The Mamores: Ring of Steall

The Mamores are a range of mountains that lie South of Glen Nevis in the Lochaber region of Scotland. The range is dominated by a long ridge running East to West, with smaller ridges heading North from the main ridge. Two of these subsidiary ridges can be linked together via a stretch of the main ridge to make a fantastic circular walk called the "Ring of Steall" (after An Steall waterfall, which descends into Glen Nevis from the corrie that the Ring of Steall encircles).

Unlike some other of Scotland's great ridge walks (such as the Aonach Eagach, Liathach, and the Five Sisters of Kintail), the Ring of Steall is circular rather than point-to-point, so doesn't require two cars or a return walk along the road. It also crosses land which does not have access restrictions during the stalking season, when the weather in the Scottish Highlands is often at its best.

Although I have  walked extensively over the mountains and ridges of England and Wales, I have much less experience of walking in Scotland, where the mountains are bigger, the ridges narrower, and the routes longer and more committing. I decided to walk the Ring of Steall to get a taste of Scottish ridge walking, surrounded by some of the most dramatic and varied mountain scenery in the country.

There are a number of options to consider when attempting the Ring of Steall: clockwise or anti-clockwise? Quick brutal climb to the ridge or a longer, gentler ascent? Visit Munros off the main route (Stob Ban is a prime candidate)? I set out to do the route anti-clockwise starting with a short, steep climb to the ridge, and without any detours to visit extra Munros.

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Glen Nevis

Mid-september. I woke to a cool, clear morning at the Glen Nevis campsite, and, after a quick breakfast of cereal bars and coffee, drove up to the roadhead in Glen Nevis.

Nevis gorge

I followed a footpath through a wooded gorge along the River Nevis. The walls of the gorge have been carved into sinuous shapes by the river, and, lit by early morning sun, the gorge had an alpine feel to it.

Steall Falls and Glen Nevis

As I continued upstream, the gorge opened out into a flat, grassy glen with steep slopes on either side. An Steall, a huge waterfall that descends the side of the glen in a gentle curve, lay straight ahead, shaded by the peak of An Gearanach.

Steall wire bridge

I wanted to climb the steep wooded slopes on the south side of the glen, but to do so I needed to cross the River Nevis. Fortunately there is a bridge across the river that provides access to the Steall mountaineering hut near the base of the waterfall. The bridge consists of three wires - two for the hands, one for the feet - stretched tight across the river. I climbed on to the wires and edged a third of the way across. The anchors for the bridge are high on either bank; by the time you are out over the water, and the banks have fallen away, it feels like a long way up. The thin metal cord wobbled as my feet struggled to stay balanced. I began to speculate about the worst that could happen, despite having been in many more exposed situations, dangling in space on the end of a rope. I edged back to the start of the bridge, emptied my mind and hurried across.

Ben Nevis

From the bridge, I climbed straight up through the woods on the south side of the glen. As I waded through knee-high bracken my trousers became soaked with dew, and the boggy ground ensured that my boots were wet through. I passed the Steall hut and Steall Hut Crag, where  bolts, drilled into the rock and clipped with brightly coloured quickdraws, traced the lines of some of the hardest rock climbing routes in Scotland. Across the glen Ben Nevis was bathed in sunlight.

Sgurr a' Maim from the north

I emerged from the woods. Ahead lay Sgurr a' Maim, the first Munro of the day.The top is blocky grey quartzite, a rock which started out as sand, solidified into sandstone around half a billion years ago, and, subjected to heat and pressure during subsequent periods of mountain building, transformed into quartzite, a hard rock made of interlocking quartz crystals. I followed a faint path took me along a northerly spur of the mountain to the peak.

Stob Ban from Sgurr a' Maim

Sgurr a' Maim is a high point on one of the subsidiary ridges going north from the main Mamores ridge. Looking west from the top, I could see the rocky North face of Stob Ban, which is one of the peaks on the main Mamores ridge. For avid Munro baggers, Stob Ban is a short detour westwards once you reach the main ridge after descending from Sgurr an Lubair.

The Devil's Ridge

I descended to a col and then followed the Devil's Ridge to Sgurr an Lubair. The Devil's Ridge was narrow and rocky, but with a well-worn path that tempered the feeling of exposure. The views from the ridge were unsurpassed in every direction -  The great mass of Ben Nevis,  rocky tops of Glencoe and the Grey Corries, and, stretching away into the distance, the wild landscapes of the Inner Hebrides and Knoydart.

Mamores ridge

From Sgurr an Lubair I descended to join the main Mamores ridge and turned eastwards towards the next peak: Am Bodach, my second Munro of the day.  At this point the ridge was broad, grassy and lightly sprinkled with sharp, shattered, quartzite.

The Devil's Ridge and Sgurr a' Maim

Looking back from Am Bodach, I could see the Devil's ridge; a shallow-curved grey crest heading south from Sgurr a' Maim.

I startled a small flock of Ptarmigan on the slopes of Am Bodach. Chubby little birds in their grey-speckled summer plumage, they were well camouflaged amongst the quartzite scree and my -rather limited- camera on my phone was unable to photograph them clearly.

Ben Nevis capped with cloud

Ben Nevis had become capped in cloud like a gloomy cartoon. Big bad Ben indeed.

An Garbhanach from Am Bodach

I continued along the Mamores ridge, which, although steep and rocky, remained reassuringly broad. I crossed the peak of Am Bodach and climbed Stob Coire a' Chairn, the third Munro of the day. An Garbhanach and An Gearanach (the fourth Munro) lay ahead of me, connected by a narrow ridge. It had been a roller coaster walk from the wire bridge to Stob Coire a' Chairn - steep climbs followed by steep descents, all under the hot sun, had sapped me of energy, so I stopped to eat a handful of nuts and some oatcakes.  Up to this point I had seen a few people, all walking in the same direction as me, and though they offered polite hellos, it was obvious that they were keen to keep walking rather than stop and chat. In contrast Stob Coire a' Chairn was crowded with people relaxing in the sunshine. One couple told me that they hoped to enjoy a beautiful sunset on Sgurr a' Maim, but were concerned about dusk arriving before they had negotiated the Devil's Ridge.  I wished them luck.

Ridge connecting An Garbhanach and An Gearanach

The ridge between An Garbhanach and An Gearanach presents two options: a gentle scramble along the top of the ridge, or a footpath a few metres below. I followed the top of the ridge and enjoyed picking my way through the blocks and spikes of the crest, with a few hands-on moments to make things exciting. It was the most technical and exposed part of the route, with serious drops either side; I found it similar to, but longer than, the Y Gribin ridge above Cwm Idwal in North Wales.

Crampon scratches on An Gearanach ridge

The rocks on the ridge were deeply scratched by ice axes and and crampons. The previous two winters had been cold and snowy; under such conditions the Ring of Steall would have made a perfect winter day out for experienced and energetic parties.

Looking back to the Ring of Steall

Looking back from An Gearanach I could see the corrie that my route had circled. The landscape was tinted with the browns of the coming autumn.

At the base of An Steall

A steep descent from An Gearanach brought me to the base of  An Steall waterfall. Attempting to descend directly adjacent to the falls is best avoided - accidents have happened here. Instead I aimed for the corrie to the east of An Gearanach, where there is a good stalkers path, before turning westwards along the bottom of the glen to pass beneath the falls. At the base of the falls I tried in vain to find somewhere with enough dry rocks to hop across the stream on. After 10 minutes of searching I resigned myself to wading across. With trousers rolled to my knees and boots on to protect my feet from the sharp rocks on the stream bed, I plunged into the stream. The cold water flowed over the tops of my boots, refreshing my tired feet. Worth staying in for a little paddle, or continue the journey? Eventually I scrambled up the bank and followed a path back to the the wire bridge.

Scots Pine in Nevis gorge

Back over the bridge, a short walk through the Glen Nevis woods, and I was back to my car. Perfect weather, rocky peaks and airy ridges made this a day that I will remember for a long time. Indeed, the Ring of Steall, when the weather conditions are favourable (summer or winter), is probably one of the best days out the keen walker can have in Scotland.