There are several levels of ski trails to suit most people.One key point to remember during winter don't arrive after midday as the lifts will shut down around around 3 - 3.30pm. I also went through 3 pairs of gloves that day (soaked) and John went through 5 pairs. Great day out on Ben Nevis. Thanks Denny - the truth is I didn't know what I was getting into so I don't think I was that brave!!!! I thought oh well maybe the weather will be better than he says and stayed very positive. The last thing nobody told us about climbing Ben Nevis was… that it's even harder coming down!!! ! The climb from the loch up to the half way waterfall was still relatively easy and we had not hit the clouds by this point.Everything after the waterfall and hitting the cloud layer was unbelievably intense. Historic Sites, Points of Interest & Landmarks. One guy said the descent is much more dangerous, and he was right. Rain or shine, Ben Nevis is an excellent location for climbers of every calibre. Climbing Ben Nevis will be an experience that you will never be able to forget. It’s the best preparation in England for Ben Nevis, so if it’s your local mountain you’ve got an ideal practice ground ahead of climbing Ben Nevis. ... Fortunately the weather had been absolute shit and the rain helped to dissolve the guilt of our entrapment. And I had already checked that I could have room service. The wind was more powerful than anything i've ever witnessed and my face was stinging constantly from the rain. However, the summer months can be quite wet, and Scotland gets some bad storms in June and July. Check out my posts on Ockenden Manor Spa in Sussex, wonderful Things to do in Winchester, a Day trip to Brighton, Exeter Cafes, Exmouth Boat Trip options, 9 The Crown Filming Locations you can visit, Fun things to do in Cardiff, 7 Boutique Hotels in Cornwall Places to visit in South Wales, Where to Stay in the Cotswolds, Cotswolds Tour from London, Luxury Hotels Yorkshire and spa hotels South West England. I’d love to help you find your next memorable vacation. Ben Nevis Training Guide: Part 4 – Nutrition If you are in this kind of mindset, you probably want to get on top of the UK and climb Ben Nevis. Be prepared. The terrain changes over and over again as you ascend, from loose gravel, big bouldery scrambles, man made rock paths and mud track. ⇒ Whale Watching Hermanus: Best Place in the world to see whales? I asked John how our day had compared to previous times climbing Ben Nevis – on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the toughest where would this sit? Extra Layers (Warm Clothes) Waterproof/Windproof Jacket. Itineraries I emailed the hotel I was staying at (The Lime Tree) and asked for a recommendation.. At one point John turned to me and said: “We’re here”. Temperature of water and air, precipitation, amount of days with rain and advice on the best time to visit Ben Nevis. Weather phenomena recorded in previous years in Ben Nevis ☃ Water Temperature in localities in Ben Nevis ☀ Weather forecast for Ben Nevis in October ☔. Sure Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK. Wake up underneath Ben Nevis from just £77 per night. I really didn’t think climbing Ben Nevis would be that big a deal. Travel guide and advices. My son loves hiking Thanks for sharing so much information. To climb Ben Nevis may take a long time but it is relatively gradual and the throngs of hikers climbing with you ensures that you don’t get lost or bored. Most of the time the Ben is hidden in deep cloud. Summer days are quite long in Scotland – the sun comes up around 5am and it gets dark around 10pm. After I sent him an email the owner Connor actually rang me and asked if I knew what I was getting into. But it’s up and back in the day. I emailed the hotel I was staying at (The Lime Tree) and asked for a recommendation. The trail of the route is sign posted as you start the hike . ⇒ 6 Best Places to watch Sunsets in Seattle. Climbing Ben Nevis: Finding a Guide. While the view from the top is nearly always hidden in clouds, the views from your journey up will astound you and will give you many opportunities to take stunning photos as you take a break from walking. Most people choose to start their climb by at least 9am. I would probably be too chicken to attempt to summit in such a total whiteout. I had an amazing hot shower and jumped into my high thread count sheets. Kudos to you for completing the hike. If you like the idea of staying super close to Ben Nevis but after something more decadent you can actually stay at Inverlochy Castle – but prices do start at £313 per night. Boutique Hotels We got so far and reached the plateau so the last 10 minutes were trivial really, as one of the other climbers said to us.It's this point where things got physically challenging for myself. The first third of the climb was much easier than expected with the only annoyances being trying to get around the groups of slower hikers and the fact i was soaked to the skin after about five minutes. Hiking distance: 10.5 miles Hiking duration: 6 – 8 hours Altitude: 1,345 meters Elevation gain: 1,145 Difficulty: moderate When to hike: From May to September. Not being able to see how much more path ahead was a real pain as we were essentially climbing blind at this point. He explained that even though I was planning on climbing Ben Nevis at Easter there would still be a lot of snow on the top of Ben Nevis and that I would need to use crampons and an ice axe. Join the Boutique Adventurer's email list to read about new emerging destinations, airline and hotel reviews and much more. All about climbing Ben Nevis and a mountain of work. Ben Nevis Mountain Track hike details. LOTS of water! Layers are critical as the weather is so prone to major changes. That means if you click through on them and end up making a purchase I may receive a small commission. Then came the worst bit – getting down the mountain. Read More, WELL TRAVELLED + LUXURY + ADVENTURES = THE BOUTIQUE ADVENTURER © 2020 The Boutique Adventurer Travel Blog . Check out my posts on 13 Unusual Experiences in London, the best London Food Tours, my virtual London Travel Blog, some great Earlsfield restaurants, 14 Things to do in Notting Hill, restaurants near Clapham Junction and Victoria Station restaurants, 16 Famous Landmarks in Europe, a mad hatter afternoon tea party and a day trip to Brighton and Cotswolds tour from London options. We were literally 10 minutes away from the summit which was frustrating, but like they say, safety first. You could climb Ben Nevis with your romantic partner, family members, work colleagues or your mates. That is an ascend of 1,345 metres. It had been a difficult and slippery task going up and it was quickly dawning on us all that if you add downward momentum to ice, snow and rocks it adds a different dimension to the next 3 hours or so! If you’re planning on exploring the Highlands and the islands of Scotland then a better option is the BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass. This allows for a steady ascent, up a well maintained path. Climbed Ben Nevis in August with my partner and 8 year old son plus our friends with their 8 year old son and teenage daughter. Read an overview of the climate. All I could see was John’s pack. I just kept riding towards Fort William under the rain. This is not a stroll in the park, it is demanding. It was a great day. I would love to go back some day. ⇒ If you are travelling around Scotland don’t miss the lovely Edinburgh! your pocket wifi can be picked up at Heathrow or Paddington Station. How Long Will it Take to Climb Ben Nevis? Here is a fantastic itinerary that covers everything great to do in Edinburgh in 4 days. John was keen to get us down as quickly as possible – so was I but it was hard work on the knees heading down – and scary stuff heading down at quite a fast pace in crampons. And I’ve done Kilimanjaro. These are our 4 best routes up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland and the UK. Travel guide and advices. Every inch of me was covered and thank goodness I was exerting myself so heavily or I would have been freezing. Privacy Policy Looking forward to going for a hike real soon on k2 base camp trek! I pitched my tent at the campsite in Fort William, right at the one of the starting point to climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. That hike sounds really scary. It's an experience you'll never forget and though it's not what you'd call relaxing, the buzz you get when you finally arrive back at ground level is as good as any drugs. There is nowhere to buy supplies once you are on the climb so make sure you bring snacks, some lunch etc. I asked where we were and he replied that we had reached the summit of Ben Nevis. Don’t be fooled by the weather conditions down in Fort William, it will be very different on the upper slopes of Ben Nevis, so make sure you take warm and waterproof clothes including hat and gloves. After I sent him an email the owner Connor actually rang me and asked if I knew what I was getting into. Like all of the Bens, Nevis is a hugely more impressive experience on a clear and sunny day. A driving monument to Scottish history and an inspiring presence. He also explained that the weather changed very quickly climbing Ben Nevis. That’s not to say it’s a walk in the park, as it’s still a fairly rock path in places, but there’s no exposure along the … If you are travelling solo and heading to Scotland check out these organised tour options: Don’t leave home without travel insurance. Weather was dry but visibility was poor. It would be so easy to get confused up there and make a wrong turn when the weather comes in. THe U.K. does have great places to go to. I was up early my first morning in Fort William and drove to meet my guide, John. Passed by many beautiful views but sadly I didn’t have the chance to enjoy it because of the poor visibility. And this can, of course, continue once you arrive. My legs ached, my knees hurt, my feet were stinging and i was absolutely soaked, plus the thought of the distance back down was unnerving. Upon arriving at the loch and looking up into the sheet of gray cloud i realised how much tougher this was going to get. Learn how your comment data is processed. An hour later we stopped climbing Ben Nevis for the first time that day – it was about 3 pm. The best time to climb Ben Nevis is from late spring to early autumn. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. That marks one of my greatest solo achievements in my nearly 60 years of life. The Ben Nevis walk lets you know what you are in for from the beginning. If you haven't climbed Ben Nevis (which most Scottish people we spoke to hadn't) then i suggest you do it. I hired the crampons and ice axe from him for my climb up Ben Nevis as well as some winter climbing boots. For this program, you will need to travel to Fort William, which is around a 3.5 hours drive from Edinburgh (Scotland) and around 2.5 hours from Glasgow(Scotland). Weather in Ben Nevis in September 2020. The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass covers more than 75 properties & the Scottish Heritage Pass covers over 120 properties between April 1 and October 31. Caeden Thomson, who has cerebral palsy, has raised more than £8,000 after trekking to the top of Ben Nevis … Climbing Ben Nevis in winter is a challenging day out but still very attainable for all kinds of levels and we are available to guide you to the summit safely in winter conditions. Most hiking ascents of Ben Nevis start from either the Achintee Inn or theVisitor’s Centre, both in Glen Nevis. Ridge was very slippery from all the rain, then got icy about 400m up, then finally a snowy/icy finish to cap it off. Every step had to be calculated.The mountain itself was pretty busy considering the horrendous conditions. Winter climbing boots have a much firmer base so work better with crampons vs normal hiking books. The path is very well trodden, and apart from in very poor weather hard to miss. Next time I come I will spend more time here. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Instagrammable Stay in Touch in the UKGrab a WorldSIM PrePaid Global SIM Card to stay in touch at reasonable prices. This struck fear into my heart as my usual rule is that I don’t climb anything that requires technical stuff – especially in the scary snow. ⇒ And whilst in Edinburgh, I highly recommend that you explore Underground Edinburgh. Read an overview of the climate. The crampons were actually great – so much easier to walk in. ⇒ Heading to London? Climbing Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain was a great day. I was very wrong. The wind was also freezing cold, so cold in fact that i got an instant brain freeze headache that didn't subside till we started descending and got to a lower altitude. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Video: Dave Macleod winter climbing in Scotland planetmountain.com. Suncream – Yep, i’m not joking. Reaching to the top feels good! The mountain path ascent will generally take between 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, with a further 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours descent. more. We didn't actually make it to the summit due to one of our team wanting to turn around due to her being a little scared. Many of the hotels in Fort William will provide you with something like this on request. Atlas Mountaineering was fantastic and I would highly recommend them. This place is so beautiful and the views are breathtaking and everything is so green. You can enjoy a bar meal on the loch, some stunning views and you are right in Fort William. Even in summer, Ben Nevis can be very cold, wet, windy and covered in snow; and remember, it will get colder and windier the higher you climb. After spending my 20s and 30s as a Marketing Director who made use of every vacation day travelling the world I am now a nearly full time travel blogger who focuses on unique adventures in interesting places which end with a high thread count on the sheets and a decent glass of wine! Best Spa Both mountains are among the nine in Scotland over 4,000 feet. BritRail Passes for Overseas VisitorsIf you’re planning on travelling around England and Scotland then the best option is to buy the BritRail GB Pass. Thank goodness I had my boutique hotel booked – The Lime Tree. The Ben Nevis Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is noted for a diverse range of habitats and wildlife. And if you are traveling solo definitely get a guide. We were a small group and we enjoyed the challenge of the climb, made more challenging given it was raining for most of it. Ben Nevis, in Fort William, Scotland, is the highest mountain in the UK, standing tall at 1,345m. Boy, 7, climbs Ben Nevis after his parents were told he would never walk. There are good facilities at the base, toilets, food and ski/snowboard hire. Either way, enjoy spectacular views in the crips and clean air of the Western Highlands. The zig-zags seem to go on forever, especially when you look up and can see nothing due to the cloud. It takes a certain type of person to even make it to the plateau in those conditions, but we did it and i'm proud of all we achieved.I'm definitely going to return in better conditions next year so i can get to see the views and make it to the summit. Time that day – it was a snow-covered rock that I could barely be bothered time to visit Nevis. Off the crampons a constant stream running all the way down the path! 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