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The stone path across the meadow of upper Glen Nevis to Steall Falls, with An Gearanach in thin cloud behind.
Ben Nevis, the Mamores and the Grey Corries

An Gearanach

A Munro of 982 metres, number 167 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

An Gearanach is the hill behind Steall Falls.

It stands in the Mamores above upper Glen Nevis, under a mile in a straight line from the falls, and the avalanche forecasters who work these hills photograph the two together time and again.

Its nearest neighbour, Stob Coire a' Chairn, is about a kilometre to the south, and it looks west across Coire a' Mhail to Sgurr a' Mhaim. One forecaster went up An Gearanach in March 2022 for a look at the south slopes of Ben Nevis and Aonach Beag.

The John Muir Trust looks after the Steall gorge trail in the glen below.

The land
The John Muir Trust keeps the Steall gorge path in the glen below, though this summit is not one of its own. Jahama Highland Estates runs a Mamore Estate from Kinlochleven.
Deer stalking
The first three weeks of October are the busiest of the stag stalking season, and Jahama Highland Estates offers stalking on its estates from August to mid December. Mountaineering Scotland asks walkers to pay close attention to signs and follow reasonable advice from land managers.
Summit
Grid reference NN 187 669
Glen Nevis car park
The Highland Council's car park at the Glen Nevis road end had 18 spaces at the council's 2024 count. In May 2026 the council approved pay and display there, hoping to begin in June or July 2026, so expect to pay. Overnight parking, from 10pm to 8am, is to be barred.
Kinlochleven car park
The Kinlochleven Community Trust runs the Grey Mares Car Park, which charges for cars. Its toilets near the Business Park are open day and night.
Bus and toilets
Shiel Buses' routes 44 and 144 run between Fort William and Kinlochleven, and its route 41 stops at the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, lower down the glen than the road end. Check the times with the operator. There are composting toilets at the Lower Falls car park, also lower down the glen.
On the hill today

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: West Highlands forecast, An Gearanach, Lochaber avalanche forecast.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Steall Falls from the air, with An Gearanach above them and the river bend in the meadow below.
Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 187 669
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

Nobody has written from An Gearanach yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Stob Coire a' Chairn, Am Bodach, Sgurr a' Mhaim, Na Gruagaichean. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are the Highland Council's, the Kinlochleven Community Trust's, the John Muir Trust's, Jahama Highland Estates', Mountaineering Scotland's and Shiel Buses'; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.