These are two of the highest mountains in Britain. Our route avoids the ski developments on the northern flanks of Aonach Mor, and gives a fairly long, remote hillwalk with superb views.
Summary
The large summit plateau has precipitous sides in places; good navigation skills needed. Steep descent from Aonach Mor and much boggy ground lower down.
Terrain
NN168691
Grid ref
16.5km/10.25 miles
Distance
Grade
NB. Hillwalking when there is snow on the hills requires an ice-axe, crampons and winter skills and experience.
Users'
rating
Bus service May to September runs up Glen Nevis as far as Polldubh falls.
Open Traveline Scotland
Public transport
1. Park at the car park at the very end of the Glen Nevis road. 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.
2. Keep on the main path, ignoring the turning on the right towards the cable bridge. As the path rounds the corner to the left it has superb views of the Falls just across the river. Continue on the now much quieter path up the glen for a further kilometre to a footbridge; cross this to reach the Steall ruins on the far side. These sad, crumbling remains are a reminder of a time when even the upper glen was inhabited. Turn off the main path here, and follow the faint path (which soon fades to nothing) which heads up the rough ground to the right of the Allt Coire nan Laogh.
3. As height is gained, bear right to climb onto the ridge which leads up towards Sgurr a'Bhuic and avoids the complex ground at the back of Coire nan Laogh. Sgurr a'Bhuic has excellent views across to the Grey Corries and the Mamores. Follow its northeast ridge down to the bealach before the steep climb along the edge of the cliffs to reach the higher summit of Stob Coire Bhealaich. From here the route descends slightly before beginning the final ascent to the great dome of Aonach Beag.
Photo ©wfmillar, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
4. Although 'Beag' means small and 'Mor' big, Aonach Beag is the higher of the two mountains; at 1234 metres it is the seventh highest summit in Britain. The name refers to the lesser bulk of the hill compared to the more massive Aonach Mor to the north. The summit is a great viewpoint, especially for Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg to the west.
Photo ©Bill Copland, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
5. From the summit, descend the initially broad and gentle slopes to the northwest. These slopes soon steepen and narrow to the tiny bealach connecting with the broader slopes of Aonach Mor; this area would be tricky to navigate in mist. Continuing to the north, the slopes soon widen once more into great, flat, long but narrow plateau of Aonach Mor, with impressive cliffs falling to the east. The summit, at 1221 metres, is in the very centre of this long plateau and again could be difficult to locate in mist; the view from the actual cairn is rather restricted by the flat surrounding slopes. In such conditions, finding the descent route will be trickier still; it leads off the steep western side of the plateau about 900 metres back to the south of the summit, from near a small cairn.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
6. This descent route follows a very steep ridge, ill-defined in its lower parts, downhill to the 830 metre bealach between Aonach Mor and Carn Mor Dearg; luckily there is a fairly clear though eroded path all the way down once the small cairn at the top is found. Once at the bealach, turn left and continue downhill into boggy Coire Guibhsachan. There is little sign of a path, but the grand scenery helps keeps the spirits from sinking. Follow the glen right down to Steall ruins where the outward route is joined. Turn left over the footbridge to return via Steall Falls to the start on the excellent path.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing?
Please let us know by using the error report form.
Route profile
