A thrilling Munro that will Steall your heart

Classic Devil’s Ridge hike is unrelenting but rewarding

Amassive lump of a mountain that rises from the valley floor to form the southern wall of Glen Nevis, Sgurr a’ Mhaim dominates the western view of the Mamores when approached from Fort William.

It can be climbed as a single Munro from Polldubh – either as a “there-and-back”, or more preferably as a circuit, taking in the wonderful “Devil’s Ridge” arête that links the hill to the main Mamores ridge.

It’s not how I’d recommend climbing the hill, though. The ascent is unrelentingly steep. Sure, it gets you there quick – but I’d struggle to describe it as “pleasant”.

And as a single, even including the Devil’s Ridge, you’re missing out on one of the finest mountain walks in all Scotland – a true classic, The Ring of Steall.

There are 10 Munros on the Mamores ridge. They can all be done in a day – a very long, tiring but incredibly rewarding day. I walked it a couple of years ago with Iain Cameron, the man who records Scotland’s snow patches. It was a 26-mile route with around 9,843ft of ascent and took 12 hours.

Most will opt to break the ridge into chunks, and the hills are nicely grouped for this. From the east, they neatly fall into sets of four, four and two Munros. The middle four are known as The Ring of Steall.

It’s a fabulous day out – a thrilling mountain adventure, and one to savour in good conditions.

It includes a walk through a stunning gorge, a river crossing on a wire bridge, excellent stalkers’ paths, fine, airy ridge walking, fun scrambling and views of some of the country’s most famous mountains – including the Grey Corries, the Aonachs and Ben Nevis. Oh, and you pass beneath the second-highest waterfall in Scotland.