Ben Nevis: United Kingdom
General Information
Height: 1,345 m ( 4,411 ft)
Difficulty: 2
Best Time To Climb: Anytime of year. May – August poses the best weather conditions.
Length of Time to Climb: 3.5-4.5 hours ascent and 2.5-3.5 hours descent.
Permits Required: No permit is needed to climb Ben Nevis
Accomodation: There is a lot of accommodation In Fort William, such as Homestays, Airbnbs and hotels.
Overview
With a peak of 1,345m high, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain British Isles and Scotlands most iconic mountain. The peak is part of the Grampian Mountain Range. The mountain used to be an active volcano, until it erupted and collapsed on itself, millions of years ago.
Climbing Ben Nevis is very popular amongst those looking to take on an adventure charity challenge. In fact, it is one of the main aspects of tourism in the area. Over 125,000 people climb Ben Nevis per year!
There are two main routes to reach the Summit. The first is the Mountain Track, also known as the Tourist Track or the Pony Track. This is the most common route taken by Walkers. Those looking for more challenging Hike, take the Carn Mor Dearg Arête route.
How to get there
To reach the mountain, you should start at Fort William. If you are flying into Scotland, Fort William is around a 2.5 hour drive from Glasgow Airport and a 3.5 hour drive from Edinburgh Airport. Hiring a driver is the best way to reach Fort William from either city. Port William does also have a train station
Once you’ve reached Fort William, you can travel down to Achintee Inn or the Visitor’s Centre, both in Glen Nevis, to begin the route up the mountain.
The Route
The Mountain Track is the most common route to climb the mountain, and starts at the Achintee Inn. The start of the route is steep and zig-zags its way upwards through a 570m ascent towards Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe.
Continue upwards a further 130m ascent, where you will reach the rocky west flank of Ben Nevis. From here, you’ll follow the zig-zag path until you reach the summit.
Once you have reached the summit, you will be greeted with a cairn which marks the highest point on the mountain. If the day is clear and not too cloudy, you will see a fantastic view that can stretch almost as far as Northern Ireland.
What to pack
It is important you pack the necessary equipment to make the climb as easy and comfortable as possible. Please find our recommended kit-list below.
Clothing
- Hiking Socks
- Double Boots/HikingBoots
- Comfortable Underwear
- Base Layer (Bottoms and Tops)
- Midlayer Top (Hoodies/Jackets)
- Softshell Jacket
- Softshell Pants
- Hardshell Pants
- Hardshell Jacket
- Insulated Jacket
- Lightwear Gloves
- Wool/Synthetic Hat
- Sunhat
Gear
- Water Bottle
- Trekking Poles
- Backpack
- Headlamp
- Sun Glasses
- UV Buff
Additional
- Power Adaptor
- Camera
- Sun Protection (Sunscreen and Lip Screen)
- Snacks and Drinks
- Small First Aid Kit
Current Weather
Visit Mountain Forecast to see an in-depth weather map.