Can anyone climb Ben Nevis?

Can anyone climb Ben Nevis? Well, as the saying goes: If I can, anyone can. And I did. And, as a person who, given the choice of a free gym membership or a year’s supply of seasalt & caramel dark chocolate, would definitely go for the latter, you can see that it is possible for amateurs to climb Britain’s highest mountain. Obviously there was no real climbing involved on the path that we used. There was no need for crampons and other climbing stuff I don’t know the name of. It was just a long, sometimes difficult, hike to the top.

My levels of fitness had improved a lot

But, I probably should say, that we did this walk three months into our trip around Britain. I’d pretty much had a sedentary life before we started. A walk to the office photocopier was a big part of my daily exercise. After twelve weeks on the road, my levels of fitness had improved a lot. I was seeing muscles I didn’t know existed and that definitely helped when walking five miles into the sky.

Scary facts

First things first: there were a few scary facts I wish I hadn’t known before we hiked:

1. The top of the Ben is covered with fog 70% of the time, so sticking to the paths is a must.
2. Conditions can change very quickly; what starts out as a sunny day can end in thick mist and heavy rain.
3. There are several deaths each year on the mountain.

My best tip: Like every good boy scout: Be prepared.

Here’s a few facts to help you make the decision whether to climb:

1. Best time to climb

We arrived at the Glen Nevis campsite in August. The top of the mountain was shrouded in mist and driving rain forced us to huddle inside our motorhome. It didn’t look good. But, climbing in Summer is definitely the best option for amateurs. Considering the top is 8 degrees colder than the base, climbing in Winter as a novice, doesn’t bear thinking about.

2. What to take with you

The shop on the Glen Nevis campsite has everything you need to hike up the mountain. You should make sure you have good walking boots, walking trousers that will dry quickly if it pours (definitely not jeans), a compass (which I’d never used before) and a whistle. We also packed a map, chocolate (not sure if it was necessary but I can’t climb for five-six hours without it), fruit, fleeces, rain jackets, hats and gloves. Wear layers – you can always add or remove them depending on the temperature and your sweat-level.

3. Who climbs Ben Nevis

On the day of our walk up Britain’s highest mountain, there were all sorts of people alongside us. A few parents had brought their kids with them, the youngest we saw about ten years old. Despite having to stop for more rests, they didn’t seem to complain, which was impressive as some bits were hard going.

4. What to wear

Some had all the right ‘gear’: waterproof trousers guaranteed to withstand torrential floods, rain-jackets interlined with fleece warm enough to conquer the North Pole. Hats with flaps over the ears to protect from arctic winds, the very latest in boot technology and those stick things (I’m not sure what they are called). In total contrast was an older Scottish bloke who wore shorts, a bobble hat and a pair of dusty boots. He said he’d climbed it ten times before. I’m sure things are very different on the other paths where ‘professional’ climbers need all those apparatus from hiking stores. Hopefully, we fell somewhere in between.

The climb

And so, the morning of our climb arrived. We woke to bright blue skies and the top of the mountain clearly visible from the motorhome. Obviously my rain dance the night before had not worked. I would have to do it. We set off after breakfast. A pathway from the Visitor’s Centre crossed a river then started to rise. From here we could just make out the tiny path rising up as it cut into the side of the Ben. Fortunately for us, and those who’d chosen to climb that day, there was a path built way back in 1888 that would take us to the top.

500 feet mark

The big rocks made it more difficult to climb, especially for shorter legs. Around the 500 feet mark more people joined us from another path that started near the bottom. As feathery clouds parted, the sun shone brightly and our bodies sweated nicely. The next 500 feet rose steeply and the terrain became rockier and the sheep more scarce.

An hour into our ascent, the views appeared below through broken mist and hazy sunshine. We could see tree covered mountains for miles around with little lochs and rivers between. Gradually caravans in the camp site became smaller and smaller. We carefully crossed the flood of fresh water at the Red Burn waterfalls where stones had fallen into heaps making small river-lets flowing down the mountain.

2230 feet, we were about halfway

At 2230 feet, we were about halfway and it was two hours since we’d stepped onto the mountain. Climbers are advised, at this point, to make the decision whether to carry on. Despite sweat sticking my t-shirt to my back and the midges organising a lightning attack, we decided, like everyone else, to carry on. We could hardly complain about the conditions.

The hardest part of the climb was yet to come. A track climbed up the north west shoulder of the Ben in four giant zig zags. The heat, the sweat and the increasing incline took its toll and we had to make more frequent rest stops. A few eager walkers, who must have started their climb in darkness, passed us coming down from the top. They smiled smugly as they trotted past, they’d done it, they’d seen the top and they knew what was to come.

Felt like we were walking on the moon

Up there it felt like we were walking on the moon. There was no green, just granite grey pieces rising up into the sky. Little brightly-coloured figures were dotted around the zig-zags. As we stopped to rest for a few minutes, others overtook us, only to let us pass when they rested further on. There was no competition, no reason to get there first. We were comrades united in our pursuit.

Ben Nevis Summit

Finally, at about 3900 feet, the zig-zags finished and the granite flint track flattened out. Mist surrounded us with broken pockets revealing blue skies and green mountains. The last steep rise known as ‘Mclean’s Steep’, after the main contractor for the team that built the Observatory at the summit in 1883, took us to the top.

It was a bit of a surprise after the effort it took to reach the summit, to find what resembled the remnants of a backpacker’s party. Bodies lay around the rocks eating sandwiches and drinking water. Colourful backpacks scattered everywhere. I was glad to see the children had made it all the way up here.

Final ascent of Ben Nevis

During the final ascent, the temperature had dropped nine degrees and our sweated bodies shivered in the cold. It was only now that we were pleased to have carried our jumpers all that way. There was a stone memorial to local men who’d died in the two world wars. Over the years, climbers had added their own plaques to commemorate the death of loved and missed young people. Maybe up here, they felt it was closer to heaven?

We stood at the top with Britain laid out beneath us, there was nowhere higher in the country and it felt good.

There was a derelict observatory closeby. At one time, there had been a hotel at the top for visitors. It seemed hard to imagine now. A cairn of rocks marked the summit point. Unfortunately, a group of Australian backpackers had decided to take over the place and opened a small barrel of beer they’d carried all the way up to celebrate. We pushed our way onto the rocks and took photos to mark our achievement. Luckily the clouds drifted and gave fantastic views of green and blue below though no-one ventured too close to the edge of the granite gullies. It had taken us four hours to reach the top.

After the elation came the realisation that we still had to descend. Going down the mountain was easier than going up though we had to be careful of slipping over the smooth flints. The clouds had completely disappeared and the scene was incredible.

We’d been on the mountain for seven hours

At four o’clock and 1000 feet into the air, we’d been on the mountain for seven hours. People were still starting to ascend. One family, about 45 minutes into the climb, stood bewildered, looking up to the disappearing path. There were the parents, two kids, two dogs and Grandma. She asked, sweat pouring from her red face: ‘Is it much further to the top?’ I explained that it was a lot further and that the forecast said the weather would change in the evening. They looked even more bewildered. The father ignored our advice and they carried on. I still wonder when they actually decided to turn back.

Finally, we reached the bottom. There was no fanfare or welcoming party but we felt a real sense of achievement. In mountain terms, Ben Nevis is a tiddler. Mount Everest was 25000 feet higher, but as a journey, for us, it was hugely significant. Two motorhome owners, who only a few weeks earlier, had thought walking from the car to the office was exercise, had climbed to the highest point in Britain.