Happy Feet, Blackford and Braid Hills: December 29, 2012

I'm back home in Edinburgh and the weather forecast for this Saturday has been fair. I rise in dark, some household duties, and through the window I can see there has been a lot of rain overnight, but as the sun rises I can see now it is indeed fair out there.

I'm heading for the Blackford and Braid Hills trails this morning, a great place for off-road running and only a few minutes drive from home to the small car park on Braid Hills Drive. So, the start from here runs along the bridle path in an easterly direction. The local weather lived up to its reputation of being unpredictable, despite the forecast and earlier observation, I set out with strong wind and heavy rain ... oh well, never mind, it might pass ;-)

Braid Hill Bridle Path

There has been a lot of rain of late, and these paths can get muddy ... the rain and the earth being churned by hooves on the bridle path. I am thinking already that muddiness and sogginess will be a feature of this excursion.

Glorious mud!

This is golf course land, I will come by at least three courses today, so better watch out for low flying golf balls!

You have been warned!

This is a golf course!

I hope you noticed the flags ... there is quite a wind blowing into my face as I ascend in the Braid Hills. The path here is gritted red, and ahead I see two masts near the top.

Masts in the Braid Hills

The trig at the summit is soon reached and I take a moment to savour the scenes. To the south we have gorgeous views to the Pentlands. Turning toward the north we see little Blackford Hill (the next target) and Arthur's Seat in silhouette through the rainy morning haze.

The Braid Hills trig with views to the Pentlands.

Blackford Hill and Arthur's Seat, from Braid Hills

There are a few different ways down in the westerly direction from here. My favourite, of course, is the steep narrow path through the gorse. I have my studs today so I can make the most of it leaping and bounding and dancing my way down ... great fun!

Steep narrow path through gorse on descent from Barid Hills summit.

The  route today rejoins the bridle path until I cross the road onto the Howe Dean Path. which will take me down to Braid burn. The stream here is running fast and hard, I am treated to the sight of a small waterfall. This is a very pretty stepped path alongside the stream, and very popular with the dog walkers.

The Howe Dean Path.

Waterfall near Howe Dean Path

The pretty stepped path alongside the stream.

Honest now, these two walkers both had dogs with them ... how come the dogs are not in the photograph ... well that's something I can't understand! Anyway, what goes down must come up, and on the other side of the Braid burn more steps up as I start to ascend Blackford Hill.

Muddy steps up from Braid burn toward Blackford Hill.

Soon after more ascent, some steep, I see the mast near the summit of Blackford Hill. There are lots of paths to the summit from here, my favourite is the narrow path clinging to the steep slopes east of the summit.

Mast near summit of Blackford Hill.

Narrow path to the east of the summit.

The trig point atop Blackford Hill is soon near, and from there I enjoy the views once more. Facing north-east across the south of the city, Salisbury Crags, and Arthur's Seat. Turning to the south, the Braid Hills, and the Pentlands beyond.

The summit of Blackford Hill.

The south of the city and Holyrood Park, from Blackford Hill.

The Braid Hills, and the wonderful Pentlands beyond.

I now enjoy a fast descent toward the Royal Observatory, you can just about make out a green dome which houses a large telescope, and then a turn to the left along more narrow muddy paths through the gorse bushes.

Descent from Blackford Hill summit toward the Observatory.

More muddy narrow paths through the gorse.

After a turn to the right I join a maintained path and descend steps toward Blackford Pond. One quick circuit of the pond and it's back up those steps ... faster coming down than going up again!

Down steps ...

... around Blackford Pond ...

... and back up steps.

There's an undulating section here until we reach the gate to Midmar Paddock, but I will continue to the gap in the wall and take a right through the trees.

The gate to Midmar Paddock, with some good advice for the dog walkers :)

The gap in the wall ...

... leading to pretty paths through the trees.

The paths through the trees soon bring me to the dovecot, and from there steps down to the river, where I find a dog having fun in the water.

The dovecot.

Dog having fun in the river.

Soon the river is crossed and I ascend the other side through the trees. There has been recent tree fall in the storms, this one blocks the path, no matter, a small diversion in the mud. Talking of mud, to leave the path I slither up through a gap in the fence, and head left across the muddy fields.

Tree fall obstacle course.

Slither through the gap in the fence ...

... onto waterlogged and often muddy field.

Oh, did I mention, muddy :)

This run is now nearly done. I climb back to Braid Drive on the Lang Linn Path, crash through the undergrowth back onto the bridle path for 100 metres of splish-splash-splosh back to the car park.

Up the Lang Linn path ...

... looking back at the upper entrance ...

... crashing through the undergrowth ...

... back onto the Braid Hills bridle path.

I had lovely muddy time despite the wind and rain, ninety minutes of running and snapping, distance 11.9km, climbing 300m. Back at the car park I have happy feet :)

Happy Feet :)

Enjoy!

Boxing Day Blast, Twmbarlwm: December 26, 2012

The anticipated Boxing Day Slog this year was replaced with a shorter affair due to social arrangments. Spent a mostly pleasant although often soggy and slippy ninety minutes on mixed terrain, roads/paths to approach hills/trails near Cwmbran, and roads on return.

Following a short section of roads my route today joins a footpath we know locally as "The Incline".

Looking down "The Incline"

The path follows the original line of the Incline Tramway from Henllys Colliery to the Monmouth and Brecon canal at Dwy Loc, Hen Gwmbran. So it's an incline, as the name suggests, I have 120m of climb over a distance of 1.5km on this path. The last paved section ends at a short steep street, two rows of houses/cottages ... on the one side called "New Row", and on the other side called "Old Row".

New Row

Old Row

This photo does not convey the ferocious barking of the dog which stopped me in my tracks. I fumbled with my camera to capture the scene in front of me, but this snap was taken at the moment where the owner had opened the front door and hollered at the hound. So I leave the roads behind now, a few steps, and we are on the trails along the old incline tramway, as we approach a stile.

The incline changes from road to trail

The ground is a bit soggy, a bit slippy, well no surprise after the rain that's fallen down from the skies of late. I do not have my studs with me on this trip, I am in my new Saucony road shoes, so here comes their baptism! We pass classic symbols of South Wales ... slag heaps and sheep ...

Slag heaps and sheep

 ... as the route today leads uphill and then bear left before the old quarry.

Approach to the old quarry

The steep soggy slippy ground underfoot here is a challenge for my road shoes, a faceplant right in front of the stile. Soon as I bear right the view of my target in the distance, the "Pimple" on top of Twmbarlwm, and then the approach. This mound atop the hill, dissapointingly, the archaeologists have decided is a Norman "motte and bailey", as opposed to the burial place of an ancient local Welsh Prince Bran (so, Cwmbran, means "Valley of the Crows", sigh).

The "Pimple" in the distance

Approach to the "Pimple"

The pimple is conquered and a moment to savour the sights. From here the views on a clear day are magnificent, for example looking over the Bristol Channel. Today, this morning, visibility is only moderate.

The view across and down to the trig point, which might well be the highest natural point of this hill ...

Twmbarlwm trig point from the "Pimple"

Then to the north, the view back over the ridge where I have just run, and along which I will return. You can see the patch of forestry in the distance to the right, I will descend at the far edge of these trees, the path there is fun to run.

The ridge between Twmbarlwm and Mynydd Maen

Yes, these new road shoes have been well baptised today. Oh well, at least my feet can't get any wetter now. Turning the camera a little to the east we have a hazy view over Cwmbran below ...

Hazy view over Cwmbran

 ... and toward the west, Cwmcarn forest, very popular with Sunday drive trippers, and off-road motorbikers. I saw only two other people on the hills this morning, both motorbikers. I exchanged a curteous wave with one of them, thinking to myself how their tyres lay ruin to the delicate hill paths I love to run (grrr!) ...

Cwmcarn forest

 ... oh well, before long I reach the stoney muddy wet track (aka, stream) descending back to the roads above the old Henllys School ... some roughish running here.

Rough running here

I had a good 1:24:27 on Boxing Day morning running over a distance of 11.4km, climbing 390m.

This was a bit of a special run for me.

I remember the incline tramway path - if memory serves, less paved way back then - as part of the regular school "cross country" run. I spent a lot of hours of my youth on the hills here, hiking and camping, and that old quarry is where I first learned to climb, as a teenager.

This year, 2012, in early January, here (different route) was my very first, very tentative, exploration of trail/hill running ...

I hope you enjoy!

Canal side and Craiglockhart Hills, December 18, 2012

Wonderful vivid blue winter sky and sun shine through the window this morning, tempting me out of the home office for some lunch time running. Just a couple of kilometres along the roads and canal side will lead me to trails around the pretty little Craiglockhart Hills. Lunch time comes, sun shine no more, but no matter ... I set off in a delightful drizzle, with teasing patches of mist about here and there.

The canal, still some ice floating around.

The trails are joined at Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre. I can see a few bored dreadmillers in the gym ... I can't understand running in the air conditioned room on a dreadmill when we have all this wonderful fresh air and splendour out here. The autumn leaf fall is a riotous and joyful feast for my eyes.

Easter Craiglockhart Local Nature Reserve

A small ascent along the side of Easter Craiglockhart Hill and then descent to Glenlockhart Road, where this gate leads to the ascent of Wester Craiglockhart Hill. I turned left following the sign for "Walkers", there is also a sign for "Golfers" who turn right, there is no sign for "Runners" :-)

The entrance to Wester Craiglockhart

The path upwards through the trees here is muddy, and the wet leaves are slippery. There is a short steep section where I am wishing I was wearing my studs. I have no traction in my old road shoes, slipping and sliding about the place :).

The path upwards through trees on Wester Craiglockhart Hill

Soon a turn to the right and we are on the open hill side, then after a short distance on tracks through the gorse the summit of little Wester Craiglockhart Hill is reached. The tops of the Pentland hills to the South are shrouded with low cloud (lovely running there!), to the North-East Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat (more lovely running there!).

The summit of Wester Craiglockhart Hill, with views over shrouded Pentlands.

Looking out over Arthur's Seat and Edinburgh Castle.

There are a few different ways down from here. I like the narrow steep path through the gorse, mostly because it's narrow and steep and great fun to run, but also this route avoids the golf course as much as possible. The low flying golf balls can be a bit off-putting, and it's understandable the golfer folk do not always welcome people scampering around the edges of their greens.

Descent from Wester Craiglockhart Hill through the gorse.

The route takes me back through the gate on Glenlockhart Road, returning to Easter Craiglockhart Local Nature Reserve, then upwards again through trees with lots more steps, and soon out onto the open hill side.

The path upwards on Easter Craiglockhart Hill, through trees, more steps.

On the open hill side around the top of Easter Craiglockhart Hill.

The views from the top of Easter Craiglockhart Hill are also good. Looking back over Wester Craiglockhart Hill. The other side of this fence is another golf course.

Wester Craiglockhart Hill viewed from Easter Craiglockhart Hill.

The route down today takes me back into the trees, around the edge of Craiglockhart Campus of Napier University, and through glorious mud, back into the bushes and trees.

Through the trees descending Easter Craiglockhart Hill.

Craiglockhart Campus, Napier University.

Glorious mud ...

... as we venture into the bushes.

The paths through the nature reserve lead back toward the leisure centre and Craiglockhart Pond, where we leave the trails behind for today.

Craiglockhart Pond

 I return to the canal side where people are feeding the birds, and we can admire some pretty canal boats.

Feeding the birds at the canal side.

Admiring the pretty canal boats.

The bunting decorated narrowboat, Zazou, is a cafe!

From here just a mile or so of roadwork to return home. One enjoyable lunch hour of running and snapping, distance 10km, small climb approx 200m.

Bonus Photo: I headed out for an easy night time run along the canal this evening, and tried to take a few night photos of the guide lights on the canal side. This didn't work too well, but here's the "best" of the bunch.