Bothy trip

Had a very enjoyable overnight trip to the Bridge of Orchy area on Friday/Saturday. The weather was fine, the bothy was in good shape, and it was nice to see that Crannach wood has been fenced off to keep the deer out. Since it was cold, and snowy on the tops, there were a lot of deer about, too.

Anyway, onward to Beinn Mhanach, which I climbed very slowly. Unfitness, extreme cold, or a large pack? I'm not sure, but we got there in the end. I enjoyed making the rising traverse around Beinn an Dothaidh to get to the Beinn Dorain col. There's a certain smugness about not losing height that no other exertion can remove. Another reason for satisfaction was the emptiness of this side of the hill. After a brew of tea, I climbed to the col, which was like a railway station by comparison. Thence to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, which these days has decided to be friendly to walkers. So I suppose there are some advantages to being in a crowd.