South Glen Shiel Ridge
This mega Munro-bashing ridge-walk becomes even more memorable under snow, says Dan Bailey.
The southern rim of Glen Shiel forms a huge rampart, scored with corries and crowned with a row of elegant peaks. Even in an area renowned for its ridge-walks, the South Glen Shiel (aka South Cluanie) Ridge stands out. With seven adjacent 3000-footers, this famous Munrobagging fest is an all-day orgy of summits in a sublime west coast setting. Few routes give you as much Munro bang for your legwork buck. But that’s not to say it’s easy, and even in the long days of summer the full monty is a big ask. Add snow, and the challenge grows by orders of magnitude, turning this classic walk into a true mountain epic. Deep snow may slow your progress; steep icy slopes will require care (and crampons); narrow ridges will feel doubly precarious; cliff edges may be obscured by overhanging cornices of snow; and with limited daylight, you’ll be out before dawn and home long after sunset. The Glen Shiel Munros in winter demand a lot, but if things ever seem too much, early escape routes into the glen are rarely far from hand. This is a linear route, however, so unless you’ve preparked a car at the far end you’ll be thumbing a lift back up Glen Shiel to your start point.