Ben Nevis or just 'The Ben', being the highest mountain in the British Isles, can get incredibly busy.
The summit is also littered with cairns and memorials.
However, look beyond this and you'll see what a wonderful peak Ben Nevis is.
Superb views - on a clear day, I challenge you to count and name all the peaks you can see from the top !
Look down the east side into Coire Leis and you'll see what climbers get excited about.
Beyond Ben Nevis, things get much quieter.
The stunning Carn Mor Dearg Arete, though not particularly difficult, requires some concentration. It shouldn't be attempted by inexperienced hillwalkers, especially in wet and windy conditions.
To the east, the Aonachs form a long plateau above craggy slopes. Some effort is needed up a very steep, loose path to reach the crest.
The Grey Corries range is a fine chain of summits, all bouldery in parts and apart from the last, Stob Ban, on a continuous high-level ridge.
Ben Nevis : 'mountain of venom/
with head in clouds'
Carn Mor Dearg : 'big red cairn'
Aonach Mor : 'big ridge'
Aonach Beag : 'little ridge'
Sgurr Choinnich Mor : 'big mossy peak'
Stob Coire an Laoigh : 'peak of corrie of the calf'
Stob Choire Claurigh : 'peak of the brawling corrie'
Stob Ban : 'white peak'
Getting there
From Fort William, head up Glen Nevis for 3km to the Youth Hostel. There is parking just beyond the hostel. Ben Nevis can be very busy, and if there is no space left to park, head back to the Visitor Centre and its large car-park. Before heading up Glen Nevis, you'll need to arrange to have a vehicle or bike at Corriechoille. Corriechoille is at the the end of a road which starts from the railway station in Spean Bridge. From Corriechoille, there appears to be no objection to driving the 2km right down to the edge of the forest on the rugged track.
Ben Nevis
Start from the Youth Hostel in Glen Nevis, cross the river using the bridge and follow the well-maintained "Pony Track" zig-zagging up the hill. Busy, wide and well constructed, the path has aluminium bridges over narrow sections. Get to a sharp turn at around 500m with sign, encouraging you to turn left. You can short cut and instead straight up then east over loose and wet ground, then grass and heather to re-join main path. Continue to follow path towards the summit of Ben Nevis with several turns. Care in mist just before the top, as there are sudden drops to the left. A huge cairn with a shelter, another with a trig point, the remains of the old observatory, memorials and litter make this an untidy place. The views are exeptional, just count the munros you can see from here !
Carn Mor Dearg
Aim east for 100m then south-east, and meet up with some poles sticking up through the boulderfield. Follow a faint path down the steep bouldery ground to the Abseil Post at around 1,050m. Now aiming north-east, start along the Arete, wide at first, then narrowing. A path comes and goes between the short sections of fairly easy rock scrambling. Past the main part of the ridge, there's a slight drop, from where it's a straightforward climb to reach the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. A small cairn sits on this excellent vantage point from where Ben Nevis which looks massive.
Aonach Mor
From Carn Mor Dearg's summit cairn aim east on a faint worn path. Some care is required, down over steep and bouldery terrain. Reach the bealach and climb directly uphill on the right hand side of the burn on worn path. The steep path zig-zags up a very steep 300m climb and can be mucky in bits. The ground starts to level out at just over c1050m where there's a junction, keep straight up (turning right leads directly to Aonach Beag). After levelling out, the path disappears and turns north-east then north, joining another path going north-south along the wide crest. Walk over grassy ground, gradually rising for best part of 1km to Aonach Mor's large untidy summit cairn.
Aonach Beag
Turn around and follow the path back southwards to the bealach between Aonch Mor and Aonach Beag, where the ground becomes gravel covered then narrow and rocky. Scramble up over a short section, then onto a path that zig-zags up through the scree and boulders to the summit of Aonach Beag. The small cairn is perched above a huge drop and is a superb point to look down over Grey Corries. Care is required in winter or spring on Aonach Beag's summit as the cornice that forms above the corrie is deceptively large.
Sgurr Choinnich Mor
From Aonach Beag's summit, follow faint path south-east to drop 150m then continue on ridge around top of coire and over another rise. Drop again, still on path aiming east to a point marked 1048 on map. Turn south-east-south, still on path and look for a path on the left to go down hill. The initial part of this path is steep with a bit of scrambling on slippy rock and grass. Beyond this, it drops steeply, zig-zagging and becomes fainter until disappearing on approaching the bealach. Rocky ground and remnants of a wall are encountered just before the bealach. The ground becomes a bit wet, where a path is then followed up over easy grassy to minor top of Sgurr Choinnich Beag. Down the other side of this top, the path continues eastwards, then up to Sgurr Choinnich Mor, again over easy grassy terrain.
Stob Coire an Laoigh
Sgurr Choinnich Mor has a long interesting arm heading north-east with some unusual gaps in the ground. Follow the path along this arm to where the path suddenly hits a short section of shattered steep ground. Down this with a bit of care then over the broad bouldery col where the path disappears. Climb up Stob Coire Easain, keeping to the rocky crest - there's no obvious path. At the cairn, turn right (south-east) and downhill along a narrow bouldery ridge onto a faint path to the bealach. Continue along the ridge up over boulders and scree to Stob Coire an Laoigh.
Stob Choire Claurigh
North-east next from Stob Coire an Laoigh's summit. Cross bouldery ground and a grassy section to the next bealeach. Beyond this there is an enjoyable ledge of steps and more small boulders to a minor top called Caisteil. Continue over Torridon-esque terrain to Stob a'Choire Leith followed quickly by Stob Choire Claurigh and its large pile of stones posing as a cairn. The views are superb from here, with Stob Ban - the last munro in this route munro - appearing tiny below.
Stob Ban
Head south-east over boulders for a descent of around 150m to reach grassy ground and a faint path. Turn south towards the lochan at Bealach Coire Rath, following this path. Pass the lochan crossing over mixed terrain, then descend a short section to reach the foot of the Stob Ban screes. No alternative, but just get up this via a path twisting and turning up through the scree - two steps up, one step down on the loose ground !
Return to Corriechoille
Heading east off Stob Ban, a path zig-zags down some screes to a grassy flat area at 750m. The path then skirts north around the slight rise ahead, then down over wet grassy, then peaty ground. A cairn marks where this path meets the one coming from Luibeilt and a few minutes further on is the cossy bothy. Don't bother with the new bridge, unless the burn is in spate, as the ground around the bridge is soaking. From the bothy a good track aims north to Corriechoille, 6km away, where hopefully transport awaits. After crossing the bridge over the Allt Leachdach, you'll find that most of the foresty marked on the OS maps has now been felled.
Nevis range from Luibeilt, east of the Mamores
Ben Nevis above the Mamores from the Aonach Eagach
A busy day on the Tourist Path...
...and on Ben Nevis's summit
From the Ben's summit, looking west to Rhum
Bidean nam Bian and Sgurr a'Mhaim over the Carn Mor Dearg Arete
Scrambling on the Carn Mor Dearg Arete - in May !
Keith, having scrambled up the Carn Mor Dearg Arete
Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from Aonach Mor
Aonach Beag from Aonach Mor
Winter fun on the Aonach Mor ski slopes
The Grey Corries from Aonach Beag
Sunset from Stob Ban, looking back along the Grey Corries
Basically the 'tourist route' from the games field then past the Ben Nevis Inn at Achintee.
Ben Nevis to Aonach Beag from Glen Nevis
Ascent : 2280m, distance : 18.5km
Getting there
From Fort William, head up Glen Nevis for 3km to the Youth Hostel. There is parking just beyond the hostel. Ben Nevis can be very busy, and if there is no space left to park, head back to the Visitor Centre and its large car-park. It's a good idea to arrange to have a vehicle or bike at the end of the road in Glen Nevis for the 7km return.
Ben Nevis
Start from the Youth Hostel in Glen Nevis, cross the river using the bridge and follow the well-maintained "Pony Track" zig-zagging up the hill. Busy, wide and well constructed, the path has aluminium bridges over narrow sections. Get to a sharp turn at around 500m with sign, encouraging you to turn left. You can short cut and instead straight up then east over loose and wet ground, then grass and heather to re-join main path. Continue to follow path towards the summit of Ben Nevis with several turns. Care in mist just before the top, as there are sudden drops to the left. A huge cairn with a shelter, another with a trig point, the remains of the old observatory, memorials and litter make this an untidy place. The views are exeptional, just count the munros you can see from here !
Carn Mor Dearg
Aim east for 100m then south-east, and meet up with some poles sticking up through the boulderfield. Follow a faint path down the steep bouldery ground to the Abseil Post at around 1,050m. Now aiming north-east, start along the Arete, wide at first, then narrowing. A path comes and goes between the short sections of fairly easy rock scrambling. Past the main part of the ridge, there's a slight drop, from where it's a straightforward climb to reach the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. A small cairn sits on this excellent vantage point from where Ben Nevis which looks massive.
Aonach Mor
From Carn Mor Dearg's summit cairn aim east on a faint worn path. Some care is required, down over steep and bouldery terrain. Reach the bealach and climb directly uphill on the right hand side of the burn on worn path. The steep path zig-zags up a very steep 300m climb and can be mucky in bits. The ground starts to level out at just over c1050m where there's a junction, keep straight up (turning right leads directly to Aonach Beag). After levelling out, the path disappears and turns north-east then north, joining another path going north-south along the wide crest. Walk over grassy ground, gradually rising for best part of 1km to Aonach Mor's large untidy summit cairn.
Aonach Beag
Turn around and follow the path back southwards to the bealach between Aonch Mor and Aonach Beag, where the ground becomes gravel covered then narrow and rocky. Scramble up over a short section, then onto a path that zig-zags up through the scree and boulders to the summit of Aonach Beag. The small cairn is perched above a huge drop and is a superb point to look down over Grey Corries. Care is required in winter or spring on Aonach Beag's summit as the cornice that forms above the corrie is deceptively large.
Return
Leave Aonach Mor and head south-east-south, around the corrie, then aim for the bealach before Sgurr a'Bhuic. If you're top-bagging, climb up this, otherwise it can easily be skirted around. Aim directly for the ruin at Steall over easy grassy (and sometimes very wet) ground. Cross the bridge by the ruin and follow path (again sometimes very wet). Fabulous views of waterfall - have a play on the wire bridge ! Follow the constructed path by the Water Of Nevis to the car-park at the end of the road in Glen Nevis. Return along the road to the Youth Hostel.
The Grey Corries from Corriechoille
Ascent : 1800m, distance : 25km
Getting there
The start of this route is from Corriechoille, which is at the the end of a road which starts from the railway station in Spean Bridge. From Corriechoille, there appears to be no objection to driving the 2km right down to the edge of the forest on the rugged track.
Stob Ban
Head south down a good track initially through felled forest to a bridge over the Allt Leachdach then to Leacach Bothy below Stob Ban. Cross the burn (there is a newish bridge just upstream if in spate), take path on right, then right again at a small cairn.
The path climbs up peaty ground, then grass to a flat area at 750m. The path then zig-zags through some boulderfield onto Stob Ban's summit.
Stob Choire Claurigh
A quick descent on another twisting path through more boulderfield and screes reaches a lochan at Bealach Coire Rath. Initially on grassy slopes, head uphill on a faint path. The path disappears into boulderfield for the last climb of 150m north-west to the summit of Stob Choire Claurigh with its large pile of stones posing as a summit cairn.
Stob Coire an Laoigh
Heading south-west, a combination of grass and rock define fine ridges linking the summit peaks. Stob a'Choire Leith is quickly reached. More small boulders and an enjoyable ledge of steps lead beyond Caisteil to a bealach, then crossing grass and bouldery ground gains Stob Coire an Laoigh's summit.
Sgurr Choinnich Mor
North-west on an obvious route with shattered boulders down to the next bealach, Stob Coire Easain is easily reached. South-west next, some care is required with a couple of sections of easy scrambling to reach the wide col below Sgurr Choinnich Mor. The route can be fairly obvious on clear days, but in winter a pleasant snow-shoulder develops easing the route.
Sgurr Choinnich Mor has a long interesting arm heading south-west with some unusual gaps in the ground.
Return
Return to Stob Coire Easain, then head north down a short section of scree. Continue north on grassy ground over Beinn na Socaich and aim for just south of the dam marked at NN240264. Cross the burn at south end of the small dammed lochan - don't attempt to cross on the dam ! Heas up the eastern side of the lochan to the dam and pick up a track to follow north. Some sections of the old aluminium-works railway remain semi-hidden in the forest. Continue to an obvious turn in the track which travels north-east through thicker forest, then a clearing and finally thicker again back to Corriechoille.
Ben Nevis hill race route
Ascent : 1500m, distance : 13km
One of the most popular hill races in the UK. The entry list is limited to 500 runners, and the list is full up nearly a year before the race. The route starts from the playing fields, and heads up the tourist route, more or less as described on the left. The record is held by Kenny Stuart who set 1hr 25mins in 1984 - that's up and down ! Details on on the Ben Nevis Hillrace
website
There's also the Aonach Mor Uphill race, held on New Year's day. One of only two uphill only races in Scotland. It starts from the Nevis range gondola car-park and heads up the forest track and climbs 610m over 4km. The record is held by David Rodgers and stands at 22:42mins. Details on the Lochaber Athletic Club website
North
Loch Lochy Munros and Corbetts
Standing dramatically above Loch Lochy, 2 munros and 1 corbett are accessed using forestry tracks
East
Above Loch Treig
Imposing high grey peaks west of Loch Treig contrast with the grass covered slopes on the east
South
The Mamores
One of the finest mountain ranges in Scotland. Fit hillwalkers and runners can bag all 10 munro summits in one outing.
West
Stob Coire a'Chearcaill
Sandwiched by Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe, Stob Coire a'Chearcaill is a long whale-back shaped Corbett with superb views of the surrounding higher peaks. (Route coming soon)
