Ben Nevis Climb Winter 2017

This was my first time in the Scottish highlands and a truly amazing experience. Ben Nevis was on my bucket list and I decided to climb the UK’s highest mountain in winter.

Standing at 1,345 metres, it is located close to the town of Fort Williams.Two friends of mine from Holland joined me for this adventure and we chose the ‘Tourist Route’ which is the simplest and most popular route of ascent.

It begins at Achintee on the east side of Glen Nevis about 2 km from Fort William town centre, at around 20 metres above sea level.

This walk starts from the Ben Nevis Visitors Centre but due to workings on the bridge there is currently a detour and I advise to cross the river using the green bridge. To get there follow the signs for Glen Nevis from Fort William. At the small roundabout on the A82 take the road into Glen Nevis. The Visitor Centre is just two kilometres down the road on the left and the guys working there were very helpful and answered all our questions.

So we crossed the green bridge and then turned right and followed the river side path south for around three hundred metres until the path turned left and headed up to the Ben Nevis Inn.

The path reaches the end of the road near the turn for the Ben Nevis Inn. Here you can head on the Mountain Track which now rises slowly up the side of the mountain. As it rises, the views open up across Glen Nevis on your right.

After another kilometre, the path will turn left and head east, then north east and ascend into the Red Burn Glen. The path continues a steep but well laid ascent and reaches a sharp left turn at the head of the valley.

The path ascends to a sharp right turn, and then flattens out somewhat into a wide track and crosses grassy land for half a kilometre to reach a path junction. The Halfway Lochan, or Loch Meall an t-Suidhe, is now on your left.

At the path junction turn right and head south along the Mountain Track. After half a kilometre the path crosses the Red Burn stream.

After another half kilometre the path switches back to the left. This is the first of the Mountain Track’s famous zigzags, of which there are several. The zigzags take the effort out of climbing a third of the mountains total ascent.

They do make the ascent easier though it will still seem like quite a slog.

Gaining five hundred metres in sea level you will certainly notice a temperature difference as you gain height on the zigzags and on cloudy days may well find yourself in the clouds by the time you reach the top of the zigzags as you will now be over a thousand metres above sea level.

Once at the top of the zigzags a newly defined and properly cairned path heads in an east- southeast direction over the plateau towards the summit. On clear days, or busy days, you basically follow other people. On quiet or winter days, you do need to be careful as you get nearer the summit, as the path rounds the dangerous top and drop of Gardyloo Gully.

In winter, the top of the gully can be covered by a snow cornice and many walkers, not realising they are doing so, will cross the top of the sometimes unstable cornice, unaware that the proper path avoids this dangerous area.

After Gardyloo Gully the path turns left to the summit area, where you will see a large round stone cairn with trig point pillar on top, and the huge stone emergency shelter with its corrugated roof. Scattered around the shelter are the stone walls of the old Meteorological Observatory.

The summit of Ben Nevis is a fascinating place with several features. The usual ordnance survey trig point pillar can be found on top of a circular stone cairn about seven feet high. Close by there is a huge emergency shelter built up about fifteen feet off the ground. The reason for this structure being built up so high is only apparent when on top of Ben Nevis in winter when several foot of snow stays on the summit for months. It totally covers most of the summit features, except for the emergency shelter, and the trig point on its tall stone cairn.

Although there isn’t much wildlife on a mountain summit, Ben Nevis has a slight exception and I have never been on its summit without seeing its beautiful little snow buntings. The other features on the summit include a memorial cairn, and the remains of the old weather observatory. A few walls are all that remains of the once manned weather observatory, and now these walls make excellent shelter from the elements while on the summit.

The most incredible experience while standing on the summit of Ben Nevis though is not its small features but it’s massive and extensive views. Saying said that however, most days the summit isn’t clear, so to get a better experience choose a clear day to make the ascent. The views are amazing from the summit; a panorama of the whole west coast of Scotland and out to the Western Isles. On really clear days you can actually see the east coast and most of the northern half of Scotland.

To descend from the summit follow your route back to the top of the zigzag path. If you are unsure, or there is no visibility, you must take a summit bearing from the summit cairn to avoid Gardyloo Gully.