Weekly Route: Ring of Steall

Steall > An Gearanach > Stob Coire a' Chairn > Am Bodach > Sgurr a' Mhaim

Distance: 10 miles (16Km)	Height Gain: 5705 ft (1739 m)
Overview: Epic cicular walk taking in four Munros joined by narrow ridges. A true classic.	Maps: Ordnance Survey OL 32 Online: Streetmap
Strenuousness: 4 Tecnicality: 2 Photogenicness: 3-4	Start Point: NN 167 691 - Glen Nevis

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With the last "summer" Bank Holiday just a fortnight away this is our last chance to give you a route that'll really benefit from those extra hours. The Ring of Steall is something special, and really deserving of the word "classic".

Its four Munros in a circle, joined by narrow ridges, is the best of Scotland distilled into a single day's walk. The Ring of Steall is itself only part of another, much harder, route that covers all ten peaks of the Mamores. With Ben Nevis to the north and Loch Leven to the south the views are stunning, and photgraphers will find plenty to fill their galleries.

The walk can be done in either direction, but MCofS safety guidelines recommend doing it in a clockwise direction, which is the way described here.

Super BIg Version - Pic courtesy of Arnt Flatmo

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Section 1 - Start to An Gearanach

Length: 3.47 miles ( 5.58Km)

Height Gain: 3138ft ( 956m)

From the Car Park at the end of the Glen Nevis road take the footpath east, following the course of the Water of Nevis. Cross a couple of streams and follow the path around to the right, and through the gorge.

After almost a mile turn right and cross the river then continue along the tourist track, crossing the river under the An Steall Falls. Continue east around the base of the buttress and take the path up Coire Chada Chaoruinn. The ground gets progressively steeper, and eventually into a series of zig zags that take you to the ridge.

Almost immediately you join the ridge turn left to avoid the steep ground ahead. The path soon brings you back on the far side of the ridge from your detour, and the final 500ft uphill to the summit of An Gearanach. From here you can see the whole ridge ahead of you, and have over half the ascent behind you.

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Section 2 - An Gearanach to Am Bodach

Length: 1.5miles ( 2.42Km)

Height Gain: 1113 ft ( 339m)

From the summit of An Gearanach the route is blindingly obvious, running left to right along the switchback ridge. A short descent is followed by an equally short climb up to the summit of An Garbhanach, and then a deceptively steep descent to Bealach a Chadha Riabhaich.

The climb on the other side, up Stob Coire a' Chairn, is equally steep. At the summit of Stob Coire a' Charin ignore the ridge running east to Na Gruagaichean and continue along the main ridge.,You now have two options, to contnue along the ridge towards Am Bodach or to take the right hand route that contours round the worst of the rises and falls to rejoin the main path on the climb up to Am Bodach.

Sticking to the ridge and coping with the constant undulation is, of course, the classic route, but either way you are faced with the unforgiving slog up the steep ridge to the summit of Am Bodach.

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Section 3 - Am Bodach to Sgurr a' Mhaim

Length: 1.6miles ( 2.58Km)

Height Gain: 1113 ft ( 339m)

This is the most "interesting" section of the walk, with three summits in quick succession. The descent from Am Bodach is straightforward, passing the head of Corie a' Mhail, and the climb up to Sgurr an lubhair is gentle in comparison to what's gone before.

Sgurr an lubhair was once classed as a Munro, but was demoted to a "top" a few years ago. From Sgurr an lubhair you descend onto The Devils Ridge, which despite the name holds no major problems.

The ridge is never particularly narrow and the path is well defined, and you have the choice of taking the crest of the ridge or dropping down slightly left and skirting the edge. Continue onwards over Stob Coire a' Mhail to the summit of Sgurr a' Mhaim, at 3601 ft (1098m) the highest point on the walk..

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Section 4 - Sgurr a'Mhaim to Finish

Length: 3.44miles ( 5.53Km)

Height Gain: 389ft ( 119m)

From the summit of Sgurr a' Mhaim you are faced with two ridges, north west and north east. Take the north west (left hand) ridge which descends steeply, zig zagging as it goes down Sron Sgurr a Mhaim, to a path 2,500ft below alongside the Allt Coire a' Mhusgain.

This descent is steep, unrelenting and plays havoc with your knees, but is now the recommended route by the MCofS after several bad accidents on the Ring of Steall -more details at the Mountainering Council of Scotland web site.

The riverside path brings you out at Forest Walks Car park on the Glen Nevis road. Turn right and follow the road back uphill for the final 1.65 miles (2.65Km) to your start point.

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Route Map - bigger version

 

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