Ben Avon swim/run

I've been wanting to swim Loch Builg for a while with it's remoteness and special position right under Ben Avon. It was an obvious sim/run route taking in Ben Avon first then the Loch on the way back.

With at least 18 degrees forecast and sun I decided to go for it last minute.

The Loch is short at only just over 1km but it's a quality swim. There are myths of a gigantic Pike in there somewhere but thankfully it didn't get a bite!

Corndavon Lodge

There's no easy way in to Ben Avon. It's remote but does have several ways in but these are at least 10km just to the foot of the hill. I went in from the Gairn Sheil road NW of Ballater as I think it's the best way in and the track is mostly flat unlike Corgarff or Keiloch. Also this way takes you straight to Loch Builg which is where I based myself for the transitions.

I took the bike in to cut down mileage on foot. The route is approx 20kms bike, 20kms/1200mtrs run and 1.2kms swim.

Loch Builg

What's left of Builg Lodge

I managed to padlock the new bike to an iron bar cemented into the wall of Builg Lodge. I'm pretty sure nobody would mess with the bike this far into the hills but you just never know. I've dumped plenty bikes at the foot of hills before and never even thought of anyone actually taking it as you'd hope hill goers are decent folk but when you've spent more money on a bike than a small car then you can't take any chances! 

I stashed my wetsuit and other bits and pieces at the head of the Loch ready for the swim on the way back then I was off on the run.

The route follows the Gairn upstream SW for a few Kms and then peels off  NW following the Allt an Eas Mhoir burn until you get onto the vast plateau of Ben Avon. 

The views looking back SE towards Lochnagar are incredible.

From the top of the burn it's onto the true top Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe (1150mtrs). It's a massive and impressive area up here and unlike most munros with weird Tors strewn all over the place. There's a very easy short scramble to the summit.  

Typically the cloud and a bit of rain came just as I got to the top so I hung around for 30 mins or so hoping it would clear but it did not. Then once I started heading down it cleared! I wasn't going back..

The path from the plateau down towards Inchrory is superb with very good fast running. 

Once down it was back to a big landy track following the Builg Burn down to the Loch and into my wetsuit for the last stretch. 

The swim was brilliant and the reason I was here! A welcome relief to get off my feet and float around for a bit before a wee speed session down the length of the Loch and back to the Lodge and bike.  

I didn't see a soul all day and didn't expect to tbh as it's so remote and not a popular munro to scale and even then most folk go in from keiloch. However, while I was stripped bare arse etc drying myself after the swim I heard a voice shouting "Oi I really don't want to see that!" from behind me! Bloody typical that a bike packer just happened to be passing the Loch just as my arse was out!! Hahaha

The route

 

Glen Esk swim/run

I've been wanting to swim Loch Lee for a while now. A beautiful loch at the head of Glen Esk supplying water to the infamous North Esk river where I spent many years kayaking earlier in life!

Myself  on Triple Falls during the North Esk river race

Myself  on the Fish Ladder, North Esk 

Back to the swim/run. I decided to swim first as I was trying a new full wetsuit and didn't fancy running too far with it so after leaving the van at the car park I ran the 3km to the far side of the loch so I had the wind behind me on the swim.

                                     

Quite weedy here

                                   



                                     

I've used several tow floats in the past. The LOMO one for the money isn't too bad but like most floats it's rubbish for running any great distance. The straps are cheap and just not suited for running. I do like the double chambers and valves for redundancy though and the price is good.

New Orca Sonar, love it!

                   

The loch is quite weedy at the far end so I got in just past the worst of it and swam out to the middle of the loch. The weather wasn't too bad, cloudy with occasional burst of sun. The water was cold as it's mostly in the shade but when the sun came out I took advantage and flipped over onto my back to warm my feet and face in the sun. Great swim tho, although I was sighting the old house at the other end of the loch I was meandering quite a bit I managed to clock up 2.7km.

Mid loch selfie

                                   

House at the near side of the loch

                                   

Onto the run. This was a 22k plod over some unspectacular terrain but with some spectacular views towards Lochnagar and Mount Keen. The Angus hills aren't really my bag but it's fine to mix the hills up and get a change of scenery from the hills to the North and West. It's very close to home as well.

Loch Lee

Carlochy, will come back for this wee gem

 

Lochnagar

Total route 2.7kms swim/22.5kms/1500mtr run.


A great day out and a good work out. These sessions are all about the swim, the run is an added bonus. Although I did split the swim and run up with a visit to the van in between it's not a true swim/run. None the less it's a great all over body workout and such a great experience going from water to running shoes. I just can't get enough of this and have so many more routes I want to do taking in some bigger lochs and bigger runs! Watch this space..

Glen Callater swim/run

An absolute cracker of a day in Glen Callater for an awsome swim/run. I was trying a new Huub back pack/tow float I scored off Kev Watson at Total Endurance and by far this is the best pack I've used as the straps are brilliant for running and very comfy unlike the Swim-Secure and the LOMO efforts. You do pay for the privilege tho, not cheap at £80 compared to the £35/£25 for the other 2 but the difference in quality is vast. For just a basic tow float though without running both the cheaper options are fine.

Huub back pack and Loch Callater

       

A Ptarmigan was kind enough to take this photo for me ;)

I ran in my Planet X Tri suit which for the money is the best Tri suit I've used, I just can't see past it and wonder why people pay so much for other brands. My shorty wetsuit and other bits and pieces were all in the Huub and I took my Inov8 bum bag purely for my phone, nutrition, car keys etc.. I found this the best way for easily accessing things without stopping to take the Huub off. I'm used to running in a Salomon race vest with loads of front pockets and places to stash stuff but that's not an option with these float bags. The bum bag was double dry bagged for the swim.


                          

I ran first using my cut down Orca TRN and bagged everything including shoes for the swim. I really don't like swimming with shoes on and I'd rather dry feet for the runs.
Orca TRN cut down wet suit
Orca Skull Cap
Predator goggles
Ear plugs
Full dry body cover (was a beautiful warm day but you just never know!!) Jacket and trousers
Buff
Gloves
light weight quick drying towel
Shades :)
Phone
MF jellies x 3
500ml MF RAW

                                                 


The run from the A93 Glenshee road up to the Loch is quite dull landy track but being a belter of a day I was happy to get some sun and plod away. Once you get to the loch you peel off to the left (East) towards Carn an t-sagairt Mo and Cairn Bannoch. I was heading for the latter and then onto Broadcairn. This is a great area and there's some very good fast running to be had on good trails over towards Lochnagar and Dubh Loch.

Loch Callater on the climb up towards the Beallach

Descending from the shoulder of Bannoch into Allt an Aitinn

Tolmount to the left and the back of Carn a Turc 

Wet time

Looking back towards Tolmoun

This was a lovely swim. Colder than expected as it's not a particularly high loch. I swam through a bit of weeds but really not much. There was an occasional chop but nothing much and I pretty much had the wind behind me all the way. The swim is 1.6kms and it was over pretty quickly then I just had the 4km run out and dried off in the sun.

Total route 1.6kms swim - 26km/1200mtrs run.

Lochnagar LSD swim/run

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!