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OVERNIGHT AT ORCHY
Billed as The Blackmount/Glen Etive this years Overnighter was
designed to allow access to innumerable hill groups. What
follows is an account of an Overnight spent “bagging” and
“bivvying” on The Bridge of Orchy Hills. The weather was
terrific (the forecast all week had said it would be) and our
route (over 4 Munros and 2 Tops) just about the right length to
allow enjoyment rather than racing.
Total trip time was 17 hours – 4 hours 15 mins of which was
spent at the bivvy site.
At 5.30pm on Saturday 19th June we said farewell to our
colleagues on the mini-bus and wished them well for their
overnighter. David Brown, Derek Beverley, Graeme Mcewen and
Willie Robb intended a night high on the Orchy Hills with Beinn
a’ Chreachain our first port of call. It was a glorious evening
of sun and wind…
On the Auchallader road-end looking to Loch Tulla
The Allt Coire Achaladair
Beinn Achaladair
Crossing the Water of Tulla to gain the hill
The Bridge is rather old and “Shuggilie” and is the one marked
as a footbridge at NN 353468 on the latest sheet 50 map. It was
lovely in the old forest in amongst the old and new trees,
flowers and wildlife… and it was a little cooler.
Beinn Achaladair from Crannach Woods
Today was a day for photos… we weren’t rushing as there were
cameras pointing in all directions. We cut across the moor and
then had to duck under an underpass which clearly had been built
with “the little people of Rannoch Moor” in mind
David exiting the underpass
The Allt Coire an Lochain
Looking out over Rannoch Moor
Willie bailed out on the steepish pull up towards the Lochan and
made for Gorton Bothy where he spent the night…
Making for the ridge (Lochan a’Creachain behind)
After a steep pull we gained the ridge
It was rather blowy on the top however and extra layers went on
Are we nearly there yet?
At 9.30pm we reached Beinn a’ Creachain and stopped for a bite
to eat and a drink as we were all rather peckish…
Hello…yes…we’d like to order some pizzas…one ham and pineapple
and one pepperoni with extra cheese…and 3 portions of garlic
bread… how long will that be?
David waiting for the pizzas on Beinn a’Creachain
From here we made for Beinn Achalladair taking in the top of
Meall Buidhe. The sun was getting low over towards Ben Nevis
giving the most wonderful sunset and later still a marvellous
“Alpenglow” lit up Beinn a’Creachain.
Sunset
Alpenglow on Beinn a’ Creachain
My camera was struggling with the sunset but I’ll post the next
photo anyway…
Sun going down Saturday 19th June 2010
Meall Buidhe in the moonlight
Sunset behind Ben Nevis
“The ridge with no midge”
We pressed on enjoying a night-time scramble on Beinn Achaladair.
On Beinn Achaladair
Beinn Achaladair
The Ben was as clear as a bell and all around us were hills and
more hills… we bagged Beinn Achaladair and bivvied just off it’s
top on a lovely grassy hollow with views out west over Loch
Tulla, Loch Ba and Loch Laidon and East over Loch Lyon…
Sorting out our bivvy
“What a time they’re taking with those pizzas ! ! ! zzzzzz”
“I hope we get free coleslaw…zzzzzz”
We stopped walking at 11.30pm and got going again at 03.45am.
There were some grumbles about what time it was…but it was
getting light… and time to get moving again… I think we all got
a little sleep.
Morning has broken…
Looking back to Beinn Creachain in the early morning
On the South Ridge of Beinn Achaladair
Beinn an Dothaidh from the East
To get to Beinn an Dothaidh from Beinn Achaladair one must loose
a fair bit of height. It then involves a fair bit of leg work
regaining the height lost… but of course it’s worth it…
Ascending Beinn an Dothaidh (The hill of scorching)
“Say Cheese”… not the best timed photo ever (on easterly top)
On easterly top
Beinn Dorain from Beinn an Dothaidh
Again there is a fair height loss if one wishes to climb Beinn
Dorain from here…and we did. On the descent we spotted a bright
orange thing just above the Coire an Dothaidh coll. There was
some debate as to whether or not it was a tent or a bivvy bag.
It turns out it was a bivvy bag as we startled the then just
wakened occupant on our return from Dorain. He told of staying
up late to watch the sun-set and then rise again a couple of
hours later…
David on the path up Ben Dorain
We stopped for another break on the climb up Ben Dorain (The
Hill of the Otter) and dumped our packs. This made progress then
swift and easy which was just as well as we took to a contour
path high up and had some really steep ground to negotiate to
gain the ridge proper. The sun was well out now…and it was
roasting again…
High up on Ben Dorain
Graeme on Ben Dorain
Ben Cruachain from Ben Dorain
Looking back to our start point from Ben Dorain
And that was most of our climbing over. We saw a few folk on our
descent to the Hotel at Bridge of Orchy…but not many
Path off the summit of Ben Dorain (which is rather eroded)
Loch Tulla
Coire an Dothaidh
We gained the road at 10.30am and had around a 35 min wait for
the 11.01 bus (which was late) Fiona C joined us here having had
a good night and bivvy on some of the Auch Corbetts. She had
seen no-one on her travels but had marvelled at the sighting of
a “high level fox”…
Alighting at the White Corries we took the old road to The
Kingshouse
The Boochill from the old road
The Kingshouse
I had to wait till 12.30 before I tasted my first pint (I was
gasping ! ! !) It was real good though ! ! ! Lunch followed and
by all the cleared plates it too was a rather good experience.
It was a shame to have to leave The Kingshouse with its tame
deer and chaffinches (which ate out of your hand). The place
also was home to innumerable swallows chasing midgies on the
breeze.
I'll let those on The Glen Etive Hills tell their own story. I
look forward to it. Thanks Eilidh (and Ken) for all the
organisation and driving on this one. It was a cracker :D
Group photo at the Kingshouse
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