An Gearanach
| An Gearanach | |||
| Inverness-shire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 An Gearanach (L) and An Garbhanach (R) from Stob Coire a' Chàirn | |||
| Range: | Mamores | ||
| Summit: | 3,222 feet NN187669 | ||
An Gearanach is a mountain in the Mamore Forest of Inverness-shire, one of the Mamores range. The mountain reaches a height of 3,222 feet at its summit, and so is duly listed as a Munro.
The mountain is found 3½ miles north of Kinlochleven, in the southwest of Inverness-shire. It has two main summits over 3,000 feet:
Overview
An Gearanach reaches a height of 3,222 feet and is listed as Munro number 167 in height order. It is part of the Mamores which lie between Loch Leven and Glen Nevis and consist of 10 Munros and two Corbetts.
The name 'An Gearanach' is Gaelic though its meaning is uncertain; some publications giving it as "short ridge", being a ridge from Gearr Aonach[1] while others give a translated name of "the complainer"[2] or "the sad place".[3]
Geography
The upper slopes of An Gearanach are basically a north-south summit ridge just over half a mile in length with steep flanks which drop into the valleys of the Allt Coire a' Mhail to the west and the Allt Coire na Gabhalach to the east. At the northern end of the mountain are three ridges which go roughly NW, north and NE descending to upper Glen Nevis. To the south is a ridge which descends to the Bealach a' Chadah (857 metres) before continuing to the adjoining Munro of Stob Coire a' Chàirn. An Gearanach is a popular mountain, not just because of its Munro status but because it is part of one of the best and most exposed ridge walks in the whole of Scotland, the Ring of Steall.[4] This route takes in the three other Munros of Stob Coire a' Chàirn, Am Bodach and Sgurr a' Mhàim during a circuit of the Allt Coire a' Mhàil, a valley which feeds the An Steall Ban waterfall. The An Steall Bàn ("the white spout") is a fine sight as it drops 120 metres down the northern lower slopes of An Gearanach.[5] The base of the falls is passed on the approach to the mountain from Glen Nevis.
An Gearanach's subsidiary peak, An Garbhanach (meaning "rough ridge"), lies 400 yards to the south. The two summits are connected by a narrow ridge which at one point is quite tricky as it tapers to a knife edge arête dropping into deep glens on either side and requires a good head for heights. There has always been some uncertaincy about which is the highest point, and both An Gearanach and An Garbhanach were given a height of 3,200 feet on pre-metric maps in the 1970s.[6] An Garbhanach reaches a height of 975 metres and in 1921 was accidentally elevated to Munro status and An Gearanach reduced to a "top" due to the vagaries of old fashioned mapping techniques. The mistake was rectified in the 1933 revision of Munro's tables with an explanation that it had all been a mistake.[7]
The northern slopes of An Gearanach require some care when descending from the mountain to Glen Nevis and there have been fatalities as walkers have left the stalkers' path and tried to descend directly to Glen Nevis and got into difficulties on the crags above the An Steall Ban waterfall.[8]
Ascents
An Gearanach can be climbed from either Glen Nevis or Kinlochleven. The approach from Glen Nevis is shorter and has the advantage of approaching through the lovely Nevis gorge and past the foot of the An Steall Ban waterfall. After crossing the Water of Nevis on a wire suspension bridge and passing the foot of the waterfall, a stalker's path zig zags up the hillside to gain the NNE ridge and up to the summit.
The approach from Kinlochleven involves firstly ascending Stob Coire a' Chàirn by the stalkers' path up Coire na Ba before continuing to An Gearanach giving an out and back trip of 9 miles.[9]
References
- The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986, Donald Bennett (Editor) ISBN 0-907521-13-4
- In the Hills of Breadalbane, V.A. Firsoff, no ISBN
- The Munros, Scotland's Highest Mountains, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1-84204-082-0
- The Magic Of The Munros, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-7153-2168-4
- Hamish's Mountain Walk, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5
- ↑ "The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland" Page 88 Gives translation as "Short Ridge".
- ↑ "The Magic of the Munros" Page 59 Gives translation as "The Complainer".
- ↑ "100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains" Page 64 Gives translation as "The Sad Place".
- ↑ "The Munros, Scotland's Highest Mountains" Page 70 "Ring of Steall ... Seven tops make up this superb round".
- ↑ www.world-waterfalls.com. Gives details of An Steall Bàn.
- ↑ "Hamish's Mountain Walk" Page 164 Mentions both tops having height of 3,200 feet in 1970s.
- ↑ The Angry Corrie. Tricky Tops and Obscurities in Munro's Tables - Gives details of An Gearanach.
- ↑ www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk. Alarm Bells on the Ring of Steall.
- ↑ "The Munros" Page 68 Gives details of Ascents.
| Munros in SMC Area SMC Section 4 - Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht |
|---|
|
Am Bodach • An Gearanach • Aonach Beag (Alder) • Aonach Beag (Nevis) • Aonach Mor • Beinn a' Chlachair • Beinn Bheoil • Beinn Eibhinn • Beinn na Lap • Ben Alder • Ben Nevis • Binnein Beag • Binnein Mòr • Càrn Dearg (Alder) • Càrn Dearg (Loch Ossian) • Càrn Mòr Dearg • Chno Dearg • Creag Pitridh • Geal Charn • Geal Charn, Ardverekie • Mullach nan Coirean • Na Gruagaichean • Sgor Gaibhre • Sgurr a' Mhàim • Sgùrr Choinnich Mòr • Sgùrr Eilde Mòr • Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin • Stob Bàn, Grey Corries • Stob Bàn, Mamores • Stob Choire Claurigh • Stob Coire a' Chairn • Stob Coire an Laoigh • Stob Coire Easain • Stob Coire Sgriodain |