UKC

During the first week in December I have three days in Scotland, I am looking at getting out for some decent walking. There will be two of us and we are both competent winter walkers, also I am looking to bag a couple of WQMDs as well - if the weather plays ball.

An idea I have involves the CMD loop from the North face car park, then a drive round to Glen Nevis, wild camp near the falls then do the Ring of Steall.

Any thoughts on this?

TIA, Tony

Edit: Is there a way of linking the two with a wild camp in between? Or is getting off  Ben Nevis heading South too much hassle (dangerous)? We have two vehicles so a linear route would be great.

Ben Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag makes a lovely circuit from the waterslide car park in Glen Nevis. (Quite a lot of reascent though.)

Doing that would leave you at Steall ready to camp and head on round the Ring of Steall; you could easily nip up and pitch the tent before starting so you didn't have to carry it round the big four.

Sort of like this, excuse my MS Paint scribbling.

You could do Ring of Steall and then head up Ben Nevis via Beallach Cumhann and above Sloc nan Uan (you could camp at Steall or even better, on Meall Cumhann if the weather was settled, great little hill) and then over CMD and head down to North Face carpark. I think going up rather than down the south side of Ben Nevis is probably preferable.

The other option is you could do both routes with one car from Glen Nevis by heading up CMD via Coire Ghiuthsachan then east ridge of CMD and descend South side of Ben (or reverse this) back to Steall and then up Ring of Steall. The less wild camp option is setting up tent at Steall and enjoying both days without overnight kit. 

Crikey that looks like a long day out on the first day - especially with short days in December. Is the Waterslite car park the one at NN167691? Would the ascent of BN be via the Coire Eoghainn? How would we get up to AM - via the Golden Oldy ridge?

I do like the idea of two days without driving and your idea fits that bill - many thanks.

Edit: ignore this - I see your map now! Thank you

It's a sizeable day but not enormous, the hills form a natural circuit; I've only done it in summer conditions and it took about eight hours car to car. I've drawn it as a red line on my second post, no need to head down to Golden Oldy although I suppose you could if you're really keen!

I went out of my way to take in a couple of Munro Tops - heading SW down from the summit of Aonach Beag would be a bit quicker.