The Ring of Steall route within the Scottish Highlands contains 4 mountains often known as Munros. This circuit begins in Glen Nevis, close to Fort William. This text particulars a preferred route which you can stroll or run.

The highs of the Ring of Steall

It doesn’t matter the way you strategy the west Highlands mountain route often known as the Ring of Steall, there’s loads of top to achieve. Actually, the whole is greater than 6000ft.

The high-level hike additionally challenges with a number of scrambly sections through rocky aretes that require an excellent head for heights, plus a traverse of the slender ridge.

And even earlier than all this, there’s a notoriously tough excessive wire river bridge to sort out.

But, the rewards of the ten.5-mile stroll are plentiful, together with the completion of a traditional ridge stroll, ticking off 4 Munros and views of a shocking mountainous panorama.

Truth: Steall Waterfall, is also referred to as Steall Falls or by its Gaelic title An Steall Bàn, which suggests The White Spout.

Ring of Steall with associates

All this was to come back as I set out on a balmy Friday morning to stroll a clockwise circuit of the Ring of Steall with my associates Isabel and Lynsey.

We began with a brisk tempo as we headed eastwards on a well-laid path by way of stunning Glen Nevis and alongside the winding Water of Nevis. 

The primary couple of miles proved to be an excellent warm-up with only some undulations and a small and delicate total ascent.

In locations, the glen has the ambiance of an Alpine gorge with steep cliffs on one aspect of the river and plush woodland.  

We may hear the Steall Waterfall earlier than we may see it and even after a interval of dry climate, the sight of the cascades of water from 400ft above our heads was spectacular.

The trail bears proper on to a smaller one to succeed in the notorious bridge, which contains three metal cables. There are two cables both aspect that function handrails and one beneath that appears like a tightrope. 

With a little bit of steadiness and willpower the bridge is pretty straightforward to traverse, though once I was midway throughout and seemed down I realised I actually wouldn’t need to fall. A drop from the bridge may have a nasty outcome and so I held tightly with my fingers, edged my ft forwards and saved my gaze straight forward to the opposite financial institution.

The route continues east and passes Steall Hut earlier than heading beneath the falls and across the base of a excessive and steep buttress.

This was to be the final of the flattish terrain as we started the lengthy climb on a stalkers’ path in the direction of the primary of 4 important mountain summits, An Gearanach.

Climb to the ridge

All the summits on the ridge rise above 3000ft, which qualifies them in a listing of Scotland’s 282 Munros.

The gradient not often relented and I used to be grateful for the distraction of plentiful chat with my associates and the ever widening vistas. Wanting down we may see Steall Meadows on the bae of the glen and the various surrounding mountains, together with the UK’s highest, Ben Nevis.

The trail zig-zags larger as much as cut back the gradient severity and at occasions our chatter petered out as we targeting the arduous and breathless job of pushing onwards. 

We had anticipated a breeze to chill us as we closed in on the ridge, however it was surprisingly nonetheless and highly regarded.   

The cairn on An Gearanach at 3221ft was a welcome sight. We met a gaggle of 4 males on the summit, who set off forward of us as we loved a brief cease for meals and loads of water. 

The magnificent views throughout took within the Mamores vary of mountains located between Ben Nevis and Loch Leven.

A ridge circuit

Between the primary and second Munro, we encountered the primary slender part of the ridge as we scrambled excessive of a sharp arête. I’m not a fan of heights, so I employed my earlier approach from the bridge of wanting forward and to not the precipitous drops both aspect of me.

There was somewhat extra scrambling, together with a few brief “bum shuffles”, as we continued a descent in the direction of a wider bealach.

The subsequent summit,  Stob Coire a’Chàirn, was clearly seen forward of us however we wanted to make one other steep ascent and this time with sections of unfastened scree to sluggish our progress.

Whereas we had overtaken the 4 males, the three of us muttered between ourselves concerning the warmth and our slowing tempo. There was little or no safety kind the solar’s more and more scorching rays and our Scottish pores and skin prickled and sweated.

One other cairn marked the highest of the second Munro at 3218ft. We have been handled to expansive views over the unmistakable Gray Corries, a sequence of mountain to the east of the Nevis Vary, and the jap peaks of the Mamores. 

Earlier than the subsequent ascent to the third Munro, the route supplied a little bit of reduction with a gentler grassy slope, then a small summit.  By now, my legs have been beginning to tire and there was no let-up as we climbed a steep and rocky ridge line to succeed in a top of 3385ft on the highest of Am Bodach. 

But extra descending took us to a different bealach earlier than we began one other climb to a top of 3280ft on Sgòr an Iubhair. From 1981 to 1997, this was categorised as a Munro however it has since been faraway from the listing by the official document keepers, the Scottish Mountaineering Membership.

Our path turned north and forward we may see what is called The Satan’s Ridge. After an easy descent on a large ridge, there was a traverse over Stob Coire a’Mhail, which proved to be the narrowest and most uncovered a part of the day’s hike.

An extended hike again downhill

There’s a alternative of descent from the highest, both persevering with over a testing rocky ridge or alongside a decrease bypass path above an virtually vertical slope. We selected the latter however nonetheless confronted the brief however dizzying publicity of a step spherical a big boulder.

I used to be relieved to seek out the ultimate stroll up the fourth and closing Munro, Sgòrr a’Mhaim, was simpler each mentally and bodily. Wanting again from a top of 3605ft, we loved nice views of the Satan’s Ridge and throughout to the complete Ring of Steall. 

I confess I used to be wanting ahead to a closing descent to the street by way of Glen Nevis however I had not anticipated it to be so lengthy and steep. 

The slender path zig-zagged by way of unfastened quartzite rocks, making it virtually unimaginable to not slide haphazardly at occasions. I leant on my strolling poles, taking smaller steps till we filly reached a grassy decrease slope.

However nonetheless the mountain saved on going and we have been all fairly parched. We may see the glen beneath and started to listen to murmurs of fast-flowing water someplace, which solely served to make us all really feel wearier and thirstier.

Lastly, we made it to a financial institution of the stream and enthusiastically splashed our scorching faces and crammed our water bottles. 

The ultimate 1.5 miles to return to our automobile adopted a low-level path on the south financial institution of the river to a footbridge after which a brief part of tarmac street. 

It was highly regarded within the glen in late afternoon and we have been grateful for additional bottles of water left in our automobile – and an ice-cream in close by Fort William.  

Effective climate is a should for a circuit of the Ring of Steall to make sure you benefit from the Highland views, however take care in excessive chilly or scorching climate as a result of the route is each committing and strenuous. 

Particulars of Ring of Steall Circuit

Route particulars: 10.5 miles

Whole ascent: 6230ft

Route suggestion: www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/ringofsteall.shtml

Equipment listing for Ring of Steall

• Rucksack
• Strolling garments
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Strolling boots or footwear (relying on the season)
• Strolling poles
• Insulated jacket
• Hat and gloves 
• Map and compass
• Cell phone
• Emergency bivvy bag
• Meals and water
• Solar cream
• Sun shades