Ben Nevis prepare · Prepare in Ben Nevis
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Prepare in Ben Nevis
Prepare in Ben Nevis
Despite the path up the mountain being referred to as the "Tourist Route" - don't let its inauspicious name fool you. Climbing Ben Nevis should be regarded as a serious undertaking, regardless of the time of year and dozens of injuries and even deaths occur on the mountain due to ill-preparedness. Whilst Ben Nevis is nowhere near the hardest Munro to climb, it is among the more challenging due to the sheer relentlessness of the climb, and in particular the descent which can take its toll on ankles and joints. Figure on taking 6-9 hours to make the round trip to the summit; bear this in mind during early spring and late summer when darkness can creep in surprisingly quickly.
The key points to remember are as follows:
Even during high summer, when the sheer amount of 'pedestrian traffic' on the mountain lessens the risk of getting dangerously lost on the notorious summit plateau, bad weather, mist and cloud cover can appear from seemingly nowhere and put you into a perilous situation. Don't take the weather conditions at sea level therefore, as an indicator of what it will be like near the summit. The temperature at the summit never gets higher than a couple of degrees above freezing - even in summer - and can be extremely windy.
Clothing is paramount Boots with decent ankle support (sneakers/trainers are a definate no-no!); waterproofs (preferably wind resistant) and a walking stick should be the absolute minimum. If you don't have these items, they can be picked up relatively cheaply in Fort William.
Take plenty of water and food for your trip. Dehydration can set in quickly, and don't be tempted to drink from streams or burns on the hill - sheep graze (and therefore urinate and defecate) in this area.
A map (an Ordinance Survey one is the best; they are available from most outdoor shops and tourist information centres) is highly recommended as it shows the exact route of the path.
Don't rely on mobile phone coverage being available! Even the best network in the Highlands - Vodafone - gets patchy coverage once you are up into the hills. If you are attempting the path alone, or during quiet periods when there are few others around it is vital to inform others of your route and your expected arrival time - you can do this at the Youth Hostel or the Glen Nevis visitor centre. Just don't forget to report back in once you safely back down again!
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Ben Nevis
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Ben Nevis - updated May 2024
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Ben Nevis Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.