The Grey Corries from Glen Nevis

Ben Nevis

A long and challenging classic ridge walk with a feeling of remoteness.

Hiking Extreme

Distance: 25 km
Ascent: 1.7 km
Descent: 1.8 km
Duration: 7-8 hrs

Low Point: 145 m
High Point: 1.2 km
Gradient: 21˚

A long and challenging classic ridge walk with a feeling of remoteness. It's often done as a linear route but the circular walk described here is good if you only have one car. This walk can be done as one very long day or split into two days with a night in the Lairig Leacach bothy. For those who are not too broken from the Grey Corries, this bothy would also make a good base from which to launch an attack on Cruach Innse (to the North) and Sgurr Innse (North east), or even another big day across the Mamores on the southern side of Glen Nevis.

The view from the highest top of the Grey Corries - Stob Coire Claurigh. Photo: Andrew

Looking over Sgurr Innse to the Grey Corries Photo: Nick Bramhall

Description

From the Glen Nevis car park, follow the path along Glen Nevis and past the impressive Steall Falls. At 120m this is the second highest in Britain, and some may wish to make a slight detour over the wire bridge to stand below it and witness it close up. Continue along the glen until Steall ruin. From here head steeply up to Sgurr a' Bhuic; this is by far the longest ascent of the day.

The descent is tricky - here you must use your judgement to find the best way down to the col below Stob Coire Bhealaich. This is the hardest descent of the day and would be difficult in poor visibility.

Now just follow the Grey Corries ridge over one summit after another, as the blue line suggests. It's a mixture of broad rolling ridges and some slightly steeper, more rocky terrain. Keeping on top of navigation is important, as even in good visibility it would be possible to be drawn onto the wrong ridge from the top of some summits.

From Stob Choire Claurigh those with spare energy might make a short(ish) there-and-back detour to the outlying summit of Stob Coire na Ceannain - this is the best bit of scrambly ridge on the Grey Corries. To complete the circuit make the long descend SE and then S onto the bealach at the head of Coire Claurigh, then climb Stob Ban as a last sting in the tail. It's more or less all downhill from here.

From the top of Stob Ban, descend SW to Glen Nevis and walk out along the mostly good but sometimes boggy path along Glen Nevis. Alternatively, descend to the East of Stob Ban to stay the night in the Lairig Leacach bothy.

Difficulty

Extreme

Scrambling up mountains and along technical trails with moderate fall exposure. Handholds are necessary to navigate the trail in its entirety, although they are not necessary at all times. Some obstacles can be very large and difficult to navigate, and the grades can often be near-vertical. The challenge of the trail and the steepness of the grade results in very strenuous hiking. Hikes of this difficulty blur the lines between "hiking" and "climbing".