Scottish Highlands
4,409 feet/1344 meters
Summited March 5, 2012
About Ben Nevis
Q: Where is it
A: Known as simply Ben by the locals, it is steeped in history and acclaimed as one of the first climbing spots in the whole UK. It is located in the Scottish Highlands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains. The nearest town is Fort William, with Glasgow and Edinburgh being the closest major airports. The first summit was recorded in 1771 by a botanist, James Robertson. In 1883, an observatory was built on the summit and is no longer operational. The trail, aka the Pony Track, remains popular and is used by over one hundred thousand people each year. The John Muir Trust bought Massif and the surrounding area in 2000. The second highest peak in the UK is Ben Macdui at 4,295’/1309m, northwest of Ben Nevis.
Q: When is it usually climbed (hiked)?
A: Ben can be climbed year-round but is famous for difficult weather. Clouds cover the summit nearly 80% of the time in winter and 50% of the time in summer. It is said the summit is clear only one out of every ten days. The average summit temperature is around freezing, and it receives twice as much rainfall as nearby Fort William. There is snow year-round in the gullies, but not in climbing shape.
Q: I understand that Ben Nevis’ is just a simple walk-up. How hard is it?
A: It depends on the route. The Pony Track is an easy, wide trail and requires only good shoes and willpower in good weather. However, there are hundreds of routes, including four ridges and the imposing north face with serious technical wall climbing in the summer and ice in the winter.
Q: Is a Ben Nevis climb dangerous?
A: Absolutely. Hikers regularly get lost in the poor visibility—even on the Pony Track—and climbers suffer from normal mountain hazards, including rock falls and avalanches.
Q: How many people had summited, and how many people had died trying?
A: It is estimated that over 150,000 people hike Ben Nevis each year, with several deaths annually. Two climbers were killed by an avalanche in 2009.
Training, Gear & Communication:
Q: How did you train for this climb?
A: I was still in excellent physical and mental condition for this climb, enjoying the benefits of climbing the Seven Summits in the last year. However, I suggest the usual training regime of running, lightweight training and aerobic conditioning.
Q: Was altitude a problem on this climb at 4,000′?
A: Not for me, but it was strenuous at times.
Q: What kind of equipment did you use?
A: Given that I climbed the technical Tower Ridge, I used my standard mountaineering gear. This included one short ice axe, crampons, a harness and helmet, and rope that Abacus kindly provided.
Q: Is anything special in your gear for Ben Nevis?
A: I did take snow and full rain gear, not knowing what to expect, but I never used the rain gear. Due to the wet snow conditions, I was glad I had a good set of gloves.
Q: Did you use a satellite phone?
A: No, my cell phone worked just fine from the summit. Both Vodaphone and O2 had good service there.
Expedition Basics
Q: Which route is most prevalent?
A: The Pony Track, which starts near the Ben Nevis Inn and ends at the observatory on the summit, is by far the most popular walking route. However, route finding can be a challenge if the trails are snow-covered or fogged in. As for the technical routes, the gullies and ridges offer excellent climbing. See this page at SummitPost for an exceptional overview of all the routes.
Q: How long will it take?
A: A whole day is typical, with the Pony Track taking 4 to 6 hours up and half that down depending on your pace and intensity and longer for the technical routes. We took about 8 hours for the Tower Ridge round trip.
Q: How much does a standard climb cost with and without a guide?
A: No permits are required for Ben Nevis. Hotels and food are available near Fort William at the base of Ben. You can hire a guide there for about £300 or $USD370 a day for a technical climb or £50 for the Pony Track
Q: Do I need a guide for Ben Nevis?
A: Only if you are climbing a technical route where you want to depend on local knowledge like I did. Otherwise, with over 100,000 people hiking it on the Pony Track a year, you will rarely be alone, especially in the summer. However, people get lost and have serious incidents even on the walk-up due to poor visibility. I climbed with Ken Applegate, arranged by Mike Pescod of Abacus Mountaineering
My 2012 Experience
Q: Did you summit?
A: Yes! I climbed the classic Tower Ridge (pictured above), an 1800′ ridge line with significant exposure and several tricky parts. It is graded as a Scottish level iV, 3, meaning the route has steep ice with short vertical steps, long pitches up to 70 degrees, or mixed routes requiring advanced techniques. I found this description very accurate. I climbed with Ken Applegate arranged by Mike Pescod of Abacus Mountaineering
Q: What was the route to the summit like?
A: Great fun. It was mixed climbing with snow conditions, from a few inches of fresh snow to snow-packed boot tracks. The elevation gain was sustained from the start of the ridge. The two towers (Little and Great) provided a good break from ridge climbing and required proper rock climbing skills, which were made more difficult by using crampons. Ken and I climbed roped up the entire ridge. The crux was the Tower Gap – a gap of maybe 10 feet with hundreds of feet of exposure on both sides. It required a drafty move, facing into the rock, to slip down about 10 feet into the slot whilst holding onto a sling. From there, the route crossed a narrow and exposed section, then a nice snow slope to the top of the ridge near the true summit.
Q: What kind of weather conditions did you have?
A: Amazing! It was near freezing, with no winds and mostly clear skies. Everyone said it was the best day in months. I was pretty lucky. The next day, more normal weather set back in, and it was windy, cold and cloudy the remainder of that week.
Q: Would you climb Ben Nevis again?
A: You bet! There are so many high-quality routes, including ice, rock and mixed. Plus, the entire area was absolutely beautiful.
Bottom Line
Ben Nevis is a classic for good reason. With so many solid technical routes, dismissing it as an easy walk-up would be a mistake. That said, taking the Pony Track on a fine day would also be enjoyable as a day outing, given the fantastic views. The area is nice, with convenient accommodations and services. If you can visit Ben – take it; you’ll never regret it.
