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Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh


Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:54 am

Route description: Beinn Dòrain & Beinn an Dòthaidh, Bridge of Orchy

Munros included on this walk: Beinn an Dòthaidh, Beinn Dòrain

Date walked: 30/01/2011

Time taken: 7 hours

Distance: 14 km

Ascent: 1228m

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Friday night was spent with members of my group viewing films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival

http://www.banff-uk.com/

Karen, a new member, would accompany me Saturday to tackle the DDs. At first i was wondering about her walking fitness but she did a marathon last Oct - i may struggle to keep up with her :?

We met at the Little Chef just over the Erskine Bridge, got the gear in my car and headed for Orchy.

At 9.30am we started the walk. Weather forecast was for low level clouds - clearing by the afternoon.

MWIS didn't dissapoint as we crossed under the pass of the railway station to follow the path to the Bealach seperating the DDs - the cloud was evident.
Image


Conditions underfoot very solid and not the muddy terrain i was dreading. Getting to the bealach was awkward due to loose rocks covered in ice - due care was given.


At the bealach we headed south to Dorain - we decided against the crampons, for now.


Looking North to Dothaidh
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The path ahead was not clear but navigation was fairly straightforward - i had taking a reading from the cairn at the bealach. Higher up it was snow and mist - very dramatic :)
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It was great fun ascending to this summit which we reached in 2hr 45m. We did pass a large cairn 200m before the true summit - people should not mistake this for the actual summit. Took a few photos and just as we sat down for lunch the sun shone through the cloud :D ....no wind and sunshine - bliss.
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It was now a case of retracing our steps to the bealach where we would start the steeper ascent of Dothaidh.

Looking South to Dorain
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Just before we reached the bealach the cloud cleared and presented stunning views over to the blackmount estate and hills....
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zoomed
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Looking North we could see our next target, Dothaidh, with its 3 tops.
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We reached the bealach and headed NE then E to reach our first top

Looking back to Dorain
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zoomed - you can make out the 2 cairns of Dorain
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It wasn't long till i reached the south summit - Karen was only 5 mins behind :shock:
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We didn't hang around and made our way to the true East summit
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Karen was having crampon trouble so i headed myself to the western summit. I met some climbers here who where just topping out from doing the North face of Dothaidh
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And the final photo of the day....
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I soon caught up with Karen and we made our way back to the car - taken care in the tricky underfoot conditions.
When at the train station mountain rescue asked if i had seen a guy with a busted leg? I informed him i had seen 4 guys behind me who seemed to be taken the wrong path down above crags. It wasn't long till the helicopter was flying overhead - i hope it wasn't too serious.

Karen and i stopped at the Drovers Inn for a well earned pint :)

A great day out and well done to Karen for bagging her 4th and 5th Munro - poor lassie has the bug now :lol:
Last edited by dooterbang on Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dooterbang
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby lomondwalkers » Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:10 pm

Is there no stopping you DB?? Another cracking report, these two are on my radar for this year :D
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:17 pm

lomondwalkers wrote:Is there no stopping you DB?? Another cracking report, these two are on my radar for this year :D

You will enjoy them - nice hills. All the hills around Orchy and west to Blackmount are good walks. Don't waste no time - get up them now :)
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby ChrisW » Sun Jan 30, 2011 1:57 pm

Great report and some stunning pics, really enjoyed sharing it, thanks :D
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby davgil » Sun Jan 30, 2011 2:19 pm

Good report dooterbang.

Good set of photos too and the last one is a cracker!

I did these a few weeks ago and the ice on the way up to the bealach was quite treacherous in places,
well done to you both :D

David
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:03 pm

davgil wrote:Good report dooterbang.


I did these a few weeks ago and the ice on the way up to the bealach was quite treacherous in places

David

It certainly is. I'm not surprised someone had an accident. Crampons most defo needed.
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby Milesy » Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:19 pm

Haha. That is my mate topping out on the climb in your picture. I was on a another rope just behind them :) nice one!

The views had disappeared by the time I got up though.
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:23 pm

Milesy wrote:Haha. That is my mate topping out on the climb in your picture. I was on a another rope just behind them :) nice one!

The views had disappeared by the time I got up though.

Yeah they told me 2 others where coming up. I chatted with the older guy for 5 minutes before heading.
Shame about the views - they did tend to come and go. Was that a gully you guys did? The older guy told me you didn't have protection in but just a top rope.
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby Milesy » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:35 pm

There was 5 altogether. Harry was leading two up, and then myself and someone else swapping leads on the pitches.

Not sure what he meant but he was leading so by nature the two he was bringing up had a rope above them, but not top roping which is a different thing altogether.

Yeah a grade III gully called Taxus.

** yay a 1000 posts **
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:58 pm

Milesy wrote:There was 5 altogether. Harry was leading two up, and then myself and someone else swapping leads on the pitches.

Not sure what he meant but he was leading so by nature the two he was bringing up had a rope above them, but not top roping which is a different thing altogether.

Yeah a grade III gully called Taxus.

** yay a 1000 posts **

maybe i picked him up wrong!! I know nothing about climbing and the technical side - all i do is indoor stuff at ibrox :(

Maybe one day i will do the Taxus :)
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby Milesy » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:00 pm

Hehe :)

Can I use that picture please? :)
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:19 pm

Milesy wrote:Hehe :)

Can I use that picture please? :)


sure. send me your email and il send original....or d you just take it from here????
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby happyhiker » Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:47 pm

good stuff dooterbang! Dorain was my first munro and I had pretty dreadful conditions - would love to go back to do these two! I see your new camera is doing you proud - some fab pictures there :-)
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby Graeme D » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:02 pm

No stopping him right enough. Great clarity is some of those shots DB. :D
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Re: Another Orchy Double - Dorain & Dothaidh

Postby dooterbang » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:45 pm

happyhiker wrote: I see your new camera is doing you proud - some fab pictures there :-)


Its not the camera, its my sooper dooper eye :lol: Yeah i'm happy with it so far. The zoom on photo 9 is fab - also the zoomed 2 cairns. Couldn't do that with my last lumix.



Graeme Dewar wrote:No stopping him right enough.


Its easy to get out Graeme when you dont have a nagging other half (thats unfair, all woman are fab :) ) or the repsonsibilities of kids. I'm sure, if in my position, most folk would be out every weekend . . . i think :? :shock: :) :lol:
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