Morrone, Carn nan Drochaide, Gong and Viv!

Saturday afternoon we headed out to Braemar for the first of the weekend's runs. Short of time we opted for the very accessible Corbett - Morrone Hill which overlooks Braemar. This is the same hill as the Braemar Highland Games hill race, a short but steep out and back.

Unfortunately I forgot my phone so didn't get any pics but it was a short run in snow, ice and low cloud, around 700mtrs. We did get some nice views south towards Glen Callater but no visibility to the North. There was a fair bit of snow higher up and the path had some ice on and off from the very bottom to the top. I wore my Salomon SG's but my Artcic Talons would have been the better choice.
We were going to do a loop but we really were short of time and had plans at night so one out and back speed rep was all we could manage.

Saturday night was great, a fine meal at the Buchanan Bistro, good banter, serious life chats, a couple of character taxi drivers and far too much wine!

Sunday was a lazy morning and late start again but we went back out to Braemar this time deciding for the Corbett Carn nan Drochaide from the Lynn of Qoich.

River Quoich, another classic Deeside spate paddle

The weather was Ok, not much wind, cold but not like Morrone the day before.

As the estate are rebuilding the road that was swept away in the crazy floods a couple of years back, we had to park further back up the road. After an initial landy track climb you drop down into Glen Quoich and cross the river at the new bridge built by the Cairngorm club.

Morrone Hill

Once you clear the forest at the Quoich it's a flat 2km landy track until you turn north at the Allanmore cottage and onto the lower slopes of Creag a Chleiric following a very overgrown landy track up to its summit.

 This was good running turning steep and no give right up to Creag a Chleric.

Braemar down on the left, Morrone centre and the Glen Callater and White Mounth hills at the back

Then drop down and across to the rocky side of Carn nan Drochaide. There is a faint trod which we followed for a short distance but then went off grid which was more direct so it was into deeper heather, rocks and some snow up onto the summit.

Approaching the Carn nan Drochaide cairn

Looking SE to Carn nan Sgliat and Creag nan Leachda on the other side of the A93

Ben a Bhuird (1179m) towering behind!

Looking over to Glen Quoich and our decent

This was a great route and still very runnable unlike the higher hills just now which are becoming more difficult with deep snow. Reports of the higher munros in this area and over towards Lochnagar the same day sounded like very difficult running.

After the run we stopped past the Bothy at Braemar Mountain Sports for food before we said our goodbyes and I carried on over Glenshee towards Blairgowrie and Perth having some fun on the way as I was in the car (van still off the road) and then onto Glasgow for the night as I was going to see a gig.

Gong and Steve Hillage

What a night at SG3 in Glasgow seeing one of my all time favourite bands and idol live, the legendary, hippy axe man himself - Steve Hillage who was being supported by a distantly related version of his band Gong. It was amazing and a great nostalgic trip! ;)

The maestro himself

Jazz club - Niiiiiice!

After the gig and on my way back to the hotel I stumbled upon this jazz quartet playing in a pub so I popped in for a listen and a couple more shandies! ;) They were brilliant!

Absolutely blinding weekend from one extreme in the snowy hills to another in Glasgow city center listening to the most amazing prog rock!

Mike and the Mechanics taking away Viv with a blown turbo!

Now Monday morning was another day! Up reasonably earlier and I was zooming up the road from Glasgow to meet Mikey who was picking up my van from Stoney to take it away to fit a new turbo. Getting it onto the trailer was comedy gold! For a start the smoke belching from the van was like thick fog and eventually blinded the whole street while the minor road block we had created started getting a bit heated as folk started losing patience with us! This pretty much brought the Stoney Marina to a stand still for half hour! Pffffff..

Mikey hero tho was able to pull the engine that afternoon ready for the turbo which I was now on my way to pick up. My plan was get the turbo and then nip out to Bennachie for a quick blast before meeting Mikey again later on to give him the turbo.

Engine oot

Mither Tap on Bennachie

Here's where my day really got crazy! After my run and back at the car getting changed I was sitting on the passenger seat pulling jeans on and I sat on the car key and the car locked. I unlocked the car and threw the key on the drivers seat thinking nothing of it.. I then got out of the passenger side of the car and shut the door... you know where this is going don't you!?

BEEEEP I heard! This is when I knew I had fucked up! I clearly hadn't unlocked the car when I thought I had thus locking my key in the car! Noooooo!! It's Ok I thought.... I'll phone the house and arrange the spare key to be taken out but how could I do that when my freekin phone was also locked in the car!? Shite!!

Oh, I only had a T-shirt and a wafer thin OMM top on.. I was freezin, it was minus something with ice on the ground and starting to get dark and not a soul about in one of the more remote carparks at Bennachie.. At least I managed to put my jeans on!

I had just run out of hope and started running towards Chapel of Garioch when an older gentleman drove into the car park. I think he might have been God! I was able to borrow his phone and call who else but the one and only big Kev who came to the rescue AGAIN after towing my van from Inverurie to Blackburn 2 weeks ago when it first broke down. He picked me up, took me home to get spare key and then back to the car!
What a diamond!

Finally I was back on track although running massively late to meet Mikey to deliver my turbo down at Asda Garthdee..
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, nipping on to make up time, I ran a very debatable red light while crossing Great Western Road on Anderson Drive! Oh wait, is that blue lights behind me!? Yes it fucking was!! I pulled over waiting for Jeremy Beadle to jump out of the bushes but sadly not only a pair of fucking jobsworths! After the usual condescending good cop, bad cop bullshit and bringing up my slightly shady driving history, I was finally back on the road but with 3 points on my license and a £100 fine! Thanks for that... Just to put this into perspective.. I've had an exceptional amount of shit to deal with this last month (REALLY!!) and it seems like there's some sort of conspiracy going on against me! I'm waiting for some sort of earthquake or volcano to erupt next!

Anyway, one of my more full on weekends I've had in a while. All good now though, Mikey finished Viv and she's back running like a dream!! Booooom!!

A wintry Creag nan Gabhar!

After Knockfarrel yesterday I wasn't too keen on a long or hard day and my right soleus was a bit nippy. After a couple of short/fast races I usually end up with injuries so I erred on the side of caution and chose the Corbett - Creah nan Gabhar just south of Braemar on the A93 starting at the Bridge of Callater car park.

Climbing up onto Sron nan Gabhar

Loch Callater from Sron nan Gabhar with Cairn Bannoch and Broadcairn behind

I know this area quite well having done all the munros near here several times plus I had a great swim/run here earlier this year taking in Cairn Bannoch, Broadcairn and Loch Callater but I hadn't been to this side of the Glen before.

Looking North towards Braemar

Starting out on the Glen Callater landy track following the Callater Burn up for a few kms (incidentally the Callater Burn is a great spate kayaking Burn in high water!) before a track leads off to the right and winds it's way up onto Sron nan Gabhar.

It's a good track all the way but we had a couple of inches of snow and some iced up troughs so it was hard going in places but mostly good running a long the undulating top from Sron nan Gabhar to Creag an Gabhar (Corbett 834mtrs). 

Morrone to the left and Ben Avon and Ben a Bhuird at the back

Pano right into the heart of the Gorms 

Money shot!

The views looking NW over into the heart of the Gorms was spectacular! All the tops having a wee dump of snow over the last few days always makes it a special scene!

The route was short and sweet at 13kms/853mtrs. We could've done a loop which would've dropped us down onto the Glen Callater track but we couldn't face flat landy track so we just U turned and did an out and back.

Absolutely gorgeous day out in the first of the snow this year. Time to start wrapping up though and maybe dig the Arctic Talons out!

Oh, and the usual visit to Rocksalt and Snails in Ballater after the run for our 3rd coffee stop of the day just in time to watch a dog vomit all over the floor which was nice, especially for the folk sitting down tucking into their meals! Nom nom..

Knockfarrel Hill race 8kms/380mtrs

The short races keep on delivering!!

Considering I've had the craziest season of long plod races I'm surprised at my recent speed. All I've done this year is long training days in the mountains, AL races or Skyraces.. Either everyone is getting slower or Sonic the coach is managing to squeeze some more effort out of me! ;)

Myself and Stuart

I'd never done Knockfarrel before and since I'd been going well recently with Morven and Meall a Buchaille I thought I'd have one more crack at a shorter race before retiring for the year so off Stuart and I went up to Strathpeffer to check out this short and fast race put on by HHR!


Running slightly late and once we eventually found the shinty club it was quick reg, quick change and warm up run up to the start line!






It was cold with snow on some of the near by tops and we were warned of ice! The sun was out at least.
Stuart and I lined up right at the front in vests brrrr!! Seconds later we were flying a long the first flat trail for a few hundred mtrs until a sharp right onto the first short climb through a part frozen, cow trodden, dubby field. Loved the leap of faith over the burn!
I was probably top 6 or 7 for the first few kms. The 2 guys in front slowly started pulling away but when the first steep climb came onto Knockfarrel I was back right behind them as we all bunched up, pulling up on heather and grass up onto the summit. I knew Stuart was right behind me having pulled away from him on the field.

A white capped Ben Wyvis in the background

Stuart only a few seconds behind

Ord and Smiff battling it out!

Javier sweeping

The steep climb onto Knockfarrel really saps it out of your thighs and once on top trying to accelerate my legs felt like lead!
However I managed to get some power from somewhere and got in front of the next 2 runners sitting around 5th now. There were a couple of lead swaps here and there across and down to the foot of Cnoc Mor. This was a sketchy decent on a steep, wet techy trail and the sun in our eyes! I had no idea where I was putting my feet but kept up with the Moray guy in front eventually getting past him on the last climb.

Just before the last decent back down to the field

Jack Travellyen wasn't far behind and I thought he was closing in until I looked back half way across the bottom field but he was too far back to do anything on the last flat trail back to the finish. 

Stuart was just a few seconds behind Jack.

Home straight!

Stuart

I crossed the line in 45:50, 5th overall and 1st V40! Boooom!! Stuart was only seconds behind finishing 7th overall and 3rd V40. Next Deeside in was Smiff having got passed Ord on the steep decent through the trees from Cnoc Mor.

Back at the shinty club for coffee and cake was great and catching up with the usual suspects and folk I'd not seen in a while was good craic including Graham Briffet and hearing his grim tales of the OMM he and Dave Kerr had just competed in coming 2nd overall in their race!

Prize giving  was a free pick and I chose the Shiraz out of the chocolate, Rosey and beer. No brainer! ;)

The Deeside homeless and some guy having a fit

Another quality day racing but probably my last race (I know I said that ater MAB) this year. Although the Lochaber winter series was mentioned today.. hahahaha.. Just can't stay away from this racing lark! Which reminds me, off to enter some Sky races! Shazzaaam! :)


*All race photos courtesy of HHR

A wet, moody day on Pannanich!

A fine start to the day in the warm and cosy Birdhouse cafe in Banchory for coffee, smoothies and croissants, staring out at the rain pouring down, the cars ploughing through standing water on the road and people walking past the window under umbrellas generally looking miserable.. Oh great! 

What's that old saying - There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing! 

Then it was the short drive out to Ballater and to the start of the days route, Pannanich and Craig Vallich loop.

On with the suitable clothing and off we went starting from a layby just east of the town on the South Deeside Road. It's landy track winding up through the forest following the tree edge east and parallel to Brackley Burn which was a raging torrent with 2 days of heavy rain. It's a steady climb from here all the way to the trig point.

If for any reason you stop to take in the views on the way up past the forest, be careful not to lean on the fence by the path... you might get a wee 15,000 volt kick! lol

Pannanich summit

We took a wrong turn early on which had us visiting the mast site on Craig Coillich which was a great steep climb! I can see myself coming back here for reps!
Although the weather was awful there's still something satisfying about running in the rain and zero visibility! It was very, very wet with multiple small streams forming and running down the trails and mostly no visibility with the very occasional break in the sky. A shame as the views here are amazing. I've been hiking and running in the Glen Muick area for years but not really looked at these much easier and more accessible lesser peaks.

Hole in the sky

Once on top it's fairly flat and good running, well apart from the deep troughs of water we had to either bypass through heather or wade through.

From Craig Vallich down towards the Bridge of Muick we were treated to the most amazing, atmospheric and moody scene developing from the west where we got a sunny break above and between the Coyles of Muick and Creag Dearg lighting up the heather which stopped us in our tracks!

Gorgeous!

Soaked to the skin while soaking up the atmos!

Because we went wrong at the start we were up there a bit longer than anticipated so it was touch and go catching Rocksalt and Snails before it closed!! Nooooo.... We picked the pace up and got back to the car, dried off, changed and into town for 4pm which gave us just enough time for the most amazing, fully loaded and hot plate of Minestrone soup! Yaldie!!


As landy track routes go it was great and the terrain suited my companion's injuries so a win win for an easy accessible 18kms/700mtrs road side sesh. Booom!

The route