens there are several mountain lochs a long the way and I always thought it would be a great swim/run!
Kit list
This is my local stomping ground and I must've hiked, climbed and run this mountain 50 times over the years but very seldom am I over this end of the loch so it was great to see the corrie from this angle and even better to finally get to swim in this high, cold and dark lochain..
The loch of Lochnagar which is actually called Lochnagar. The mountain is named Beinn Chiochan!
I found the swim failry cold. The loch is at 750mtrs elevation. I picked this day to do it as the forecast was epic and with high temps. I thought it would be cold but it was baltic! I really felt it on my face and feet and it was surprisingly choppy towards the get out. I had the wind and chop hitting my left ear so I was breathing on my right side only and was quite glad to get out on the other side and back onto my feet. What an experience though.. I stopped for a float a few times and to take in the atmos and it really was PURE! I've open water swam in various rivers, lochs, seas, but a mountain loch is different and a high Scottish mountain lochain is very special!
I couldn't wait to get over to the Stuic and into loch no 2..
Lochnagar overlooked by Meikle Pap at the back
Top of Black Spout
The Stuic and Loch nan Eun, swim no 2
Company! Love this pic, he looks like he's part of the boulder..
Inviting aqua but freekin freezin Mr Bigglesworth
Great running from Cac Carn Beag over to the Stuic and to swim no 2 Loch nan Eun. This is a short 300mtr loch but this was probably the best experience of the day. Just as I thought nothing could beat Lochnagar this just blew me away! The colour of the water is unreal, a clear green blue loch. It was quite choppy in the middle and cold like Lochnagar but I didn't want to get out! A special situation to be in. I think the added remoteness of this one hit me in the middle of the loch. There was absolutely nobody about and there seldom is here. Nobody knew exactly where I was and I was solo in the middle of a freezing loch! This was absolute PURITY! The only thing that could've made this any purer was to ditch the wetsuit but there's no way that was happening!
Loch nan Eun with the Stuic buttress behind
Once out of the water I quickly got behind a big boulder out of the wind and got changed back into running gear and started up the Stuic butress. This is a grade 2 scramble and quite straight forward sticking to the crest, like most ridges when you start looking for easier routes and deviate from the crest, it's easy to end up at a dead end or worse into an inescapable position!
Loch nan Eun from half way up Stuic butress
From the top of the Stuic round and down to Dubh Loch starts on a good path which would eventually take you round to Cairn Bannoch but for Dubh Loch it's off grid to the SE on rough ground but surprisingly good running with care as it is heathery, grassy and boggy especially nearer Dubh Loch. You can follow Allt an Dubh loch burn down to the loch. Normally for the run only route and to Central Gully it pays to stay high and traverse round to the gully entrance but I was swimming the loch and from the far side of the loch I ran straight down the Dubh Loch path to Glas Allt.
Creag an Dubh Loch. The run route is up Central Gully
Dubh Loch was slightly warmer than the other 2 swims and by that time I was looking forward to the swim and getting the swim secure back pack off my back!! I should've added before that I was mostly carrying the pack in my arms as the straps had completely failed and broken. I tried to botch a fix but it was very uncomfortable to run with on my back and was rubbing like hell.
Dubh Loch
Dubh Loch, warmest swim of the day
Dubh Loch
Swim Secure tow float - garbage!
Dubh Loch overlooked by the infamous Creag an Dubh Loch
I had planned to do Loch Muick as well which is another 4km of swimming but I was running out of time (and energy tbh) so I decided to bail on it with a view to coming back to complete the full route another time. I have swam the Muick several times so I wasn't too fussed. I ran from here back to the carpark.
An amazing experience over all in unreal weather. There was some faffing with the back pack float and it took until Dubh Loch before I had a slick operation going with all my gear, remembering what to keep in and out of the pack. I'll be better prepared for the next one! Bwanow!
Update - I've been experimenting with different float packs and none of them are particularly good for running long distance. The perfect float would be a cross between the Lomo float and Huub dry bag.
I also upgraded my swim/run wetsuit from my old cut down TRN shorty to a Zone 3 Evolution which is absolutely brilliant! Very focused on running and I'll be keeping my arms on this one!
Tromso Training weekend and off I went to Torridon to start with. I was looking for a short run for Friday evening and picked Ben Alligan as I'd never done it although I'm familiar with the area having done Ben Eighe its neighbour.
Beautiful night, warm no wind. I was trying new poles for Tromso and Glencoe later in the year. Leki Micro Trails with trigger shark gloves. These are brilliant, super light and very strong carbon. I found they really helped on the climbs..
Endless swim/run opportunities!
#mountainfuel
Total route 13kms/500mtrs.
Glensheil North side
Saturday I was originally going to swim the Celtman swim route and then do some biking but the weather forecast changed and I decided last minute to move south to Glensheil to do the full north side of the road. 45kms and 4000mtrs.. However I din't start until midday after the drive and some faffing looking for the start..
The first few kms were tough going as I missed the path up onto the ridge and ended up ploughing through ferns, thick forest and generally very difficult ground. Once up ontot he ridge I had spells of great flowing running.
The only folk I saw all day were a really nice older couple bizarrely from Aberdeen who were doing a couple of the munros and we chatted for ages before I carried on. I met them again at night in the pub! Drunkards!
I made a couple of nav mistakes which cost me some time and also some extra climbing. By the time I got to the furthest point it was 5pm and I still had half of the ridge to do and arguably the most technical. This is where I had to re think the route and after some deliberating I decided I would run out of time and possibly light so I decided to bail..
I chose to run out the Kintail way which was amazing running on a good path. The finished route was a good bit shorter than I planned but still good blast.
Total route 37kms/3000mtrs..
I stayed at the local campsite and cycled to the pub at night for food and to blow the froth off a couple! Shabba!
This was the inaugural Pinnacle Ridge Extreme race and part of the Lakes Sky races and brainchild of Charles Sprosan. A cross between running and climbing taking in some of the classic scrambles on the Hellvelyn Massif.. Striding Edge, Swirel Edge and Pinnacle Ridge!
Myself and Rob Sinclair drove down from Aberdeen for this one as it appealed to our techy running interest. Both of us had competed last year in the Lakes races, Rob at the Lakes Sky Ultra which he won and myself on Scafell Skyrace..
Race brief
A small field of only 38 runners.. Charles had a fairly strict entry and vetting process similar to Glencoe Skyline where the entrant has to prove their climbing ability and provide a list of named and graded rock climbing routes they've done. This is to ensure safety on the route as you are soloing exposed climbs with no harness, you're not tied in, no protection, etc.. you fall, you get hurt or worse! There are fixed ropes in place that you "could" pull on but they're better left alone in my opinion. ;)
The routes aren't technically hard from a rock climbing perspective, there are good holds but if you're not used to this terrain and some exposure you could get jittery and the last place you want disco leg is half way up a crag with nae rope!
I started off fairly near the front of the pack with Rob flying off ahead of everyone clearly showing his speed compared to us mere mortals..
Sitting just behind the front runners I slowly moved up on the climbs and was probably top 5 for the first few kms. On the climb up to Hellvelyn I'd taken another 2 and between Swirel Edge and Catstye Cam I moved into 2nd place having taken another runner. Obviously all the legends never turned up!
Catstye Cam
I didn't look back from here and blasted down and round to Striding Edge. An awesome, fast and technical decent on a loose zig zagging path then at the bottom onto flatter, tougher ground on long, thick, tussachy and boggy grass up towards Striding Edge.
Hellvelyn and Striding Edge
Striding Edge was heaving with hikers but they were being asked by marshals to give way to runners and they were great and moved aside to let me through. I made good time and ran most of it sticking to the crest as much as possible.
The only delay was the down climb off the ridge which was a bottleneck with folk slowly lowering themselves down. I ended up going way off route to the left and down climbed a very steep, loose gully but it worked out and I managed to bypass hoards of hikers and then I was back onto the steeper last part of the ridge and back up onto Helvellyn.
Some good fast running from here over to Nethermost Pike and dropping into Grisdale Beck
then the horrendous climb up onto Sunday Crag/Pinnacle Ridge the most technical section saved for last just when you're legs are boxed!
Looking back over to Nethermost Pike
This last ascent up to the ridge was hard, hard, hard! Everyone had the same tale to tell here where they struggled pulling up the heather and grass after the beating they'd taken to get here. I had a few stops here to contemplate my sanity but it was a good opportunity to get some more pics on the hoof.
Once I manned up it was time to get my head back down and I kept chipping away until I was at the bottom of Pinnacle Ridge, the main event!
This was great and the highlight of the race for me. Nice techy scrambling with some nice exposed positions. The only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, I could've climbed there all day!
Pinnacle Ridge
I still couldn't see anyone behind me so I knew I should be able to stay in my current position. I moved fairly fast over the ridge and up onto the Cape. All I had to do now was cruise back to Patterdale but I wasn't taking any chances and floored it back down into town!
I finished 2nd in 4hrs 48 mins. Next runner was Colin Smith 3rd in 5hrs 13 mins. Rob obviously smashed it to take the win!
What an absolute blinder of a course which suited me down to the ground and I was really happy to podium with Rob, nae bad for 2 loons fae the Deen!
The event was brilliantly organised by Charles and his helpers in an incredible part of the country! Surely a classic race in the calendar for years to come! I'll certainly be back next year.
Runner up and some beers for me from Charlie
Chicken Dinner!
Aberdeen 1, 2!
Official Promo vid
And to top the weekend off we went out for dinner in keswick with Mountain Fuel front man Rupert Bonnington, his wife Ann and Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn. A lovely meal then afterwards a visit to a couple of local bars thrown into the bargain for some re-hydration! :)
