Climbing Ben Nevis – What you need to know.
A Ben Nevis guide.
So, you have decided to climb Ben
Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. This guide is here to hopefully, answer all
your questions. I have been Guiding and Leading on Ben Nevis for years and hear
the same questions from clients and visitors repeatedly. Everything I write
here is just advice, you are responsible for your own planning and actions
whilst out on the hills. I am just trying to help some people that may never
have been out in the Scottish hills before.
The route.
The most popular and easiest route up the mountain has many names, the Pony track, the Mountain path and
even the Tourist track or path. Don’t be fooled by these names, you are heading
up high into the Scottish mountains and the conditions can be difficult or
dangerous if you are underprepared.
The main path is 1300m of ascent and descent and
is approximately a 16km round trip. Average times range from 6-9 hours and although
it is achievable for most people you do need to be exercising regularly before
you try, it will make the route and your day more enjoyable. I promise you; you
will enjoy it more if you have done at least some training. The route starts at
the Ben Nevis Visitors centre in Glen Nevis from here it crosses the River
Nevis and heads uphill towards the Achintee, from here it starts climbing and
traversing around the flanks of Meall an t-Suidhe.
After about 1 Km another path joins from the right, this
is an alternative start to the path and comes up from the Glen Nevis Scottish
Youth Hostel.
From here the path starts to climb more steeply with a couple of Zig Zags up towards the ‘Halfway Lochan’ (Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe)
the path is well constructed but it is rocky and rough underfoot with several
larger steps. This is one of the steeper sections and it doesn’t seem like much
now but wait until you are tired and, on your way, back down in a few hours.
Just below the ‘Halfway lochan’ the path turns sharply left
at what is known locally as ‘Conservation corner’. Please stick to the main
path, the path leading left up the hill is an old section of path that suffers
badly with erosion and even after lots of effort by many people it still sees a
huge number of traffic and it is not getting the chance to regenerate. I
promise you it really isn’t that much quicker up or down.
As the path passes by the ‘Halfway Lochan’ it eases in angle
and you get a chance to have a breather just before the halfway stage. Average times
to this spot are about 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. The Mountain path now turns
sharply right and continues to rise gently up towards the Red Burn. The path
that heads left at this junction either takes you round under the North face or
to the end of the Lochan. After you cross the Red Burn you start what is known
as the upper Zig zags, the path goes back and forth with a total of 8 corners
leading onto the edge of the Ben Nevis plateau. The distance between each
corner gets smaller as you get higher (overall) and as you gain height, so the
path becomes more and rougher underfoot.
The Mountain path follows the Red route.
At the edge of the Plateau and just after corner 8 there
is a small circular shelter, your journey time to this point will probably be between
2 ½ and 3 ½ hours. This is the point at which the path starts to cross the
plateau with the final two short steep rises towards the summit. In Summer the
path doesn’t completely follow the line of Cairns, but they will be visible as
should the path be. You will then pass Tower gully and Gardyloo gully, both of
which usually hold snow until July/August, at the top of Gardyloo gully, three
cairns mark the change in direction, and you are just 150m, (2-3 mins) from the
top. This last section will take you about 30mins – 45 mins. Awesome, you made
it, well done. Grab a photo and enjoy the view, if you have one and then head
back down the same way.
Descent times are usually 1-2 hours quicker than the time
it will have taken you to get to the summit.
What is the weather really like?
In one word, changeable! I am
asked all the time about whether it is safe to climb Ben Nevis in bad weather
and the answer is, it depends on you and your experience. The summit of Ben
Nevis reliably has snow on it from November through to August with the Mountain
path covered completely by snow at any point between September and May,
usually. It is rare but not uncommon for it to snow on the summit of Ben Nevis
at some point through the summer months, so you should be prepared to navigate
yourselves off the mountain, change your plans and climb another day or turn
around.
So, it is changeable, what can we
do about that? Modern weather forecasting is great, and they are very accurate
nowadays even knowing when the weather will change down to the hour. I
suggest you look at both forecasts before you make your plans and if you can
get more forecasts, even better! The Mountain Weather Information
Service forecast is great, but the Met
office Ben Nevis Forecast is even better, with an hour by hour breakdown of
the weather. With all this information you can then decide whether you want to
be tackling Ben Nevis on your planned day or it can help you decide what kit you
will be taking for the day.
Do I need a Guide?
Hiring a qualified guide to lead
you on your Ben Nevis day has several advantages. They can show you the way in
poor visibility or if the path is covered in snow, they can advise you on
pacing yourself for the whole day, inform and educate you about the mountain’s
environment and local history, keep your group together, help you to manage
your temperature throughout the day, when and what to eat and just be good
company. Just some of the things that a guide can do for you. The downside,
they cost money.
The Summit of Ben Nevis on the 21st June 2019.
Photo: Andrew Hague.
What kit do I need?
Ah, the big one. There are loads
of reports out there of ill-equipped walkers on Ben Nevis, flip flop wearing
walkers with just a carrier bag, people wearing jeans and trainers. But what
should you be wearing? The simple answer is it depends on the weather, again.
Poor weather kit list.
· Comfortable
walking boots or approach shoes, that will offer grip and comfort preferably waterproof.
· Waterproof
jacket and trousers.
· Comfortable
walking socks.
· Base
layer t-shirt to be worn next to the skin, merino wool or synthetic (not
cotton).
· Comfortable
walking trousers, something light and breathable (not jeans).
In your rucksack:
-
· Warm mid
layers. At least two, one to wear and one as an emergency layer.
· Hats and
gloves.
· Head
torch, it depends on the time of year in my opinion and what time you are
walking.
· A small
personal first aid kit containing plasters, ibuprofen, pain killers etc.
· A flask
and/or drinks bottle, 1L should be enough.
· A
rucksack. About a 30L pack will do.
· An orange
emergency survival bag.
· Food (A
collection of high sugar foods and some carbohydrates will help you through the
day)
·A mobile
phone in case of emergencies.
·Some way
of navigating, a map and compass preferably.
Good weather kit list
· Comfortable
walking boots or approach shoes, that will offer grip and comfort.
· Waterproof
jacket and trousers if any rain or strong winds are forecast.
· Comfortable
walking socks.
· Base
layer t-shirt to be worn next to the skin, merino wool or synthetic (not
cotton).
· Comfortable
walking trousers, something light and breathable, could even be shorts on hotter
days.
In your rucksack:
-
· Warm mid
layers. At least two, one to wear and one as an emergency layer. If it is due
to be hot, just one will suffice.
· Hats and
gloves.
· Head
torch? it depends on the time of year in my opinion and what time you are
walking.
· A small
personal first aid kit containing plasters, ibuprofen, pain killers etc.
· A drinks
bottle, 1L should be enough for most but you could take more if it is due to be
hot.
· A
rucksack. About a 30L pack will do.
· An orange
emergency survival bag.
· Food (A
collection of high sugar foods and some carbohydrates will help you through the
day)
·A mobile
phone in case of emergencies.
·Some way
of navigating, a map and compass preferably.
·Sun cream
and sun hat
They might
not seem that different, but you can select what you think will be needed on
the day after having gathered information about current weather conditions and
the weather forecast.
Do I need poles?
For some people walking poles can
be a saviour, especially if they have sore knees on descent. It is well
documented that poles help to reduce the amount of force on your knees, but
some people just don’t get on with them. If you have used poles before then I
would suggest you use/carry them again if you haven’t don’t worry, plenty of
people don’t’ use them but if you feel they may be of some help then I suggest
you use your poles before your Ben Nevis trip so as you are more familiar with
them.
Are there any toilets?
There are no toilets on the
mountain, the only access you have to toilets is at the Ben Nevis Visitors
centre. The opening hours of these change during the year so it is worth
checking with them if you have any questions.
Where do I go to the toilet on the mountain then?
If you just need to urinate, then
pretty much go wherever you want if it is not directly into a water source. I
suggest you try to plan in advance but If you need to take care of something
else whilst on the mountain, I suggest you carry some poo bags so you can carry
your waste and tissues/sanitary items down with you. This might sound
disgusting but so are the piles of rotting faeces and baby wipes that litter
the few places on the mountain that you can get a bit of privacy. There are approximately
120,000 people that head up Ben Nevis each year and if even just 1% of them
decide they need to ‘leave a small package’ that is 1200 ‘packages’ being left
in just a couple of locations.
Can I drink the water on the Mountain path?
I used to happily drink the water
from the Red burn but having seen the rise in numbers on the path and considered
the above information about toilets, I no longer drink from this side of the
mountain. Carrying 1-2 litres of water should be enough for all but the hottest
days.
Where do I park to walk up the Mountain path?
You have four choices really, you
can either park at the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, at Achintee, the Ben Nevis
Visitors centre or leave your car at your accommodation and catch the bus or a taxi into Glen Nevis. Parking at the Youth Hostel and Achintee is limited and
free. I would recommend parking at the Ben Nevis Visitors centre, yes they do
ask for a small charge but this charge is to help with the facilities at the
start of the path, such as the toilets and a portion of this parking charge
will also go back into maintaining the Mountain path.
The usual
haul of litter after a day of guiding on Ben Nevis. Photo: Scott Kirkhope
Is there anywhere I can leave my litter on the Mountain?
No, please take all litter with
you! It is very simple if you carried it up please take it back down with you.
Absolutely everything should go back down with you, cigarette ends, Orange and
Banana peel and any waste food and packaging. The environment on Ben Nevis is a
delicate and balanced system and it is already changing due to the high level
of Potassium from rotting Banana skins.
Can I leave a memorial or spread my relatives’ ashes?
If you wish to leave a memorial,
there is an area down by the Visitors centre and the John Muir Trust, who own
the upper parts of Ben Nevis would wish that any memorial was placed at this
location. Any memorial left on the mountain will probably be removed at some point
during an organised litter pick. The spreading human ashes fall into the same category
really. No one can stop you but please think about the effect you are having on
the environment and other users, who may not really want to be sat having a bit
to eat whilst surrounded by human remains.
Can I take my dog with me?
Dogs are allowed on the Mountain
path but please be aware that there will be sheep on the Mountain and that your
dog should be under your control, whether on a lead or comes when you call it.
Please also bear in mind that it is a big day out and the path is all bare rock
and gravel and that your dog should be accustomed to walking on this terrain or
have protection, so their paws do not get damaged.
Still, have some questions?
If you do have any questions then
please feel free to send them to scott@kirkhopemountaineering.co.uk
and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I also run a Mountain Guiding
company based in Fort William that offers a wide range of courses and routes to
take you to the summit of Ben Nevis in Summer and Winter.
