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Steall Q

Steall Q


Postby scottglen » Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:46 pm

I'm considering walking the Ring of Steall in early Sept, with my son. We've done around 20 summits between us, so not entirely inexperienced, but had 2 Q's..

1. Why does everyone seem to go clockwise ... I'd have assumed you'd park at car park, get the bus along the valley (if it possible) and then do the bridge last, so any soaking on the crossing has minimal impact!

2. My son is 13 - and small (circa 145cm) - is he even going to be able to reach the support cables on the crossing? Or is the water level likely to be at its lowest, so wading across is fine....

Cheers for any info, Scott.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby Sunset tripper » Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:49 pm

I've done it both ways. The top car park is often busy these days and I prefer to get the road walking out of the way at the beginning and the ascent of An Gearanach is on a good stalkers path compared to to the scree slopes on Sgurr a'Mhaim. Also if you are in doubt best to see if it is possible to cross the river at the beginning rather than the end of the day. Hard to say what the river level will be like.

It's a great but hard day either way and care is needed in places. Save it for the good weather. Here's a link to my clockwise walk last year
All the best. :D

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=73088
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Re: Steall Q

Postby Robinho08 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 2:05 pm

There's no right or wrong way. I done it anti clockwise as recommended by Ralph Storer's Ultimate Munro guide. Means you walk downhill at the end to pick up your car and you ascend the steep Sgurr a'Mhaim first.

PS. In normal conditions you can cross the river easily further up stream.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby jmarkb » Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:10 pm

Using the stalker's path that crosses the N face of Sgurr a' Mhaim and leads to the NE ridge makes the ascent (or descent) more pleasurable. It's not marked on older 1:50k maps. To find it in ascent, go up the main path to the obvious shelf at the 670m contour and follow this leftwards (slightly downhill) for 200m until the path is obvious branching up to the right. The NE ridge has some very mild scrambling, but nothing harder than the rest of the round.

It is also possible to access the NE ridge directly from Steall hut, and thus avoid any road walking if you park at the end of the road, but it requires some careful routefinding at the bottom - there's a description in Dan Bailey's Scotland's Mountain Ridges.

If you have access to climbing gear, a long sling threaded under rucksack shoulder straps and clipped to each cable on the bridge can be helpful for the short of stature! But, as already mentioned, fording the river is a better option, unless in it's in spate, when crossing the outflow of Steall Falls can also be a bit tricky.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby abbruce » Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:54 am

We did this clockwise on Saturday. We parked at the lower car park & took the riverside path to Paddys Bridge to minimise time walking on the road. Also meant we didn't have to walk along the road when it was busy.

The river was low as you'd expect, although it looked around waist deep at the far side. We did meet a couple of lads at the Steall Hut waiting for their mate who didn't fancy the wire bridge. He seemed to have to go a long way up stream before crossing. Good idea re using a sling jmarkb

There are good paths for the whole route, including the descent off Sgurr a' Mhaim which zig zags across the hill, including through the scree at the top.

We did actually have the 'which way should you do it' discussion & came to the conclusion that it might be slightly better clockwise as easier to come down the scree than go up & the initial ascent is to a height of 982m rather than 1099m.

It's a great day either way.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby Sunset tripper » Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:04 pm

The best place to cross the river if not using the bridge is around 200m upstream from the bridge, round the bend where there is a large stoney area at approx. NN180685.
Here is a picture of that crossing point from last summer with low water levels.
1534242969401890.jpg
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Re: Steall Q

Postby Old Bill » Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:26 pm

When I was up there camping last year (just down from the cable bridge) it was tipping down all day the evening I got there, but stopped overnight. The next day the falls were half the size and the river perhaps a foot lower! So crossing points can quickly disappear - and then re-appear!
But you're right to consider your lad on the bridge, I'm 5'10" and my arms were fully outstretched. In fact, even getting up on to it was a struggle - but probably says more about me and my flexibility! hehe

Image

I guess most people go clockwise could be because the way up at the west end would be a long slow slog, but at the east end above the falls at least it's a short(ish) sharp shock.
It is a lovely walk though and despite all I read about the Devil's Ridge there was nothing to worry about really.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby scottglen » Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:36 pm

Thanks to all for the info, much appreciated. Sounds like it will be ...

- clockwise (avoid going up the scree!)
- skip the wire bridge and get the boots off up stream and wade
- park at lower car park and cut cross country

Fingers crossed for the weather - will let you know how it goes. Cheers, Scott.
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Re: Steall Q

Postby Runci21 » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:36 am

we did it last saturday in some not so nice weather, we parked at first carpark and walked along the road first to loosen the legs up and when we came off the hill we where at the car.I am only 5ft 4" and I managed okay on the wire ropes but they do move about a bit in the wind.
this route was the longest I had done but we managed round in under 8 hours, wind and rain at the summits meant we did not stop much, the descent is tough and long for somebody with dodgy knees like myself.
we did pass a group off walkers up on the first summit who where not dressed for the weather and we gave them a copy of the walk guide as the where trying to use mobile phones for the route.

hope you get better weather than we did and get to enjoy some views.

we did the glen lyon ring on sunday and it could be a back up plan incase weather bad at fort William, its took us 6 1/2 hours also in poor weather.
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