52:00 to the top of Ben Lomond (6km +973m) with a full race pack. Fitness is feeling good, running every step of the way. The Strava leaderboards are always there to keep you humble though, with this ascent being a who’s who of Scottish Hill Running royalty 😂.
#trailrunning #munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland #benlomond #scotland
Running the full Fannich range, bagging 9 new munros along the way.
Often split into 3 separate hikes, the 9 Fannichs can be traversed as part of one long 40km day with 3,000m of elevation. The ridge can be approached from the north, which involves a lot of boggy paths, or the south, which involves a grassy pathless ascent and descent from the ridge; I opted for the latter.
The approach from the north requires either having 2 cars or a bike as it’s a point to point route, with the approach from the south starting from Fannich lodge on the private estate; requiring 12km of cycling each way.
A challenging day with tough terrain, but very rewarding with incredible views across to the Fisherfield and Inverlael munros.
#munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland #trailrunning #scotland #mountainrun
Blasting 1,000m down Beinn Ime from the summit to sea level in less than ideal conditions. Great fun, but lots of care required 🥶.
#scotland #munrobagging #trailrunning #munrobaggingscotland #trailrunningscotland
50km, +/- 2,000m of excellent runnable terrain, Beinn Dearg and Carn a’Chlamain are a trail runner’s dream. Managed to squeeze in a superb 5h run before Storm Dave arrived last Saturday.
This also marked my completion of the Cairngorms Munros. 216 down, 66 to go 🏔️.
#trailrunning #trailrunningscotland #hillrunning #munrobagging #scotland
Winter in Glen Strathfarrer, where the road is closed to the public and only extremely keen hikers and cyclists will make the journey in.
12.5km each way separates the car park and the start point of the hike as you enter the glen, one of the more scenic bike rides I’ve done that’s for sure.
Up on the hills the last of winter was clinging on, and I covered the 4 Munros across 26km without seeing another soul… ON A SATURDAY which is unheard of.
Another day on the hills of Scotland for the top drawer.
#scotland #scottishhighlands #munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland
The Forcan Ridge looked incredibly menacing in its winter coat from the summit of the Saddle last weekend.
While I am getting much more confident in winter conditions, this was a day for moving light and fast, and crossing this very narrow ridge in winter conditions was far beyond my skill/experience level. Thankfully there is an excellent bypass route, so I planned my day around that instead. Knowing your limits is absolutely key in the Scottish mountains, regardless of the time of year but especially in winter.
#scotland #munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland #trailrunning
The ridge to, and the summit of, Sgurr na Sgine last Friday in Kintail. This was my first trail run in the mountains since October, and it was something special ☀️.
After a very steep climb (between 30-50%), reaching some icy terrain around 700m when the ice spikes had to go on, I was presented with possibly the best ridge I’ve come across to run to the summit. Swipe to the end to see the footage ➡️.
#scotland #munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland #trailrunning #trailrunningscotland
Snowy scenes from the hike up A’Ghlas-bheinn in the Kintail area. This Munro is tucked away behind the main road that leads to the Isle of Skye, so had a real feeling of remoteness with peaks in every direction.
I had just climbed Beinn Fhada to the south, which shares the long path in through the valley, and the deep snow was proving to be a bit of a slog. I’d say it was well worth it for the views, that reached as far as Torridon to the north, across the Mullardoch Munros to the east and the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye to the west.
Another 10/10 day in the mountains, here’s to a few more this winter ⛄️.
#scotland #munrobagging #munrobaggingscotland #scottishmountains
After being sick for most of the Christmas break, I desperately needed some time in the mountains before going back to work on Monday. Yesterday provided the goods ❄️.
With weather warnings further north, and with me just starting to feel better, I opted for an easy day by heading up Ben Ledi, a popular Corbett close to Callander sitting at 879m high.
The path up was simple enough, with the odd slippy part owing to the freezing conditions. The way down was not for the faint hearted however, with the path completely covered in ice. Good thing I was prepared with the spikes in my pack.
#mountains #hiking #scotland #scottishhighlands #munrobagging
The King of Loch Quoich 👑.
Met this very chilled stag while cycling alongside the loch to climb Sgurr a’Mhaoraich.
During sunrise and sunset I also met a few more of his pals on the hills themselves 🦌.
#mountains #hiking #scotland #scottishhighlands #munro #munrobagging
Spidean Mialach, the neighbouring munro to Gleouraich, is connected by a long rocky ridge which runs parallel to the South Glen Shiel Ridge: a famous hike with ‘Munro baggers’ due to the ability to bag 7 in one day with only 1,818m of elevation.
To the south and east, the Loch Arkaig and Knoydart munros stand proud, giving a real feeling of remoteness in amongst the mountains.
Due to the frosty and thin layer of snow up on the ridge, it was safety first and the spikes were required for the first time this winter. The reward for hiking in winter is high, but the risks are higher and safety should always be a priority. It wasn’t quite boots and crampons conditions yet, but I’m sure that will be coming soon..
#mountains #hiking #scotland #scottishhighlands #munro #munrobagging
Saturday was one of those days in the mountains that will live long in my memory. While I was in the moment I knew this was as good as it gets, acknowledged it and tried to enjoy every minute.
This adventure started with a long 3.5 hour drive to Loch Quoich after work on Friday. I drove into the glen in the pitch black of night, seeing no signs of life except a few brave stags walking across the road in front of me at various times. I parked up in the van, had my dinner and went to sleep for an early rise in the morning to start hiking before sunrise.
I started the day with a loop of 2 munros: Gleouraich & Spidean Mialach. Climbing up Gleouraich was an absolute joy. Freezing cold temperatures but no wind, and just the many deer on the hills to keep me company. As the sun rose from behind the mountains to the south west, I could barely put my camera away. The scenery was mind blowing, and in my opinion the views from the climb up Gleouraich were the best I’ve had in Scotland so far.
I often see people posting about or discussing ‘the best munros (mountains) in Scotland’ and the same ones always get mentioned: An Teallach, Beinn Alligin, Liatach, Bidean nam Bian, etc etc. Yes these are all great and have incredible views, but the best mountains to someone on a particular day may not be the best for another on a different day. The conditions, the season, the company, your mood and many other factors can influence this. I had never even heard of these munros until I was doing research into those I had left and those I could group together, yet I can now say after 191 munros out of 282 that Gleouraich is my favourite.
#mountains #hiking #scotland #scottishhighlands #munro #munrobagging #winterhiking #scottishwinter
