I’ve done this route twice in the last few weeks and both were totally different days….
17/12/23 – Let’s go for a run up the Campsies on Sunday morning was the suggestion from one of the crew. Maybe let’s not when it’s raining and wind is so strong small little me struggles to stay upright. Stupidly the four of us decided to venture out at 0715hrs from Strathblane. We headed anticlockwise and onto the old Strathkelvin Railway line for a couple of km before turning left, across the road, through the far and up the hill all the way up to Dumbreck, Little Earl, Earls Seat, Garloch hill but common sense kicked in on way down and decided to give Dumgoyne a swerve. Think I’d have been blown off the top. The wind and rain battered us as we went across the top of The Campsies and I think the guys found it funny watching me getting blown about. The ground was soggy but given we were soaking, having wet feet didn’t really matter. The trig points didn’t offer much protection against the elements and it was only at 13km when I came across a cairn and threw myself into to get some relief. Quickly followed by the guys and it was a pile up of 4 bedraggled runners trying get out the wind. Final downhill felt like being blown uphill and think we all slipped at some point with me rolling down the hill. We all had to double check to see if we did really see a guy running up towards Earls Seat with just trainers and trackie bottoms on (topless with no outdoor gear)! It wasn’t a mirage and he was real. Felt a bit overdressed in my full body waterproofs, hat, gloves bag…. It was amazing to hit the pipe track and turn left towards Strathblane and escape the wind. Ended up with over 18km down, 860m elevation, new hairstyle and a bit of wind exfoliation to the face. Also managed to destroy my trainers so I now have a valid reason for a new pair
07/01/24 – The Campsie loop again but this time clockwise taking in Dumgoyne, Earls Seat, Little Earl and Dumbreck. Starting from Strathblane it was Dumgoyne first, the higher I got the more visibility and warmth as got above the clouds and into a cloud inversion. Once up it was simply stunning. The ground was crisp with some (not all) bogs frozen. There was no wind, the sun was splitting the sky and I just plodded my way round listening to @teandtrails and @youngheartsrunfreepodcast podcasts for company. What a change from the last time. As I came back down off the hill the air got cold, everything became white and frozen and I was back into the cloud. Such a change and it was . I did meet two separate men out running topless up the hills. One was the same guy from my last run up here. Brave and not something I’d do but please, if doing this please please please carry some safety kit with you. I didn’t see a bag with either so no warm clothing, foil blanket etc. If anything had happened hypothermia would have set in very quickly and @scottishmountainrescue would have had a greater issue. They might not make it off alive.
