Climbing Beinn an Dothaidh: map & interesting data
Total climbing: 950 m
Total time: 07:33:19
6.5 mile walk, 7h30 from 08.50 to 16.20 – average 0.9 mph
We left the cottage at around 8.45am on foot.
We headed for the Bridge of Orchy station underpass. At the other end we turned slightly left and started climbing towards the Bealach.
Bealach /ˈbɛlax/, is a Gaelic word that means “narrow mountain pass”.
8.52 – Looking back at our cottage
Our plan was to climb Beinn an Dothaich, one of the two Munros you can see from our cottage. The one on the left.
Beinn an Dothaich means “The Hill of the Scorching” in Gaelic.
Before the snow
In all this area, the wet grass is very slippery. You have to be careful not to lose your footing and get all muddy when you’ve just set off.
8.59 – Beinn an Dothaich (left) & Beinn Dòrain (right)
Last year we climbed Beinn Dòrain, the Munro on the right. That was a real challenge with the high winds and poor visibility.
On this occasion, the weather was quite different. Beinn an Dothaidh was cloud free.
For a while we walked on boggy ground, but soon the snow started to appear.
9.23 – Avoiding the copious streams
The forecast was for no rain, little wind and sunshine throughout the day. The day was indeed beautiful and the temperature most pleasant.
9.38 – Beautiful Loch tulla, almost hidden
To climb both Beinn Dòrain and Beinn an Dothaidh you have to get to the Bealach.
The Bealach (narrow mountain pass)
9.57 – Approaching the Bealach
Around here we saw a party of four men coming our way.
For the next hour, we saw several parties of four to six people, all men. Sister and I seemed to be breaking all gender statistics.
Most of the hillwalkers we saw went to Beinn Dòrain, the other Munro. Very few climbed Beinn an Dothaidh.
10.02 – Sister & Simon contemplating our future
The snow got deeper and deeper, so we stopped to put our crampons on. About time! I simply love wearing crampons.
10.33 – Climbing with crampons on
This was a very different view from last year’s, when we climbed Beinn Dòrain in thick fog and high winds, but with little snow on the ground.
Some of the large rocks had small frozen waterfalls attached to them, as if their time had stopped.
10.33 – Beinn Dòrain in the sun
We wore crampons for the rest of the day until we got back to the same spot and, sadly, took them off.
But that was four hours later.
10.40 – Sister on a crampon mission
At times the snow was quite deep, but not enough to make us turn back.
I didn’t remember just how steep this part was. I guess it’s a lot more work with all that snow.
10.48 – Almost at the Bealach
We got to the Bealach just before 11am.
At the Bealach
The views from the Bealach were breathtaking. To the west you could see our cottage, Glen Orchy, the River Orchy and Loch Tulla.
Beinn Dòrain is to the south; and Beinn an Dothaidh, our Munro, to the north.
To the east you got a wonderful view of Loch Lyon, which is in Glen Lyon, but you can’t quite see the glen.
10.51 – Glen Lyon from the Bealach
At the Bealach, we lingered on for a little bit. Then we headed north for Beinn an Dothaidh, and climbed through patches of deep snow.
11.22 – View of #
In spite of all the snow that we encountered on the ground, we never got cold.
11.49 – Maria showing off her new hat *
Beinn an Dothaich is an interesting Munro with three tops.
Beinn an Dothaich: the first top
We reached the first top at around noon. It wasn’t nearly as hard as Beinn Dòrain had been the year before.
From there we walked to the second top.
11.55 – Simon at the first Munro top
Our wonderful planet has some hidden treasures, and these Scottish hills are one of them.
Gosh, I love Scotland.
12.10 – A magic and blue Loch Tulla
Beinn an Dothaich: the second and third tops
Soon we reached the second top, and admired the dreamy glen.
12.11 – The second Munro top
After a brief break, we headed east to the third and final top.
12.19 – The third Munro top, in the distance
We reached the third top roughly 20 minutes later.
12.28 – Simon at the third Munro top
From the third top you could see, in the distance, a cornice with many feet of snow. It seemed about to break off.
12.28 – A deadly cornice
Lunch on Beinn an Dothaich
We stopped for lunch and had some delicious paté sandwiches. They were really nice, not just hungry-nice.
12.56 – View of # from our lunch spot
We walked back, not exactly the same way we came, but taking a small detour to tramp on the snow.
There was pristine, untouched snow all around us.
13.15 – Sister & Simon on untrodden snow
Everything was still, peaceful and majestic.
13.42 – Simon facing Beinn Dòrain
One day we’ll climb Beinn Dòrain, the other Munro, when it’s got this much snow, or hopefully more.
I’d also like to climb Beinn an Dothaidh in the summer at some point, but I’m afraid the midges might eat me alive.
14.01 – Sister & Simon sort of posing
Back at the Bealach & descending
We got back to the Bealach in dazzling sunshine. There we had cherry cake and redbush chai.
Everything tastes wonderful when you’re surrounded by snow and there’s no wind to spoil your treat.
14.22 – Back at the Bealach
From the Bealach we headed west, down to the cottage. Alas, the descent wasn’t any easier than the climb.
14.46 – Sister enjoying the winter sun
Some of the sections are very steep, quite imposing at times. Luckily, we were able to sledge down for a stretch or two on our butts.
It reminded me of our trips to the mountains north of Madrid, when I was a child.
14.46 – Looking back up
Gee, did we really go down that slope?
No wonder at one point I sank in the snow with my crampons on and got a bit stuck. Simon helped me out, as usual.
15.01 – Looking down at our future
No more crampons
We took our crampons off at the same place where we put them on. Not that we wanted to, Sister and I.
In fact, it’d have been easier to wear them for a bit longer. The snow was still quite deep in places.
15.04 – Goodbye, crampons
After a while, there were some large patches with no snow. Instead, there was waterlogged grass and mud.
15.16 – The river Orchy meandering through the glen
Here we stopped to look back at Beinn an Dothaidh. I wonder how many people have climbed it this winter.
15.41 – Our three shadows
Heading for the cottage
Around here we saw one of the large parties coming back, with their ice axes strapped to their rucksacks.
Those ice axes always look so sinister to me.
15.46 – Simon heading for the cottage
At times the path was stony and meandering down. Other times it was muddy and slippery.
We walked on the wet grass for a bit longer, and got to the Bridge of Orchy station underpass by 16.30.
16.02 – Sister looking forward to dinner
When we reached the cottage, the weather was gorgeous.
We had the famous pasta for dinner, which we enjoyed just as much as the first time, two days before. Simon and I agreed it was the best we’ve made so far.
Before we collapsed on our beds, we prepared our clothes and rucksacks for the next day.
It was going to be another big adventure.
I took all the photos with the Panasonic.
* Simon took this photo.