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RING OF STEALL

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 11:22 am
by LAVA JINTI
It all began in 2013 when Jinti and I were about to do Ben Nevis for the 5th and 3rd time respectively as we sat in the Nevis inn having a beer on the eve of the hike. we were chatting to other walkers and I asked a lady hiker if she was doing Nevis the next day too she replied no we done the ring of steall today instantly Jinti and I locked eyes with each other and both of us knew what each other was thinking. The name alone drew you like a magnet and compelled you to learn more. After a few drinks and walking back to the camp site Jinti looked at me and said "will we" I replied "why not" and so it began we scheduled it for May bank holiday 2014 and set to it however the weather gods were not good to us and we abandoned it last thing and rescheduled it for August bank holiday 2014 this time everything was just right so we set off parked the car at the lower falls and walked up the tar road to entrance to the woodland path,we trundled through the woods the river flowing gently on our right hand side and eventually broke out to view the steall falls
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first sighting of the falls
moving on out into the meadows ahead and a closer look at the falls
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by now you can hear the cascading water
by this point Jinti has already shed a skin I decided to wait till we got up into the sunshine and the warmth a little further on and we reach the rope bridge
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me on the ropes
once across and on our way to the base of the falls fortunately there has been a long dry spell and jumping across the base of the falls was quite easy then onto the damp boggy area where you have to tread carefully or you could end up sunk to the waist in horrible stinking stagnant watery peat sludge just like the guy from derby was just behind us and we got a good laugh as his wife asked him to stay there till she got a photo. Once across this area it was up hill all the way as the climb begins following a path that at one point we thought came to a dead end but fear not you cross a small stream running down hill and then you pick up the path again. On the side of this path there is a lonely foxglove growing tried to upload photo but forgot to downsize this one carrying on up the side of An Gearanach (the complainer) and you come across this rocky out crop, sorry another pic I have not downsized properly carrying on skin leaking and heart pumping we reach the top of the complainer. unfortunately I am unable to upload some great photos and I know I have downsized them at this point me and Jinti have a well earned break and take in some amazing views,After a short break we head off to tackle An Garbhanach a little scrambling is required here once over and down the other side you tackle Stob Coire A' Chairn( the peak of the corrie of the cairn once accomplished you carry on then onto AM bodach ( the old man) and some scrambling again, once at this peak another rest break and take in some more views by this time we discover we did not bring enough water so we reduce our intake enough to see us through from here you traverse across Sgurr An Lubnair ( peak of the yew) Stob Coire A' Mail the area between AM Bodach and Sgurr A' Mhaim where you encounter the devils ridge tricky but passible with relative ease but can be unnerving then onwards and upwards to the peak of the rounded hill the last but not least on this envigorating hike once up there you proceed down over the quartzite top and down to the lower falls area but make no mistake the decent is just as hard after this grueling walk but well worth doing then onto the Nevis restaurant /bar and a pint of ice cold water ,a pint of lager shandy and a cafe latte all at once and the wife paying for them as she is just glad to see us back safe and sound. A truly magnificent days walking ps to the Derbyshire couple we hope mutley got round okay,