Stob Coire a' Chàirn

Stob Coire a' Chàirn, at 981 metres, is the second Munro of the classic Ring of Steall circuit through the Mamores, offering great views particularly of the Grey Corries and eastern Mamores from its summit cairn.

Reached from An Gearanach via the scrambling arête of An Garbhanach and a steep descent to a bealach, the north ridge of Stob Coire a' Chàirn climbs steeply to the summit — the scrambling is over by this point, though the ridge steepens with some scree towards the top. From the cairn, the route descends the much easier, grassy south-west ridge, traversing a minor summit before beginning the steep, rougher climb up to Am Bodach, the third Munro of the circuit.

This central section of the Ring of Steall offers a brief respite from the more technical scrambling encountered on An Garbhanach behind and on the Devil's Ridge ahead, though the ground remains genuinely mountainous throughout, with rocky, sometimes scree-covered terrain on both the ascent and the following descent.

The full Ring of Steall circuit from Polldubh is around 18 kilometres with roughly 1,680 metres of ascent, typically eight to ten hours; an alternative route escape exists here for those needing to bail out, descending towards Kinlochleven or into Coire a' Mhàil, though the latter has no safe exit from the mouth of the corrie and requires rejoining the standard route.

Though less technically demanding than its neighbours on this circuit, Stob Coire a' Chàirn still requires sustained fitness and sure-footedness on rocky, scree-covered ground — this should be treated as one stage of a long, serious mountain day rather than an easy interlude.

The Lower Falls car park at Polldubh is chargeable; a seasonal bus runs up Glen Nevis from Fort William between May and September.