Meikle Bin after canicross racing!
Route: Meikle Bin, Carron Valley
Sub 2000s: Meikle Bin
Date walked: 03/03/2024
Time taken: 2 hours
Distance: 10km
Ascent: 409m
Oops, it's been a while since I've done a report! Various reasons, too hot in summer and then everything was washed away in the autumn so couldn't get anywhere! One thing we have still being doing though is canicrossing, and I don't do walk reports for that because I don't get pretty pictures to include
Over the weekend though we were away to a canicross race at Duncarron, coming second in the female 2-dog category as I now have Zena running with Coinneach. After we had done the race we went back round part of it to collect in some signs, so I did manage to get a few photos of the dogs pulling me back up the hill - walking this time though not running, much as they wanted to!
Duncarron was too temptingly close to the sub-2000 Meikle Bin to not go for our first hill since July last year, so after the race was all done we drove round to the Todholes car park at the other end of the reservoir. It was Sunday and the small car park was busy but I managed to get a space. There are big blocks in place now blocking parking in some bits so I think the space to park has been reduced. I'm guessing maybe it was to ensure forestry vehicles had plenty of room for access as there has been some forestry work going on.
We set up along the wide forestry track. Easy going which was good for after the run this morning, but surrounded by forest it wasn't the most exciting apart from around the few open areas we came across. There are signposts up marking the route, though they couldn't seem to decide on the name of the car park as some called it Todholes Car Park and others Meikle Bin Car Park. Pick one!
Eventually Meikle Bin came into view as we escaped the forest continuing along the track with the views opening towards Ben Lomond. We left the track onto a narrow gravel footpath that soon became just a broad muddy path that we followed all the way to the summit stopping to look at the view down to the reservoir below.
There was an unexpected finding near the summit, the walk description didn't mention aircraft wreckage but just off the summit there is the remains of a Rolls-Royce Griffin engine from a Fairey Firefly that crashed into the hill in 1950, killing both pilots.
Our return was the same way. I'm not usually fond of steep downhills, but it seems doing canicross on slippery muddy downhills may be helping to build my confidence a bit as even though it was wet and muddy I felt happier walking down the steep slopes that I usually would do!
A nice, easy hill to get us back into the swing of things again after a far too long break from the hills! Fingers crossed we will start heading out more often again!
Over the weekend though we were away to a canicross race at Duncarron, coming second in the female 2-dog category as I now have Zena running with Coinneach. After we had done the race we went back round part of it to collect in some signs, so I did manage to get a few photos of the dogs pulling me back up the hill - walking this time though not running, much as they wanted to!
Duncarron was too temptingly close to the sub-2000 Meikle Bin to not go for our first hill since July last year, so after the race was all done we drove round to the Todholes car park at the other end of the reservoir. It was Sunday and the small car park was busy but I managed to get a space. There are big blocks in place now blocking parking in some bits so I think the space to park has been reduced. I'm guessing maybe it was to ensure forestry vehicles had plenty of room for access as there has been some forestry work going on.
We set up along the wide forestry track. Easy going which was good for after the run this morning, but surrounded by forest it wasn't the most exciting apart from around the few open areas we came across. There are signposts up marking the route, though they couldn't seem to decide on the name of the car park as some called it Todholes Car Park and others Meikle Bin Car Park. Pick one!
Eventually Meikle Bin came into view as we escaped the forest continuing along the track with the views opening towards Ben Lomond. We left the track onto a narrow gravel footpath that soon became just a broad muddy path that we followed all the way to the summit stopping to look at the view down to the reservoir below.
There was an unexpected finding near the summit, the walk description didn't mention aircraft wreckage but just off the summit there is the remains of a Rolls-Royce Griffin engine from a Fairey Firefly that crashed into the hill in 1950, killing both pilots.
Our return was the same way. I'm not usually fond of steep downhills, but it seems doing canicross on slippery muddy downhills may be helping to build my confidence a bit as even though it was wet and muddy I felt happier walking down the steep slopes that I usually would do!
A nice, easy hill to get us back into the swing of things again after a far too long break from the hills! Fingers crossed we will start heading out more often again!
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KatTai
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