25 September 2010
Having did Snowdon, I thought Ben Nevis should not be much more difficult given the fact that it is only about 300 metres higher. Boy, was I wrong. Given though I did the easiest path for both of them, the terrain for Ben Nevis is many times tougher. If you are like me who don’t exercise regularly and have been staring at the computer until your vision blurs, I would strongly advise you to train up before attempting Ben Nevis. If not, at least try to do it on a dry summer day. Other boarders at Achintee Farm had warned us that they saw no less than 3 helicopters rescues the day before. Wet and slippery rocks can easily cause accidents if you are not careful.
The weather today is beautifully sunny and is a comfort against the freezing wind chill. The first hundred metres of ascent was easy enough and deceitfully hides what is in store ahead. The wide well marked path is dry and easy to walk. Soon, the path tapers and the soil is replaced by rocks. Many streams flow down the slopes of Ben Nevis making the path very wet at certain points. The trying path continues until you reach the height of about 500 metres, which becomes a stretch of flat terrain letting you have a short pause before ascending again. Thereafter, the path continues with the rocky terrain all the way to the summit. The good thing is the gradient here is not as steep as the start of the path and the summit is similar to a small plateau. After nearly 5 hours, I reached the summit, stopped for a quick rest and then started back down again. For fitter guys, you can probably do it in less than 4 hours. I would recommend wearing boots with harder sole to tackle the rocky terrain. Such boots also make it easier to descent without feeling the rocks poking into your soles.
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Starting point of the path, Ben Nevis Inn
Gorgeous views along the path to the summit
Rocky Terrain along the path
Finally at the summit! Here lies a tribute to the fallen during the wars.
A couple of man made structures at the top
An abandoned observatory.
Scenery from the top of United Kingdom
My trusty Casio Protrek says the altitude is 1340m.
As high as the clouds
One Comment
Nice post with excellent pictures. The pictures alone would make me want to go there, because they show how much character the place has!
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[...] Pass 6. Miscellaneous Edinburgh Photos 7. Hotel review: Travelodge Edinburgh Shandwick Place 8. Report on hiking Ben Nevis, the highest peak in UK 9. Accommodation Review: Achintee Farm Hostel 10. Trip report on 1066 Battle of Hastings: [...]