An excellent description of the route is found on the Walkhighlands website:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/aonacheagach.shtml
Aonach Eogach is reputed to be the narrowest ridge in Scotland. It’s a challenging hike with some moderate scrambling with some exposed sections that are especially sketchy if it’s wet, so it’s prudent to wait for good weather before going for it. It’s a thrilling hike over interesting rock formations with grand views of the surrounding mountains of Glen Coe. The ridge itself is spectacular but the ruggedly beautiful peaks of Glen Coe make it even better.
My friend Craig from Glasgow drove up the night before and we hiked into the Hidden Valley in Glen Coe to camp. The Hidden Valley is a real gem; s small valley perched over Glen Coe with a fantastic short approach trail through boulders and a picturesque creek. Unfortunately the midges launched an all out assault on us, so we had to dive into the tents right away. Craig’s bivvy sack didn’t provide much protection so he ended up running back to his car and spending an uncomfortable night there. I woke up early, packed up while the midges had their breakfast at my expense, then we hit the trail.
There was light rain in the morning, making it uncertain whether it was safe but we decided to make the call when got up to the ridge. After givin’er up the steep hillside, the rain luckily stopped just as we arrived at the start of the ridge. From up there, the ridge looked daunting with some towers, pinnacles and narrow sections. Craig had done it before and felt it would be fine to give it go, so we went for it. There is a tricky section at the beginning; as we were figuring out how to scramble around it an old local guy nonchalantly walked by and crushed it like a pro, making it look effortless. From there he just cruised across the ridge like he was out for a stroll. It was impressive. We got around the obstacles with less graceful moves but managed it fairly well.
By now, the rain had fully stopped and some mist was billowing off the ridge, giving the scene a mystical…dare I say…Lord of the Rings atmosphere. The rest of the ridge was a mix of walking, scrambling, a few sketchy sections where I got a bit nervous of the heights. Craig owned it like a boss but I was a less comfortable with some exposed sections, although I felt chuffed up after getting through them.
After completing the ridge, there was a fairly big descent back to the valley bottom of Glen Coe. We screwed up and went left when should have stayed right and followed an old, rarely used trail that descended down a long, very steep slope with knee knackering, punishing switchbacks, which followed along the edge of a deep, narrow gorge that was like a cleft in the mountainside. Craig later found a passage in one of his hiking books that described that route as perhaps the worst descent in Britain. Oops…
I really enjoyed this hike; it was challenging, scenic and offered a sense of accomplishment. A great day out in the mountains.
