Aonach Eagach

Aonach Eagach - Sgor nam Fiannaidh
The Aonach Eagach above the A82, looking up Glen Coe
Highest point
Elevation	953 m (3,127 ft)
Prominence	622 m (2,041 ft)
Parent peak	Ben Alder
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Naming
Translation	Notched Upland - Rocky peak of Fian's warriors (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	[ˈɯːnəx ˈekəx ˈs̪kɔɾ nəm ˈfian̪ˠɪ]
Geography
Location	Glen Coe, Scotland
OS grid	NN141583
Topo map	OS Landranger 41

The Aonach Eagach ( listen  ) is a rocky ridge lying to the north of Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, boasting two Munro summits. In length the full ridge continues for 10 km from the Pap of Glencoe at the west to the eastern end at the Devil's Staircase. The central section, some 2 km in length, is very rocky and the route along it requires scrambling ability. The slopes to each side are extremely dangerous, with steep grass and scree slopes hiding even steeper slopes which end in cliffs on both north and south sides of the ridge.

The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Scotland, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. In his book "Scrambles in Lochaber", local climber Noel Williams warns that there are no other ridges in the area that are "so narrow and so difficult to escape from once committed. Some sections are extremely exposed. This makes it a difficult outing to grade, because the technical difficulties are not great". Williams settled on grade 2, implying it is easier than the (optional) grade 2/3 approach scramble up A'Chailleach, but added a further warning (in bold type) that "there are no safe descents on the south side of the ridge".

The Aonach Eagach is normally tackled from the Glen Coe (south) side in an east–west traverse. From Allt-na-reigh near the head of Glen Coe a good path ascends Am Bodach (a subsidiary Munro top) and continues westwards along the ridge to the first Munro proper, Meal Dearg.

From here the summit of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh lies only two kilometres to the west, but a number of pinnacles must be scrambled over, and it is not uncommon for parties to take more than two hours to cross this seemingly short distance. There are a couple of sections where the use of a rope may prove prudent.