Sunday 15 May 2011 - TGO Challenge Day 3 - Meall nan Uan to Col at head of Coire an Dothaidh (NN 328 398 - 705 metres)

Route: exactly as planned, subject to dropping down a few metres to a sheltered spot (famous last words) to camp.
See http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2011.html Day 3 for map

Distance: 21km (Cum 73) [Mike 21 - Cum 66]
Ascent: 1100 metres (Cum 4135) [Mike 1100 - Cum 3420]
Time taken: 9.8hrs including 2.7hrs stops
Weather: drizzly rain all morning with a brief respite this afternoon before we entered a zone of cloud at around 500 metres.
Challengers encountered: after rejoining the 'trade route' on the track by Loch Dochart, we met first timers but experienced Munroists Frank Kelly and Jim Martin and walked with them to Lunch No 1 - at the Inveroran Hotel, from where we walked to Bridge of Orchy with Nik Lawcock, on her seventh Challenge for Lunch No 2.
Others encountered: lots of people on the West Highland Way, which appears to be a principal source of income for the above establishments. Some looked quite miserable. Mike tried to cheer them up by offering them packets of muesli that make feel sick.
Flora and Fauna: lousewort, creeping azalea, flitting meadow pipits (but Frank and Jim reckoned they'd seen two golden eagles.
Best bit: all three lunches.
Worst bit: looking at the weather forecast at Bridge of Orchy.

The only food we had for today was lunch. The planned big meal at Bridge of Orchy was scuppered by lunch at Inveroran, so we had another lunch at B of O before scooting up here to eat the goodies we'd been carrying since Oban, before picking up fresh supplies at B of O.

I'd like to say we are on an airy verandah. (Today's picture shows Mike making the finishing touches to his perfectly pitched tent on the verandah.) We are, I suspect, on an airy verandah if we were brave enough to look outside and could see through clouds. However, we are beside a gently burbling stream that will no doubt lull us to sleep.

Today's walk started with the long, rough plod up Beinn Suidhe. Nobody else was up there today; it was cloudy.

Back on the main track, Crocs were used to cross Allt Ghabhar - not really necessary if you crossed with care, I concluded. "I crossed with care" commented Nik later, adding that she got a wet foot.

That's all for now. Normally I would scoot back up to the col and look for a signal to send this tonight, but it's dry and warm in here and just a little inclement out there!

Thanks for the messages btw; we are sorry to hear that it has been raining in Manchester...

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