Pentland Skyline route

Sooooo this weekend after my success at the Ledi race to go ahead and try a longer hill day to see if I can make it around Glenshee in a week or two! 

So I rocked up at the ski centre and after initially going the wrong way and ending up on the bottom of the slope (!) I was on the route, and very quickly stopped by some tourists asking which one of the hills was Caerketton!

I started out ok, I was pretty tired quite quickly but I made it over to the army range pretty well - nice running, obvious route and tracks and stuff. Coming off of Castlelaw hill where there is an army range marked on the map, and when I got there the red flags were up so I proceeded with caution. Definitely shots being fired around here! Made it down through the farm to the road ok after a bit of a trapse through some dense gorse and man-eating bog, but had some trouble finding the track leading up to Turnhouse / Scald Law. I actually asked a random for the way up and although she didn't really know, I wasnt off the track, but just really wasn't sure about proceeding! Found it in the end and route finding from there was fine all the way over the kips. The scenery was beautiful. Gorgeous day, nice weather, not too much wind, and was feeling tired but good. The route on the way back was a faff - going up hare hill initially I didn't take the track and had to cross some rough heathery ground to make the summit ok, then down a steep col to black hill. The route says go straight up taking a direct line but the ground is mega steep. I did it anyway but it was a hands and feet job to do it and it was rough as hell and it took it out of me.  

Off of that was wet, but found the way to the col before bells hill where there were some other walkers. Made the line up Bells hill on a reasonable path, but here is where I really started to struggle. I ate some fruit cake after the kips, and I had a drink before that but I needed to have eaten earlier. I was struggling! Walking was hard, I felt dehydrated, pff....was tough. The Pentlands was kicking my butt. Thankfully, I made it up and over Bells, Harbour, and the route up Capelaw was good to retrace my steps over Allermuir and Caerketton and back to the van. 

I sat on the floor, next to the wheel, unable to move for a few minutes and certainly not fit to drive! A random asked me where Swanston village was and I donated him my OS map as I no longer needed it, then i trudged to the cafe for a pint of milk (for a protein shake), a bag of ready salted and a fruit tea! 

4h 35 minutes. Not good enough for a decent place in the race, in fact it was more like bottom 30% aside from to 30% but still, an hour faster than the slowest finisher from 2015. 

The ascents are steep, and frequent. The route is interesting and beautiful on a nice day. Its tough as. The actual skyline race is in October, and not too far after the marathon so i'm not too worried about doing it now as I may not make it over there! 

So I guess that means I should go and do Glenshee then...its longer, and about the same in ascent. Eek. Here goes!