Over The Hill

This mountain had eluded me on two previous occasions, one, a complete non-starter, as the recce a few days earlier had shown the snow around the 744m bealach was virtually impassable, and on another when visibility deteriorated so much when approaching the southern top that we abandoned the walk without reaching the top. Today, it was third time lucky.

This was a walk with just me and myself for company, most of my fellow walkers being otherwise occupied, some away on a Carn Dearg met that I was unable to attend, a few sailing around the isles, and some simply on holiday. But with a reasonably favourable weather forecast for Sunday, I was happy to take another shot at Beinn an Dothaidh.

The car park at Bridge of Orchy Hotel was unusually empty, with only 2 other cars parked, and they did not look very much like walkers cars, but as I headed for the underpass at the railway 3 huge mini buses were disgorging dozens of teenagers, and a few adults, all shod for the hills. That put a spring in my pace for a bit as I did not want to get caught behind such a large group on the rocky path up to the bealach.

As I made my way up the very obvious, very rocky, and at times very boggy track what clouds there were around the bealach and higher hills began lifting, with the promise of a clear, if somewhat hazy day ahead, and by the time I reached the bealach the sun was even beginning to make an appearance; a considerable difference to my previous visits.

Looking northeast from the bealach cairn, the 993m south top was visible beyond the initial steep slopes that rise above the bealach and lead you into the mouth of Coire Reidh and so I made a bee-line directly up and across Coire Reidh, passing on the way a small, but very strategically placed cairn which marks the descent path, back down from the coire towards the bealach. Certainly did not see that in the gloom of our previous visit!

Standing alongside this cairn, Coire Reidh resembles a large green amphitheatre; the top of which sweeps around you from the 993m south top, via the 1004m summit, on beyond the 1000m west top and finally the 989m top, the imperceptible height difference in these tops giving it a very straight edge, and the uniformity of the grass and rock slopes converging in the coire basin all add to the illusion. All that is needed to complete the picture are a few lions and gladiators, or maybe just Russell Crowe! And I had all this to myself, there was not another person on the hillside. Where could all those teenagers have gone?

It was a relatively easy climb from the cairn to the 993m top, and once on the ridge I enjoyed an easy ramble along its top, noting the contrast between, on one side, the easy slopes leading down into the coire, and on the other the extremely steep cliffs dropping dramatically into Coire Achaladair. These north facing cliffs provide a couple of graded winter climbs for the climbing enthusiast, and even today there were still a few large slabs of snow clinging precariously to the steeper cliffs.

A steady descent from the 989m top soon had me back at the marker cairn and heading back down towards the 744m bealach, which, as it came into view, I could see was a very busy, and noisy place. There was my answer to where the teenagers had gone, and I now knew where they were heading, for as I made my descent, small groups of them were heading off south from the bealach on the climb up towards Beinn Dorain. By the time I arrived at the bealach, all that remained were a few kids and one adult who satisfied my curiosity and explained that they were "Flagging a Munro".

Apparently, part of the DoE challenges this year is, and I quote "In the spirit of adventurers who bring their country’s flag to the ends on the earth we’re asking DofE participants to ‘Flag a Munro’ to celebrate the 20th Commonwealth Games." So there you have it, I bagged my 61st Munro, while a horde of teenagers from North Lanarkshire flagged Beinn Dorian. I am just pleased they chose Beinn Dorian, and left me the solitude of Beinn an Dothaidh.

And, just to prove it was my lucky day, the moment I got my boots off back at Bridge of Orchy, the skies burst and it was torrential rain from there to Tarbet on the drive home - Great Day.