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Off to Scotland tomorrow and the wife thinks we should try walking Ben Nevis ,we have good walking boots and some waterproofs , do we need a map/compass or just follow the signs , any advise would be helpful
Its a pretty easy path to follow if the weather is clear. If its foggy and the path is covered with snow (possible as its 24 degrees down here so probably around zero up there 🙂 ) then its a bit trickier. There are some pretty big drops at the top so don't wander too far if it is low visibility, if its clear there are some cracking views. Can get busy with people in shorts and flip flops so I'd get up there early.
Weather can close in very quickly (but you know that). Temperature at the top will be a damn sight colder than at the bottom (but you know that).
Check snow cover. Definitely map/compass - paths may be obscured by snow / mist / driving rain & snow - there are some rather big cliffs on the north edges..
Given a choice between walking up ben Nevis and walking into Glen Nevis i'd choise the latter.
What they said, it's a fairly straightforward path and easy to follow so you won't get lost. I only used the map to see how far we'd gone/had to go and that was in "can't see you hand infront of your face" foggy!
The usual map, compas, whistle, warm clothes and some food and you'll be fine.
Map and compass are essential, plus how to use them, there is no way marking, the summit plateau is featureless, with large cornices overhanging the N face, so in a whiteout you are on a bearing, it is still winter up there at the moment, i would imagine once you hit the zig zags at half way the path will be obliterated by snow and probably hard neve, so if it stays cool as it is at the moment it will be icy, take axe and crampons just in case.
PS. temp today at 900m -1
Still a reasonable amount of snow up there. I would want to know what I'm doing walking up there at this time of year. Tourist path still easy, but as said if weather closes in, one patch of snow looks like any other
fergal - it was pretty much a motorway up top last year almost kerbed on the main path up. the stuff off the main path at the top was like the deterrent pavign you get in town centres but 1000% worse. That was June in sunshine though.
Last time i was up there in april it was snow covered from 600m up and people were ice climbing on the north face so much more difficult to negotiate. still sunny though.
we walked up to teh bothy at teh bottom of the north face, traversed around to the lake, watch people descend from the top on their bums/packs through hte snow, watched some deer doing deer things, then down to FW for dinner, beers more beers and supermariocart wii gaming with a random short bloke with a metal leg claiming 'you cant beat the steel' he was right i couldnt. bloody amazing day.
I'm not a weather expert so this may not be relevant, but I was up Ben Lomond (about 300m shorter than Nevis) on Monday. We were pushing bikes and sweating to begin with. Up top it was blowing a freezing gale. Cold enough my face hurt. Plenty of snow and ice.
If you do get on the plateau then keep well away from the edges as there can be huge unstable cornices at this time of year and you wouldn't want to take the ride!
Once you get to the halfway lochan area the summit "block" rises up in front of you with the path zig-zagging its way up. At some point on these you are likely to hit the snow line. Once the gradient eases you are still some way off the summit both in distance and in height.
Don't want to add to the doom and gloom, but we climbed a smaller hill (Ben Vorlich) much further south on Friday, hit some snow patches but had no issues in summer walking boots.
Two days later somebody had to be rescued from the even smaller hill next to ours (Ben Vane) after slipping and falling in fresh snow and hurting themselves.
The trend this winter seems to be for people getting into trouble in spring snow conditions so I wouldn't take Nevis lightly.
Glen Nevis is a great shout and if you wanted a bit more of an adventure, take the early morning train to Corrour and hike back to Fort William via the Abhainn Rath and Glen Nevis, low level but quite wild and a big day out.
Don't do it.
20 years ago this year I did a charity walk up Ben Nevis. Met this girl. 20 years on, two kids, two houses later, she's still hanging round...
There's still great skiing next door at Nevis Range so the top will be covered in snow. The path will be covered and there are no signs!
I think you'd need ice axe and crampons and a map and compass and the skills to use them. If the weather closes in the top plateau is pretty unpleasant and hard to navigate.
Hamish McInnes put it better by pointing out there's no such thing as scottish winter walking - it's all mountaineering of different degrees. It'll still be winter at the top of the Ben
Thanks for your replies maybe its a bit early in the season to hit the Ben ,arrive tomorrow lunch time and hoping to head up Nevis gorge-steall falls ,will get some advise in FW thanks again
This month's Trail magazine has a good article about Ben Nevis including routes and advice.
Hopefully they got the bearing off the top correct this time 🙂
* irrelevant as the OP has made a sensible decision!*
Hopefully they got the bearing off the top correct this time
Ah yes. I remember that.
I walked half way up on Friday and was blessed with good weather although the temperature drops about 1600ft ,i am glad i tried the walk but it is a slog for a 50yr old ex smoker 😯 i would do it again but a local said try walking from the north face car park so the you end up below the stunning north face ,we did see a biker coming down on a bright green spesh so if that was you well done 😀
it was on the lower section before the zig zags but i would like to know where he joined the trail
If you look at this link http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=215220&Y=773125&A=Y&Z=120 there's a track leading from the CIC hut beneath the north face to the halfway lochan (Lochan Meall an 't Suidhe). It does exist on the ground but isn't that well used in comparison to the Pony track that climbs up from Glen Nevis. Maybe your biker used that - it's mentioned in the VP guide.
It's definitely worth heading up to the CIC hut for the views. Not a hard walk, the steepest bit is in the first Km, once you get to the forestry gate it's steady going.
+1 for going up Glen Nevis rather than up the ben.
Drive as far as you can, there is a car park of siorts right at the end.
Follow the path along the River, it can be tricky when wet so caution and good footwaer is advised but it is worth while as the narrow valley opens out into the hidden glen
Snow forecast for this weekend 🙂