{"id":47128,"date":"2012-03-01T14:51:03","date_gmt":"2012-03-01T21:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=47128"},"modified":"2025-01-22T16:36:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T23:36:22","slug":"ben-nevis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/01\/ben-nevis\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Nevis Trip Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scottish Highlands
\n4,409 feet\/1344 meters
\nSummited March 5, 2012<\/h3>\n
\"Ben<\/a>
Ben Nevis Money Shot Pic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I am excited to continue climbing the world to end Alzheimer’s. On March 5, 2012, I summited Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK. I was in the UK speaking at the Alzheimer’s Disease International annual conference. I told the story of my mom, Ida, her struggles and my sense of helplessness at the time.<\/p>\n

However, since she died in 2009, I have channeled those feelings into raising awareness that Alzheimer’s is a disease, just like cancer or diabetes. Still, unlike many diseases, it has no cure, no effective treatment and no simple means of early diagnosis. This must change, and it will come with more money invested in research, education and awareness. That is the message I sent from the highest peak in the UK.<\/p>\n

Known as simply Ben by the locals, it is steeped in history and acclaimed as one of the premier climbing spots in the UK. It is located in the Scottish Highlands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains. The nearest towns are Fort William and Glasgow.<\/p>\n

The first summit was recorded in 1771 by a botanist, James Robertson. In 1883, an observatory was built on the summit, which is no longer operational today. However, the Pony Track trail remains popular and is used by tens of thousands yearly. The John Muir Trust bought the massif and surrounding area in 2000.<\/p>\n

Ben can be climbed year-round but is famous for brutal weather. Clouds cover the summit nearly 80% of the time in winter and 50% in summer. It is said the summit is clear one out of every ten days. The average summit temperature is around freezing, and it receives twice as much rainfall as nearby Fort William. However, I had a rare, perfect weather day on March 5, 2012!<\/p>\n

I climbed the classic Tower Ridge, a 1,800-foot 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 climbed with Ken Applegate, arranged by Mike Pescod of Abacus Mountaineering<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ben Nevis Resources:<\/h2>\n