Ring of Steal

About trip

STAGE 1 Park at the car park at the very end of the road up Glen Nevis. There is a tremendous water slide descending from Ben Nevis here. Follow the main path up the glen into predominantly deciduous woodland. The path is very popular but the surface is still somewhat rugged and rocky in places. After a few hundred metres the glen curves to the right and narrows, with the cliffs across the river giving some of the feel of an Alpine gorge. The path continues up the glen and soon emerges from the trees. The section of the more open glen ahead makes a tremendous view, with the green pastures of the valley floor surrounded by fine woodland backed by great mountains - with as centrepiece the great Steall falls, a tremendous waterfall where a stream cascades four hundred feet down a broken cliff into the glen. STAGE 2 Bear right off the main path onto a smaller one heading for the steel-cable bridge. This consists of three cables - two for handrails, and one on which you can balance your boots. The brave will edge across it, high over the river, whilst the more circumspect will paddle across the shallows (possible with dry boots in a good spell, but impossible in spate conditions). Once across, turn left and pass the Steall Hut (private) and continue into the woods to cross the stream on the rocks at the very base of the Steall falls. STAGE 3 Continue around the base of the next buttress before crossing a much smaller stream and turning right onto a path heading uphill beside an eroded gully. Above this the path, an expertly constructed old stalkers route, follows the angle of the slope for a while before traversing right into the corrie, whereupon it continues uphill in a series of zigzags until heading to the right onto the ridge and climbing more steeply, with great views back of Ben Nevis. Above the steep section the ridge narrows delightfully to give a straightforward walk to the summit of An Gearanach. This is the first Munro of the day, at 982 metres. STAGE 4 From here, continue along the ridge which narrows to the dramatic, rocky arete of An Garbhanach. The traverse of this 'Top' is an airy but fairly straightforward scramble in an impressive situation, very reminiscent of the Carn Mor Dearg Arete. The scrambling continues as the ridge heads down to the next bealach. Continue by climbing up to Stob Coire a'Chairn; the scrambling is over for now but the ridge steepens with some scree towards the top. The cairn is at 981 metres and is the second Munro of the day; there are great views, particularly of the Grey Corries and eastern Mamores. Descend the much easier, grassy southwest ridge, traversing over a minor summit, before beginning the steep climb up to Am Bodach. This is rocky and a little loose, so care is needed with the mild scrambling on the ascent. Am Bodach (The Old Man) is 1032 metres, the highest summit on the central section of the main Mamores ridge, and is the third Munro of the day. STAGE 5 Descend the easy west ridge which drops down to another bealach before the straightforward climb up to Sgor an Iubhair. At 1001 metres, this was briefly a Munro between 1981 and 1997, a promotion and relegation in status that only the Scottish Mountaineering Club could explain! The route now turns north away from the main spine of the Mamores, following instead what has been named 'The Devil's Ridge'. It begins easily enough as it descends NNW to a wide bealach, before beginning the traverse of the 'Top' of Stob Coire a'Mhail. This is an excitingly exposed and narrow arete, mainly grassy with a path along the crest. STAGE 6 On the descent from the Top, there is one trickier section of ridge which most walkers have avoided by taking a bypass path which descends a little on the left. This bypass path still involves one awkward and slightly unnerving step round a projecting boulder. Beyond, the ridge continues easily to Sgurr a'Mhaim, the latter section being on the quartzite stones that give this mountain the appearance of being snow covered. There are great views back along the Devil's ridge. STAGE 7 Sgorr a'Mhaim is the fourth and final Munro of the day, and its position away from the main ridge makes it a magnificent viewpoint; Stob Ban looks especially fine to the southwest. Do not be tempted to descend the northeast ridge towards Steall, as there is difficult and dangerous steep ground much lower down which has been the scene of fatal accidents. Instead, take the easier northwest ridge. This descends down the quartzite at first, becoming grassier lower down though always steep. It eventually leads to path above the Allt Coire a Mhusgain. Follow this path down to the car park at the Polldubh falls. Turn right over the bridge and follow the tarmac road for 2.5 kilometres to return to the start. Alternatively you can avoid the road initially by following the good path on the south side of the river before crossing the bridge at 158684 and joining the road there.