Bridge of Orchy 5 Munros,July 2024

We Return to Scotland again as i tag along on Jamies Munro campaign,this time after a stop over the night before in Perth we pull up in the Bridge of Orchy Train station car park for 10 am,Friday morning

Its a nice 15-18c with some high cloud keeping most of the heat at bay we head SE first following the WHW and greeting the folk walking this lovely walk 

At the first bridge we turn and head off following the river NE on a solid landrover track,the old farm building is gone and theres a lot of new buildings and houses now being built here,some serious coin being spent 

We carried on picking up a nice breeze,passing under the viaduct the track has had some good repair work done and is easy walking,we stopped for lunch near the old house where the poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre,lived for a while 

I thought when i came this way in early 2000s that it still was a run down house ? but now its a sheep pen/workshop area 

From there we followed a track up to some old dam then a path the just open wet ground,using the map i found the highest running water i could see,we had a big slurp then shouldered up more water for camp 

We followed an old collapsed fence to the coll between Beinn Mhanach and the Munro top Beinn a Chuirn,where we pitched for the night 

We each got camp sorted and a cuppa soup in us,then headed of to get the Munro,before returning for tea 

Beinn an Dothaidh,as backdrop

The temp had cooled much dropping to 8c as i choose which meal to have for tea,thanks as always too Basecamp foods 

The sun had left us and it looked like rain in the nearly cold wind behind us while the hills south of us were bathed in late evening sunny rays 

The early morning wee,showed only thick wet clag so i went back into my down quilt,looking out at just gone 6 am showed it looked like it would start to break up

Which it did nicely as we departed camp L.N.T,the first

objective was the coll at 813m on the ridge connecting our next 4 Munros 

A fresh wind followed us as we dropped sacks and headed out for the days first Munro Beinn a Chreachain

It was a winter trip back in the 90S when i first did these hills and the view then ( all covered in a deep mantle of snow) over Rannoch moor and Loch Tulla was as grand as i what we saw today

Yesterday had been a tough ish day at 18k and 1000m of ascent so it was not a fast pace as we ascended the next few hills,the steep pull onto Beinn a Dothaidh needed snacks to power our legs upwards 

Studying the map we decided on camping near the Lochan on the shoulder of Beinn Dorain at 860m

It was a good spot but no sooner had we got our shelters out and the wind just arrived ! this stayed till the early hours,gusting up to 30 mph at times,both shelters were fine 

We had 40 mins in camp had a brew and some snacks then headed up on heavy legs to bag the fifth and final Munro Beinn Dorain  

Back to camp just before 7 pm it was time for tea and any thing else i found in my bag to eat,20 k and 1515m of ascent

Bridge of Orchy hotel far below

I just managed to stay awake for a sunset that didnt have much promise,but it came good and as soon as id snapped my last pic,i was soon tucked up and asleep 

As id pitch a few feet from a big drop i was glad to wake up and find id not been blown away ,some nice cloud floated about as the sun started to climb

Leaving no trace again we just had too descend and im glad we were as the day was starting to warm up already,the high cloud that had kept us cooler over the last few days, had now gone 

We met a few folk heading up as we headed down and i was made up to meet Mona Pyne and her daughter,it took me a while to place her but shes married to the very talented  mountain guide Richard Michael Pyne,who many moons a go used to work at Kendal Sports shop 

His Daughter Valentyna Reimerova is also on her way to getting qualified too ...

Back to the car and a rough wash and we were heading back home again,this took Jamie to his 50th Munros

Safe travels thanks for looking Peter