12 Hours Around the Bridge of Orchy Munros

[The English Alpinist]

The Bridge of Orchy was basecamp for this trip.

Clockwise around the 'Steve Fallon' round.

The thinking goes something like this...

Being an English wannabee Munroist, I feel I have to make the journeys count. That's timewise as well as fuel as well as the mental undertaking (and it's significantly mental on my part). So, the strategy is to fish out those places where clusters can be bagged in one walk, and to allocate summer (or at least high spring or early autumn) for gobbling those up, whilst anticipating they won't necessarily be an easy gobble (more like a forcefeed perhaps, vaguely analogous to those folk who claim to eat a car). For those Munros that have to be done in isolation, because of their isolation, then reserve them for winter since you have to be sensible in winter in any case (ok, that one is a lesson I did not learn immediately). Might be able to do pairs safely enough in winter, even the odd three, but certainly not this... this.... I'm not sure what to call it - the 'Steve Fallon round' does have a ring to it, I admit.

I came across it when looking up some of the Orchy peaks on WH, at that stage having a mind to possibly attempt 4 of them in one go, that seeming quite long enough thanks. But then, hey, I see a report from exactly a year ago by a lauriegreen18 who had been inspired by the Fallon example to do the complete five. A 31K walk, 2500 metres of ascent thereabouts, needing a good 11 hours (5 if running - running?? At 55 I do a 10k in 45 minutes and did a 3-hour marathon at 29, but to 'run' this kind of thing, no, just no!). Like laurie, I too felt Steve Fallon to be a trustworthy-sounding type of name, and like him thought this to be something that would test me close (but not too close) to my limits. Laurie's account - 'Doing 5 peaks, to train for 3 peaks' - is a tale of epic endurance and many manners of suffering, lending him to think that the great Fallon is, in fact, perhaps a sadist. Well, I had been warned. So, let's get to it...

Into the gate of... well, it's the Coire an Dothaidh.

I chose clockwise - towards Beinn an Dothaidh.

Beinn an Dothaidh's secondary summit, why not.

Beinn an Dothaidh main summit (1004m), 3294 feet, with Achaladair over there.

Well, this wasn't so bad at all at first. An early start (obviously), off at 7 a.m. and the path is fine up the Coire an Dothaid to the first bealach, encouragingly waymarked by a big pile of stones, and also fine beyond it all the way to the first Munro, Dothaid itself. It's the first one if you choose to go clockwise. Why I chose to go that way, I'm not sure, it may have been nothing more than wanting to feel I'd got three in before fatigues hits, as opposed to only two. Big difference, sure. Most people (however many 'most' is) seem to go the other way. I was tempted to do the same on meeting a pair of chaps - "Doing the five?" they asked - going the conventional way. I joked we'd meet again 'who knows where' on the way round. We never did. Two problems only, so far: the weather was not breaking out into 'some clouds' (meaning also, by implication, 'some sun'?) but instead it was only cloud, of the drizzly airborne type. The other problem was the skin being rubbed off my heels already by the lightweight walkers which I had thought would be a good idea for comfort and endurance. On with the Compeeds.

Beinn Achaladair, 1038m 3,406 feet (one is the south summit).

Could be Beinn Achaladair, could be Meall Bhuidhe.

A moment of cuteness puncuated the epic labour.

Beinn a Chreachain west top. Great isn't it?

Beinn a Chreachain 1081m 3,547 feet. Munro #3. Great isn't it?

The thought of cutting it short here did occur.

Steadily I reeled in the succession of tops and summits. One of those 'tops' - the first, belonging to Dothaid, was not even a Top officially, yet such was my spirit that I visited it anyway. The next two, belonging to Beinn's Achaladiar and Chreachain respectively certainly were official ones, but had to be passed en route whether you feel you need to be a toppist or not. They are the most convenient types of 'Tops'. The second of those, Meall Bhuidhe, is important: you have to go back to it as the departure-point for the long traverse to the outlier Munro of Beinn Mhanach. Decision-time really came before then, at Beinn a Chreachain, the third and most northerly Munro. By now I was damp, and spiritually unlifted by the lack of views, and had to weight up whether my energy would carry me through the complete pentagon. I could descend north and walk back down the valley to Orchy. But no, I reckoned I was okay and the challenge was mainly mental; the solitude and dismal weather and the bleak moorland. This was where I met the latter in earnest; trackless lumpy wet waste, all the way to Manach as well as up it, I would find. This one - the 'problem', the outlier in the circuit - was not a pretty mountain, and would not be in any weather I don't think.

Back down to the col beneath Achaladair, then the traverse to Beinn Manach. Spendid.

The ascent of Beinn Mhanach 953m (3,127 feet), complete with west top Beinn a' Chuirn.

Just follow the damn fence down!

Beinn Dorain looms ahead.

I did not help myself with Beinn Mhanach by ascending too directly up its west top, Beinn a Chuirn, instead of following a line to the bealach in between. Still, you have to get up somehow, and as yet I'm still in the business of bagging the Tops. Ruddy slog, suffice it to say, gibbon-like using the hands on the long soaking grasses at times. And still the relentless perforating drizzle. I felt lonely up there, a bit scared of the prospect of running out of energy, and made a point of following the old fence down all the way this time for an easier line (relatively, as the ground everywhere is awful). The challenge was still mostly in the head, though, the worst physical aspect of it being the 1p-sized red patch on one heel and a burst blister on the other. I could take my time and regroup at the head of the Auch Gleann, quitting now not an option. Well, it was: the utterly exhausted clockwise 'Fiver' ('Falloner'?) can here just take the glen and circumnavigate Beinn Dorain all the way back to Orchy, but I felt that would have been truly demoralizing now. I had energy, I had time, there was water water everywhere and lots of it to drink, so it was just a matter of plodding up the long rough northeast flank and getting myself triumphantly on the top of that last Munro.

In the Auch Gleann, body and mind conditions reasonably okay for the final push.

Look what I've done; the view back, as I ascend Dorain.

Long slog up Beinn Dorain, bottom left looks back.

Nearly.

Not gonna fall for that - oh no - the main summit is that way ahead.

Beinn Dorain 1076m (3,530 feet), thoroughly deserving a drink of burn water for that.

Beinn Dorain took me two hours, but didn't feel so bad at all. Aside from its summit heralding the release from the manic compulsion to ascend any more Munros for another day, there was the added encouragement of being able to look back and enjoy some really quite grand vistas now. The rain had stopped and it seemed that that thing I'd been willing all day long - for the sun to burn through (it had tried and failed many times) and break it all up - was now happening. Still the summit itself was in clag, and after smugly regarding myself too smart and experienced to mistake the northerly cairn for the true summit as some do, I was there. Funnily enough, I met 'a nice lady with a dog' up there, just as laurie had a year ago (although for him it was the first leg of things). Wonder if it was the same lady, Probably not, but let's pretend it was. I wondered whether to ask, but was tired to work out how to explain it to her.

After savouring my triumph for a luxurious 10 minutes, it was time to descend and make mighty full circle back to the Bridge of Orchy. Here my legs had finally had enough, with angry little pains shooting up from each toe all the way up into my neck it seemed. I certainly could not have done another, but I was not incapable of enjoying this last hour. As if to say "well done, Phil", the weather only now deigned to allow me the great views on offer. 12 hours for the lot, including stoppages. 44 Munros have become 49, nice. But now I'm thinking is the real reason I do it/did it because of that last hour? (do see last photos). A good question, I think, one that I might even ask on my death bed.

Only now! Some visibility beauty blesses my descent.

Did I do it all for this, or for bagging 5 Munros? A very good question, to be asked again.

Very different place to earlier: the crags of Coire an Dothaidh.

Paradise is the Bridge of Orchy if my feet will get me there.

Epilogue

I did a smidgeon of research. Steve Fallon holds the record for finishing the most rounds of Munros. 15, he's done, over 20 years. That was in 2019, so maybe he's done at least one more by now. Don't want to know any more about him.

As for me, tomorrow was going to be an easier day: one Fiona, the detached Meall Tairbh, going from the pretty little Inveroran cottage settlement.

This walk was indeed followed by 'Unpleasant llttle Fiona destroyed my phone'
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=123054

[Starfish]

An enjoyable report. Shame you didn't get the views all the way round but sounds like your efforts were rewarded in the end. We've not had the best luck weather-wise on Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dòthaidh in the past: I think it took us four or five goes before we finally got views but what a corker that day was: more than made up for all the times we've ended up sat in the Bridge of Orchy soaked through and smelling like a wet cat
We finally did Beinn a' Chreachain and Beinn Achaladair on 5th June and despite the clag being down when we set off, within the hour it had lifted and we were blessed with a glorious day - and the superb views I'd dreamed of. That was the best part of 15 miles (in fact it WAS 15 miles for my hubby who insisted on walking backwards and forwards when we'd got back to the car to make it 15, which I think is cheating really ) and we both knew we'd walked so I can't imagine tagging on the others: that's a considerable day's walking!
I sympathise with your blisters; funnily enough I was afflicted with them on both heels on this walk despite never having had any issues with my trusty Scarpas in over 2 years. Apparently the heat increases the likelihood of them but it was still frustrating (and painful) and Compeed saved the week and got me round Bidean nam Bian and Beinn a' Bheithir within the week. I have to admit that after Beinn a' Bheithir (our last walk of the week), I'd had enough of the one on my left heel - the one on my right heel had already burst on Beinn Achaladair - so I stabbed it using the wire of my earring and the relief was immense and immediate. Pleasantly surprised by how quickly new skin had formed already and all healed within a week too!
Happy walking!

A week after forming: well healed (as opposed to well-heeled!)

[The English Alpinist]

Ouch! That heel trumps anything I have had. Thanks for your reply, I will enjoy imagining the view I couldn't see on Achaladair and Creachain. I did get a glimpse of the ridge at one point. Maybe it helped my energy not being able to see the entire walk ahead.

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

That's quite an achievement in such low visibility! The temptation to call it a day must have been very strong at times!

Similarly to you, I only had fleeting views from the two Bridge of Orchy munros that I've climbed, but I liked them all the same, would be great to go back in good weather. As I do shorter walks I will probably do a bike/hike to Beinn Mhanach from Loch Lyon (and take a look at Tigh nam Bodach) and I am not sure how I will approach a'Chreachain. I will probably redo Dothaidh from Achallader farm, the northern corrie rim looks like a good circuit.

Beautiful views you had in the last hour! A bit of a reward for some serious effort.

Tim

[RayK]

That's one heck of a blister. Went anti clockwise and took me just short of 13hrs - stopped on Beinn Achaladair for dinner and took off boots & socks. Had a really nice weather day though

[Colin1951]

Full set of five! Well done. Turning east towards Mhanach takes grit. Done most of these a few times (except for Mhanach) but always in pairs, as it’s usually raining when I get to Bridge of Orchy.

Re. this bagging thing, I’ve always proceeded on the basis of enjoying my hill days. So for example I spent most of the 90’s in or near Glencoe…but the outcome in later years is that my Munro count is stuck in the 220’s, some of the remaining hills being actually very attractive.
There is a plan, now, but it keeps slipping back….

[R1ggered]

Fantastic effort in those conditions!Always enjoy your reports!

[The English Alpinist]

Enjoyed your replies. Pleasure does have to come first (should!) and the memories are all about visiting fantastic places in the end (not just the mountains themselves). The bagging thing does need a plan, especially when starting the ambition late in life (53 for my first Munro) otherwise no chance of ever getting them done. I don't rate my chances much better than 50/50 in any case!

[WildAboutWalking]

An excellent round, despite the weather.
I've often thought of spending a couple of days on those 5, camping up high somewhere, maybe that lochan in the corrie to the NE. I think that I would climb Beinn Dorain first, before returning to the bealach and continuing in a clockwise direction. That slog up after climbing Beinn Mhanach looks most dispiriting, think that I would prefer to just follow the Allt Kinglass downstream, an easy if somewhat longer walk out.