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Have you ever had one of those days when you wished you hadn't gotten out off bed? This day was one of them for me....
With a great deal of excitement the previous night I had prepared my gear...ensuring my crampons were at the right length for my boots, making my sandwiches as delicious as they could be without making them soggy, rolling up my gear nice and tight for the squeeze into the pack, putting the snow baskets on my poles etc etc
Bed...5 hour short sleep, 6am alarm, half hour snooze, up, breakfast and off to Orchy...
I arrived in what seemed like an oddly short drive from Glasgow, I was feeling pretty tired so perhaps I slept drove there?
Empty car parkAs I got ready for the walk the bottom section of my pole wasn't catching, turning endlessly so I had to leave it in the car and elected for the 1 pole and axe combo. I'd also left my map on the desk in the spare room but luckily I did have a digital copy on my phone.
Across the road and up to the train station is pretty straight forward, under the tunnel through the gate and head left equally so. There's a mast of some description and the walk starts proper immediately after it.
The way upThe extremely eroded path(s) (20 foot wide scar at 1 point) takes you straight towards the Coire with zero effort, thus far.
It's dull, pretty bloody dull but still but I still stopped for a little look around.
Loch TullaBridge of OrchyGlen OrchyThe coire seems so close but it actually took a bit longer than I though it would to get there. I soon got to the snow line which was exciting, the walk was starting to get interesting. It was easy going at first, the snow was soft and there were foot prints to follow, they didn't seem fresh but I couldn't see any return prints. As I followed them I was aware I had no idea where the actual path was.
The Coire closed in on me and the snow got deeper, stuff was getting serious now.
The photographs in the rest of the report are doctored, they were washed out so I enhanced them in Flickr.Coire an DothaidhI continued to follow the footprints until I needed to pee, I broke off the path and headed for a large boulder as I did my feet went from under me and the next thing I knew I was knee deep in a rotten bog, the smell was disgusting. Initially I thought I had stepped on a dead sheep or something. There was no sensation at first then slowly a cold feeling crept into my boots they were soaked...
I considered quitting here, I didn't know what to do. Should I go on with soaking wet feet? Should I go home? A little time was spent swithering before
Dirty stinking bog ...deciding to continue, off I went (after a pee). The steeper part of the coire was really difficult walking. The foot prints that had guided me up to this point had vanished, the wind was blowing from every direction and the snow was deep...this shi+ just got real!
I took a minute to get my new balaclava on, a fine Icebreaker one, I was glad of this bit of kit right now because the icy airborne splinters were tearing my face apart.
Dull skiesOnce the bealach was reached the large cairn that provided a tiny bit of shelter form the strong wind being funnelled between the hills. I had my sunglasses on to protect my eyes from the wind, spin drift and glare coming off the snow despite it being a rather dull day. However the sunglasses would prove to be an annoyance most of the day to come.
Loch LyonI'm not sure exactly how I came to the decision but I chose to do Beinn an Dothaidh first. With no path to follow I elected to just wing it...I headed to the right of the crags in the below picture.
The way I wentWind swept bealachThe going was ok at first, rocky and grassy tufts provide me with some good footing but soon after I made a huge error in judgement. I decided to head straight up the hill. I cut my way across the better ground before finding myself on steep ground in deep snow. I was in Coire Reidh but I didn't know that at the time.
I'd fall in 3ft snow drifts and struggle to find any way out. A few steps to the left no use, a few steps right no use, just keep ploughing forward in the hope of finding decent ground.
Each time I got my self onto a firm surface I'd have to rest and readjust my clothing my gloves my gaiters. Then a few steps after setting off I'd be waist deep again battling to reach some kind of solid surface. I was furious with myself for coming this way up the hill and I got a bit of a scare when I came across a deep looking gully in the snow. It looked like to much hard work going up through the deep snow to go around it so I headed down until I found a snow bridge...I plunged my axe into it a few times hoping to hit something solid but nothing. I decided to go for it anyway and luckily for me 2 steps later I was on the other side.
WhitescapeI now battled my way between rocks, between tufts of grass small distances. Each time set off knowing I was going to lose my legs to the snow, knowing that I'll end up crawling as the unrelenting wind pounded into me. This was a real eye opener, welcome to winter walking big man
As I mentioned earlier I had my sunglasses on to cover my eyes but they didn't help me with much else. They are dark and polarised making everything look flat with little detail. At times I'd think I was stepping onto a flat surface but actually there would be a dip or step I couldn't make out causing me to stumble or fall.
Getting closer to the top the snow was thinning meaning more firm ground to be found. It had been a hell of a slog. It had taken forever to get here about 4 hours...I knew I at this point I wouldn't be doing Beinn Dorain. I was shattered, my feet were freezing, I had cut my leg through my trousers with my axe and a buckle on my right gaiter had broken so snow was packaging up around my ankle. I didn't have any spare cord to make a temporary fix
I was also extremely thirsty so before I took a sip from my tube I spat the foamy saliva from my mouth completely forgetting I'd zipped my jack right up so I spat on the inside of my collar and it ran down into my beard, nasty
I came over the horizon and saw a cairn with no more hill to climb, what a relief. I'm not religious in anyway but I couldn't help thanking the big man up there
The words "Thank God"..."Thank you Jesus" fell out of my mouth in that breathlessly way and as I was about to lift my arms into the air in celebration I noticed a higher looking top away to my left. What a kick in the plumbs this was
South top cairn looking to the summitThe walk along the ridge was easy enough in comparison to what I'd endured thus far but I was sure to keep my distance from the edge.
Beinn AchaladairPerthshireBeinn DorainThe summit was had with little fuss. I spent a minute or 2 looking around but it was bitterly cold so lingering wasn't really an option. I initially headed towards the other top but I was feeling pretty defeated so I broke off down hill.
Beinn an Dothaidh's summitLooking to Beinn Achaladair & Beinn a'ChreachainThe west topMa toolGoing down the hill was far easier than going up it thankfully but I still spent half the time on my arse.
I spotted another walker at this point and I felt pretty bad for him because it looked like he was following my foot steps. Sorry fella
As I got back to the bealach the wind was equally as strong if not more so than it had been earlier. I was ready to leave the hill but something happened that I truly wasn't expecting....I carried on over the bealach and started up Beinn Dorain!
I got into the crags to try and find a little shelter but there wasn't really any. I ate a sandwich and tanned a bottle of Lucozade with my gloves off as I was changing gloves anyway.
My fingers went completely numb by the end of my piece but my fingernails were in excruciating pain. I pulled on my warmest gloves and set off I had balled my hand into fists inside each glove to try and get them warmed up, my pole dangling from one wrist my axe from the other. I walked like this for 10 or 15 minutes stumbling through the snow. Eventually the heat returned to my hands...now they were far too warm
Hello ladiesI had read a report saying Beinn Dorain was a flat hill walk...I did wonder what hill they were walking?
A quick peek over to Beinn an Dothaidh to have a look at the hill that had caused me so much bother. I could see the other walker heading down...had he been to the top already? If so what was I doing wrong?
Beinn an DothaidhFlat walk my ass. Each time I thought I might be getting there near the top I'd find myself crossing the horizon to be faced with even more hill to climb. I had cramp im my legs and for a while each step was painfully sore.
UpAll the joy had been sucked from the walk the minute I fell in the bog earlier in the day. I wasn't sure if it was now stubbornness or sadistic enjoyment but I came to terms with the situation and there was no way I was going home without bagging both of these hills.
MORE UPI had skirted every deep looking snow drift, took the rocky option each time it was presented and never stopped for any reason. I was finally rewarded...
Englishman's Cairn...here I was at a massive cairn. Is this the top? Of course not! I had wanted this to be the top so badly but sadly no and if I didn't want to be referred to as English for the rest of my life I'd have to take the short but seriously annoying walk to the summit.
Views from Carn SassunaichA cruel 10 minutes later I was on the top. Strong winds and whipping spin drift made being there less than fun so I took a quick snap and off I went.
I had texted the missus once I found a little shelter telling her I'd gotten to the top of the second hill and I was fine but I was running late.
Beinn Dorain's summitThe walk down was long and lonely. I pretty much had given up trying to find the decent ground and had chosen the direct route down through the snow.
I must have fallen in snow drifts at least 200 times no joke. Seriously this was no longer funny, I couldn't be arsed being there any longer and I wanted off.
There was now something genuinely troubling me and I only noticed when I removed my sunglasses once back in the coire that my vision was a little hazzy with perhaps a little blue tint. I closed each eye in turn to see if I was just imaging. I wasn't, my right eye's vision was definitely impaired. I freaked out slightly and started walking 'fast' but in reality it was still slow. I managed to calm down, trying to think about what might have happened to my eye....could it have been UV leaking through a scratch on the lens? Or light coming in from the sides? Perhaps a stain on the lens than was forcing the eye to focus funny? Was it the wind somehow? Whatever it was it definitely real. I told myself I would sleep on it.
Travelling as fast as I could manage it took me 2 and a half hours to get from the summit to the train station. I removed my gaiters and flung them in a bin
Once at the car I needed a change of socks, a fresh top, a sandwich and a rest to ready myself for the drive back.
I slept well that night, well as soon as I got used to the involuntary twitching my thighs were doing. My vision returned to normal the next day thankfully but now I'm on the hunt for some better quality sunglasses
The next 3 days I'd suffered I can tell ya, the legs were aching
Looking to get out ASAP to do it all again