Scotland
Aonach Mor
1220M
4004FT
About Aonach Mor
Standing as a high, broad-shouldered neighbour to Ben Nevis, this Munro is defined by its massive summit plateau and the dramatic, craggy drop-offs of its eastern face. While famous for its ski development and gondola access, the true character of the mountain is found on the wild, airy ridge connecting it to Aonach Beag.
Key Statistics
Rank
4th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
133
Nearest Town
Data coming soon
Geology
You are walking on a foundation of hard granite and layered rocks, which form the rugged core of the Ben Nevis mountain range.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN193729
Latitude
56.8129°N
Longitude
4.9617°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Gaelic as 'Big Ridge'. Curiously, it is actually 13 metres lower than its neighbour, Aonach Beag ('Little Ridge'). The names refer to the physical bulk of the mountains when viewed from the valley of Glen Spean to the north, where Aonach Mor appears significantly more massive.
- •The summit offers one of the most revealing perspectives of the North Face of Ben Nevis, looking directly across the gulf of the Allt a' Mhuilinn to the massive cliffs of Carn Dearg and the Castle Ridge.
- •Most visitors reach the high slopes via the UK's only mountain gondola at the Nevis Range ski centre, but hillwalkers often prefer the long, steep climb from Glen Nevis to the south, which avoids the mechanical clutter of the ski tows.
- •Due to its high elevation and the deep, north-east facing orientation of its corries, Aonach Mor is known for holding snow patches longer than almost any other UK mountain; in some years, the snow in Coire an Lochain survives through the entire summer.
- •You can enjoy a coffee at the gondola station at 650 metres, but the true summit is another 570 metres of vertical ascent away; it is a long walk for a refill.