Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Scotland => Topic started by: Guy on 20:54:59, 17/04/12
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We went up to Fort William last summer and had a great family holiday. I had a couple of days allocated for walking and chose my targets carefully - the Aonach Eagach Ridge and the Ring of Steall.
It was the last week of August and the hills were amazingly quiet - I only saw one other person on the AE Ridge (who managed to pass me twice!) and only a few groups all day on the Ring of Steall. The relative solitude was a joy. (I understand that the Scottish schools go back a week earlier than the English ones).
The AE ridge was good fun with good views down to Glen Coe and lots more down scrambling than I'm used too. I suspect at one point I dropped a bit too far right when I should have taken the obstacles straight on. On the route down, I joined up with the path to the Pap of Glen Coe. I smiled inanely at the families who asked me what it was like "up there". I'm going to be hopeless smug each time I drive through Glen Coe :-)
On the Ring of Steall, Steall falls was in full flow and it took me a little time to find a safe crossing point. It's a long hall up to An Gearanach but then like all good rings/horseshoes you see the route laid out before you. Very easily scrambling on the An Gearanach/An Garbhanach ridge which nonetheless looks impressive when you look back. Good views of Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Deag - especially when framed with a rainbow :-) The Devil's Ridge gives a good sense of exposure even on a grassy ridge.
They're classics for a good reason!
Photos, map and GPX route for the AE ridge available at http://www.anely.com/pics/2011/scotland-walks/album/AE%20Ridge/mapindex.html (http://www.anely.com/pics/2011/scotland-walks/album/AE%20Ridge/mapindex.html) and for the Ring of Steall http://www.anely.com/pics/2011/scotland-walks/album/Ring%20of%20Steall/mapindex.html (http://www.anely.com/pics/2011/scotland-walks/album/Ring%20of%20Steall/mapindex.html)