Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

summits dotted around the country and climbing them all is a challenge that takes
some people a lifetime to complete, although the fastest-ever circuit is an
incredible 40 days.
But this is a walk that’s made to be savoured rather than sped through. For us, it
began with a stroll through deciduous woodland, with its cacophony of bird life and
the River Steall crashing through a deep boulder-strewn canyon below us. As it
opened out the river broadened and slowed, and the early morning sunlight sent
biblical shafts of light across Glen Nevis.
Our first challenge was to tightrope across the river on a three-wire bridge – one
for your feet, two for your hands. Loaded down with walking gear we inched our
way across one by one the base of the 393ft (120m) Steall Falls. It was a dramatic
Cirque du Soleil start to our ascent of An Gearanach, which at 3221ft (982m) was
our first Munro of the day. It’s a demanding climb, made more palatable thanks to
beautiful views of Ben Nevis and neighbouring Aonach mountain range. As you
near the top, the ridge starts to narrow and you can see the entire route laid out in
front of you in a spectacularly undulating horseshoe.
© Panoramic Images | Getty
the snowy slopes of An Gearanach
The Ring of Steall sits in the centre of the Mamores mountain range, and
tackling it in early spring meant there was still plenty of snow underfoot. There were
sections of the walk where we would need to kick secure steps into the snow with
our boots or where we’d require the stability that comes with an ice axe.