Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. Ronald Turnbull
up
This sharp and stony ridge is used by those ambitiously linking the Aonachs with Carn Mor Dearg (combining Routes 8 and 14), or the even more ambitious joining Nevis with the Grey Corries in one over-the-top hill day. It’s also a logical descent for anyone who ascends Nevis from the south, via Coire Eoghainn and Carn Dearg South (1020m) – the third-best Nevis route, not included here.
See Ben Nevis summit summary map. Start from the far end of the car park, where a wide smooth path is signed for Kinlochleven and other distant places. See Route 2 for an exciting scrambly diversion off this path. At the head of the gorge the path emerges suddenly into a narrow meadow; above on the right are the spectacular Steall Falls. Keep to left of the river for 1km to a small footbridge over Allt Coire Giubhsachan. Just before this, turn up left on a rough path, and follow the stream up to the col at the head of Coire Giubhsachan.
Turn up left, on a fairly steep rocky spur with a rough path. The spur narrows attractively in its upper part, to the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. Continue on Route 8 to the Nevis summit.
ROUTE 13
Aonach Beag from the Back
| Start/Finish | End of public road, Glen Nevis (NN 167 691) |
| Distance | 14.5km/9 miles |
| Total ascent | 1350m/4500ft |
| Time | 7hr |
| Terrain | Small paths, grassy ridge, stony plateau |
| Max altitude | Aonach Beag 1234m |
Do the ethics of Munro-bagging allow the Nevis Range gondola? Do you even want to, if it means a trudge up Aonach Mor under the chairlifts, and a simple plateau walk to Aonach Beag? For more mountain fun, take the back way, by Glen Nevis. You’ll come through the magnificent Nevis Gorge, and pass the Steall waterfall. You’ll go between great mountains, and head up Aonach Beag by the way that actually feels like the seventh highest in the land. Then you’ll descend by the grim and granitty bealach beside Carn Mor Dearg. (If you don’t despise the gondola, there’s a nice way up Aonach Mor on that side as well – see Route 14.)
Start from the far end of the car park, where a wide smooth path contours through beautiful woodland above the Nevis Gorge. At the head of the gorge the path emerges suddenly into a narrow meadow. This was a lochan until the river broke through the rock bar at the top of the gorge. Above on the right is the spectacular Steall waterfall. Keep to left of the river, and after 1km cross a small footbridge over Allt Coire Giubhsachan. Straight after the footbridge, strike left (northeast) on a small path to right of Allt Coire nan Laogh stream, then up a steepening grassy hillside to a shoulder at 800m. A gentler ridge leads up east, to the minor top Sgurr a’ Bhuic.
Now the going gets more interesting, as well as rather more horizontal. Head east of north along the top of steep rocky slopes falling to the right. The ridge drops to a col at 895m, then rises to a corner above steep spurs descending east and north. The ridgeline turns left, first west then northwest, to the summit of Aonach Beag. The view across the Carn Mor Dearg Arête to the great north face of Ben Nevis is compelling.
Aonach Mor (Nevis Range) from Aonach Beag
Head north beside drops on the right for 150 metres, then head down northwest on rough path to a col. Now a broad slope of short grass, with a path, leads gently upwards for 1.2km to the summit of Aonach Mor, the lowest of Scotland’s nine 4000ers.
Now you need to find the descent point for Bealach Giubhsachan, the pass 300m below. In clear weather, return southwards down the gentle grassy plateau, looking for a small path soon forking off right. In mist, the easiest way is to follow the top of the steep slope that forms the right (west) edge of the grassy plateau. Where this edge bends back to the left (NN 1915 7219) is the top of a zigzag path heading directly down the steep slope below. This slope can hold steep, hard snow, even into early summer. If you’re unhappy about that, or if you fail to find the drop-off point, it’s safest to retrace the outward route over Aonach Beag. This only adds 30mins to the walk.
Having found the steep little path, descend it. The gritty granite soil is fragile so stick to the zigzags; any short-cutting will worsen the erosion. At the bottom, the deep and wide pass Bealach Giubhsachan has a few little pools.
Descend to the left (south) into Coire Giubhsachan. A small path forms to right of the stream. If time or energy are short, this path leads right down to the Glen Nevis path, passing some waterfalls low down. However, the more interesting continuation heads out to the right at about the 600m contour, to the col Bealach Cumhann. Turn left up a gentle ridge of grass and rock to Meall Cumhann’s summit. Meall Cumhann means the Hill of the Gorge; and indeed, the Nevis Gorge is directly between your toes. However, the horizontal views up and down Glen Nevis are equally spectacular.
Return north to Bealach Cumhann, and slant down across a fairly steep and pathless slope towards the long waterslide of the Allt Coire Eoghainn. Beware of the waterworn slabs alongside the watersplash, the site of accidents. A small path runs down the near side of the stream to the car park.
ROUTE 14
Aonach Mor by Gondola and Stob an Cul Choire
| Start | Gondola top station (NN 187 756) |
| Finish | Same, or gondola foot (NN 172 774) |
| Distance | 13.5km/8½ miles (to gondola top finish) |
| Total ascent | 850m/2800ft |
| Time | 5½hr |
| Terrain | Pathless but comfortable, with a steep grass ascent to the plateau |
| Max altitude | Aonach Beag 1234m |
| Parking | Park at the Nevis Range bottom station and take the gondola up |
Aonach Mor is odd as being the 4000er that wasn’t. When hills were measured imperially, Aonach Mor was 3999ft. It was only when they remeasured it in metric that it rose to 1221m, which is 4006ft. The names also are confused, in that Aonach Mor, the Big Ridge, is 13m lower than Aonach Beag, the Small Ridge. But in a sense they are both small hills, as the Nevis Range gondola lifts you up and over the unexciting spruce to visit two 4000-footers with a total climb of less than 3000ft. So it creates what is rare here, a real mountain walk in under 6 hours.
Mountain walks don’t have to be severe and strenuous, but they are supposed to be fun; and for me, up and down Aonach Mor under the ski tows isn’t. But there’s a splendid side-ridge where instead of looking up at dangling metalwork you look down from a great height on deer. Cul Choire is the Back Corrie, a name that invites any adventurous hill-goer.
Aonach Mor, from the Great Glen
See map in Route 13. Start underneath the Great Glen Chairlift out left, only very slightly uphill. (On some summer weekends you can ride this first kilometre of the walk as well.) Pass a café hut and carry on contouring into the valley of Allt Choille-rais. Cross the stream and slant left up the slope beyond onto the north ridge of Tom na Sroine. Go up the ridge, which becomes more defined with drops on the right. Across the valley is the black-run area of the Nevis Range ski slopes.
Cross the hummocky top of Tom na Sroine (918m, a Munro Top) and continue south along a pleasant ridge, with big drops now on the left to Allt Coire an Eoin. Schist (grey, flaky) interchanges with Nevis outer granite (rounded lumps, pinkish where unweathered). On the right, now, you are opposite the winter climbing ground of Coire an Lochan.
The ridge curves right – follow the crest or use a grass path down right – to a second Munro Top, Stob an Cul Choire. On the left now is the rocky face of Aonach