Many people find walking down as tiring as going up, so be honest with yourself and the rest of your party, and make sure you have enough “left in the tank” to complete your journey without assistance. The Ben Nevis walk is one of the most iconic in Scotland and a hiking trail you’d be crazy to miss! The mountain track can be accessed conveniently from three locations in Glen Nevis – either the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre (large pay and display car park, public toilets and information centre), the Ben Nevis Inn (limited free car parking, fabulous pub and bunkhouse accommodation), or the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel (very limited parking, excellent hostel accommodation). Weather Forecasting in Scotland – Top Picks, Why Hike in Scotland at Different Times of Year. Ben Nevis is the tallest peak in the UK, attracting hikers from all over the globe. The walk up Ben Nevis begins at more or less sea level, finishing over a vertical kilometre higher. From here, the path crosses the summit plateau, up a couple of final inclines, to the corner of Gardyloo Gully (marked by three cairns). From 800 meters there was fresh snow, you can see from the starting point. The Fort William tourism board advises against hiking Ben Nevis from October to May. If you don’t live near the hills, or you are visiting Scotland on a tight time schedule, at least try to make sure you have a good basic level of fitness, best achieved by walking, running, cycling or swimming. [email protected], Wilderness Scotland Climb Ben Nevis with a Ben Nevis Guide. I will now continue my journey quickly. In the relatively cold mountain environment, decomposition of such things takes much longer than might be expected, leaving nothing but an unsightly mess for those who follow. But even that would be sustainable, but not …. It is not quite halfway, but the path does become easier for a time here, providing some welcome respite for the legs. When I get the zig-zags behind me and get to the back of Ben Nevis, I should come to a crucial question. We are here at 10 m height. It is essential that you take a map suitable for navigating in the mountains, a compass, and knowledge of how to use them. “Be bold, start cold” is a good rule of thumb as you will generate heat whilst walking … Thousands of people climb Ben Nevis every year and, like it or not, all those pairs of boots have an impact on the mountain environment – even yours and mine! Its proper name is in fact the pony track (Pic. Quick View. At the so-called “Half Way Loch” (Lochan Meall at t-Suidhe), the trail leads me over a saddle to Ben Nevis and climbs steeply in eight turns up to the summit. “Be bold, start cold” is a good rule of thumb as you will generate heat whilst walking uphill. For maps, the Harvey Superwalker map “Ben Nevis” at 1:25,000 scale or the Harvey British Mountain Maps “Ben Nevis & Glen Coe” at 1:40,000 scale are highly recommended. And you’ll find plenty of options for places to stay. Just after a small bridge, the path turns sharply into the valley containing the Red Burn, climbing more steeply to Lochain Meall an t-Suidhe. To get back down as fast as possible, I put the snow passages back in the “Free-Running-Tempo”. The chances of reasonable weather over this period are much greater than at other times, and the longer days are definitely reassuring. Ben Nevis (1,345m) is not only the tallest … Pic 6 – Lochain Meall an t-Suidhe, “the halfway lochain”. The bottom line is, please take your litter home! “Hiker and Biker, James has summited Ben Nevis more times than you can count!”, More By This Author Ascent to Ben Nevis from Glen Nevis… Check out our complete guide to what to wear hiking in Scotland. Because of the never-ending hurricane, I decide with this nasty ice storm and the lack of visibility – after a futile attempt to find a direct way up – to break here now at 1150 m (200 meters below the summit) and at 11 o’clock reverse. 6). It is right at the end of the West Highland Way and a great way to end Scotland's most popular long distance trail. The full hike takes a total of 7-9 hours depending on your pace, so allow a whole day for this hike. It has a summit of 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) above sea level. Scotland is very fortunate to enjoy a right of responsible access to most land for non-motorised recreational purposes, including walking. Also, the accidents are not enough elsewhere in view of this credulity, stupidity or whatever you want to call this. This mountain track starts at Pub Ben Nevis Inn near Achintee. 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