26/02/16 - Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh - (me, Steve)

Today was the first day of a long weekend of Scottish Winter Mountaineering with Steve. We'd driven up the night before after work and stayed in the Abbotsford Hotel outsideof Glasgow. i wanted to do this route because Beinn Dorain had always looked so menacing and inspiring when I'd driven past it on the way to Glencoe. The weather looked set to be good for the next few days and so we set off on our first route in good spirits.

It was a long, steady, but reasonably demanding incline to a bealach from which a left would take you up Beinn an Dothaidh and a right would take you up Beinn Dorain. We paused for a while to watch some climbers going up an impressive frozen waterfall onthe edge of Beinn an Dothaidh and then with crampons attached and axe in hand proceeded up Beinn an Dothaidh - on the basis that it would  possibly be less interesting than Beinn Dorain, so best leave Beinn Dorain for number 2.

The going was surprisingly hard and I started to wonder about my fitness and my appetite for the next 4 days of walking... The snow was deep and at times, each step was hard.

Eventually, we got to the first summit. Steve pondered if we should add in a further summit - I'm still not sure if he was being serious or not, but I said "no" without hesitation (it would have been a difficult addition anyway).

We returned to the bealach and proceeded to Beinn Dorain. The weather was holding, but visibility was mixed, distant mountains were phasing in and out, but looking spectacular as they came into view.

I was pleased that I'd read that it was easy to mistake an upcoming cairn as the summit, because it very much was! Luckily, we knew to carry on to the second cairn. I was a little disappointed that the ridge wasn't more pronounced, but mainly I continued to be concerned at how physically drained I was.

Once we started our return, Steve offered me a "hit" from his hip flask - it was the best whisky I've ever had! Context is everything....

We stopped for a beer at the Bridge of Orchy pub when we got back down and then I had a sleep in the car on the way to the Glen Nevis Hostel.

Fort William was starting to become quite familiar to me- particularly the Morrisons. But Steve didn't seem blown away at the idea of cooking for ourselves in the hostel, so we went out for a curry instead (!?!).

Munro - Beinn Dorain, Beinn an Dothaidh

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