Three of us (Private Hudson, The Teesdale Viking and me - or four if you include Viking's affable big black dog) found ourselves in Scotland recently. So we walked up Ben Nevis. Well, you've got to haven't you? After all, it's the highest point in the British Isles.
We made a good decision on timing by carefully studying weather forecasts and assessing the conditions on the day; the weather turned out to be perfect. Our decision on which route to take (based on unfamiliarity with the area, a conservative assessment of our abilities and innate cautiousness) was less successful; we elected to walk up the tourist path.
We'd camped at Glen Nevis campsite the night before and woke early, partly to escape the midges, partly to assess the weather and partly to avoid the crowds. Not early enough as it turned out - by the time we hit the hill, we could see a crocodile of walkers on the path up from the visitor centre. We'd intended to leave earlier but I was the only one with an alarm and I oversplept.
The initial climb from the Youth Hostel footbridge was invigorating and stretched our legs before we reached the easier grade of the main track. Once we'd cleared the steep climb out, we maintained a steady pace and it took us about 3hrs 50mins up and about 2hrs 40mins down.
From the south, Ben Nevis is not a 'pretty' hill nor, to be frank, an interesting one - we all thought the tourist path was a dull featureless plod for the most part. Equally, though, the walk is no pushover. To be honest, we all found it quite hard; partly because 4400 feet is a fair bit of ascent in itself but also because of the relentless trudging with little to challenge, entrance or distract.
The weather stayed kind to us all day and the air was crystal clear on the summit - how lucky was that? So at least we were rewarded by fantastic and extensive views. Also it was nice to find the plateaux still had a foot or so of snow. There were quite a few people there already and a lot more turned up as we dawdled about on the plateau but it didn't feel particularly overcrowded.
We sat by the ruins and ate lunch after which we ambled to the far end of the plateau to look at the CMD arete. We spent about 45 minutes at the top in all. The actual walk may have been uninspiring and tiring but nonetheless it was satisfying to have reached the loftiest point in British hillwalking. The walk down was uneventful and we paused halfway for a snack by the Red Burn waterfall.
All in all, the day was tougher than I foresaw. I'm reasonably fit (well, for an old bloke who smokes) and used to long days on steep going but I was pretty much knackered by the time we got down. I found the walk up arduous and unrewarding. Even the big black dog lost its joie de vivre by the end and plodded down looking hangdog and slightly resentful.
If we ever go up Ben Nevis again (which is unlikely) it'll definitely be via the CMD arete.
Footnote: I've always been a bit sniffy about the Three Peaks Challenge (to me it seems a pointless and joyless exercise which can be disruptive for non-participants and often exacerbates environmental damage). Even so, I now have a grudging respect for those who complete it. I try to imagine myself walking up Ben Nevis an hour faster than we did then sitting in a minibus, stumbling up Scafell Pike in the dark, sitting in the minibus again before finally staggering from Pen Y Pass up Snowdon. To be honest, I probably couldn't achieve it in 24 hours even if I wanted to - I simply don't have the stamina nor the strength (besides, I'm far too cautious to struggle sleepless and half-exhausted up mountains in darkness). But perhaps I'll be a bit less scathing in future about those who manage the feat.
