Why You'll Love Walking Up Ben Nevis In Winter

Scaling the UK’s highest mountain is a huge draw for many and offers a great sense of satisfaction anytime of the year. The bragging rights have been earned and barring blanket fog all the way up, tremendous views are guaranteed. Both of these massive plus points are only exaggerated even more once the warm weather walkers have long gone home. Walking up Ben Nevis in winter is a brilliant experience and I will spend the rest of this article convincing you of this fact.

**Even as an amateur photographer, it was almost impossible to take a poor shot on the way up. Stunning!**

The Magic Of Snow

Goodness me I could write an entire book about why snow is so wonderful. The inner child in me comes out every time it falls and I just love how it transforms the world and landscape you are normally used to. Everything is suddenly cleaner and crisper than it ever was and even the usual sounds are muffled with a deep snow cover.

There are many folk I’ve watched online and read about who agree that the winter season can be the best time to visit the Scottish Highlands. Seeing the many mountains capped with snow can make them seem almost alpine in appearance and just adds a whole other dimension to their scale. For me, the mountains seem more imposing, more dramatic with the contrasting colours and yes they are arguably at their most beautiful too.

This hike up a little-known Corbett near Glencoe was made all the more memorable because of the winter conditions. The dark glens, snow-capped summits and burning evening light just made it a truly beautiful sight.

Snow of course can be great fun to hike in too. Yes it can be knackering when battling drifts up to your knees, but it offers a totally different experience to what we experience most of the year. It also gives you the chance to try out new equipment like these excellent micro spikes that I picked up on Amazon. It seemed odd tackling sections of sheet ice and having the same grip I’d have on normal rock; these spikes gave me reassurance throughout.

**Winter hiking up Ben Nevis certainly demands you pack your micro spikes to tackle the slick steps along the way.**

**There are likely to be plenty of deep drifts to enjoy if that is your thing.**

The Routes Up Ben Nevis

There are several ways to scale the 1300 odd metres up to the summit. I won’t go into detail about each one, as you can find this information on various websites such as this excellent one.

If you fancy more of a challenge, this video may well be inspirational and make your feet itch even more.

My friend Jack and I decided to take the ‘ easiest’ and most used route to the summit- The Mountain Path or Tourist Route as it is also referred to. The map below shows the entire out and back route along with some stats too. Who doesn’t enjoy them when hiking?

**The ‘Tourist Route is just under 8km each way and climbs 1330 metres on its way to the summit. If you like random facts, then there are 6,705 steps each way too.**

The Tourist Route- To The Lochan

I’ve included this a subheading, because this route really is a tale of two halves. Even when walking up Ben Nevis in winter, the first part will be far tamer and may be snow and ice free for the most part. The loch you can see on the above map sits just above the five hundred metre line and we only started encountering snow and ice a couple of hundred metres below this. This was during a cold spell, where snow flurries had been experienced down at Fort William. You could of course have full winter conditions right from the start or alternatively see no sign of winter at all.

**Just follow the signs right from the off at Ben Nevis visitor centre.**

**It was sub zero and frosty right at the start and the views up Glen Nevis were cracking. Thankfully, snow and ice were higher up.**

**The first of many steps begin. They are very well placed and offer good grip with their surface.**

**When walking up Ben Nevis in winter, the views back towards other snowy mountains start appearing early into the hike.**

**The winter conditions began around 300 metres up. Even here though, we didn’t need our spikes. Walking poles like my budget option here came in handy though.**

**The many cascading burns make for an excellent backing track on the way up.**

loch on Ben Nevis — **At just over 570 metres above sea level, Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe makes for a great rest stop. It would also be a great spot to wild camp.**

Part Two- The Push To The Summit

This is where the harder work begins. There is a good chance that the snow level will have been reached and we certainly found it to be unconsolidated in many spots. You probably noticed on the map how the path appears to head skywards using a series of switchbacks. The steeper mountainside makes this a necessity and it’s actually quite cool to be able to look back at where you’ve come from and at other hikers following up behind you. The views up at this point are also sensational. Jack and I frequently stopped just to take it all in.

view from Ben Nevis — **Those views speak for themselves. Wow!**

The photo I’m most proud of. This is why walking up Ben Nevis in winter is so brilliant. It’s just amazing looking off into the distance, counting all the other lochs, forests and snowy summits you can see.

**You will need to ford this burn soon after leaving the lochan behind. One to be aware of if there has been heavy rain.**

Going Prepared

It is on this stretch though that you really need to ensure you are prepared for winter conditions. It may be called the tourist route and you may well have other people nearby, but it’s still no place to find yourself without the right equipment.

We hiked up during a cold spell on the 2nd January. It was -11 degrees C at the summit with a windchill of -20. Positively Baltic I can tell you! As cold as it was, it wasn’t as extreme as it can get. The temperature can plummet lower than that, the visibility can drop to almost zero and wind speeds can be storm force. Head up with the wrong gear here and you’ll know all about it!

Thankfully, Jack and I are experienced outdoorsmen and had everything we needed for the conditions. Sadly, we met quite a few folk who didn’t, including three young guys heading up to camp with summer kit. We expressed our concern, but they chose to press on despite our advice to head down. It actually annoys me that some people can be so stupid and put both themselves and others at risk like this. Hopefully, they packed it in early in the night and mountain rescue weren’t involved in getting them down safely.

Here is a list of the gear I used to keep my toasty and safe throughout:

A thermal base layer. Tried and tested many times when both winter cycling and hiking.

A small winter gas canister for cooking and melting snow if necessary.

OEX Etna stove. Lightweight and reliable.

Peter Storm packable waterproof jacket. Came in handy when the snow came in.

Antsang Merino Wool socks. I wore one pair and took a spare pair too just in case.

Trekmates Dry Gloves. Possibly one of the most important pieces of kit in freezing conditions. These have been faultless many times on winter trips.

Forclaz Down Jacket from Decathlon. I have hiked, camped and slept in this when necessary. It is still going strong.

Quechua Men’s Warm Fleece from Decathlon. I used this for the second time on this hike and it once again proved to be lovely and warm.

Peter Storm Insulated Waterproof Trousers.

There are of course other bits I’ve left off of the list including my well used walking boots, beanie, balaclava, spikes and walking pole. Most were needed at some point and I wouldn’t walk up Ben Nevis in winter or any other mountain for that matter without them.

Reaching The Summit

Once you pass the 1000 metres contour line, it does feel a bit of a slog to the summit. It varies between steep and steady, while visibility is likely to be poor. Ben Nevis seems to generate its own weather unique to other nearby summits. Indeed the forecast for our ascent was supposed to be cloudless for the entire day, but this never transpired. Be prepared for clag.

**The snow started to fall nearer the summit, which was enjoyed but not forecast.**

Eventually, the terrain flattens out and you reach the summit plateau. It is a large area and I can well understand how it can be easy to become disorientated up there without a compass or suitable GPS device. Some edges of the plateau drop away several hundreds of feet, so we ensured we knew where we were at all times.

No summit of a mountain is complete without getting your hands on the cairn and Ben Nevis even offers its own shelter should you need it. Sadly, it was in a bit of a state when we checked it out. Why can’t folk take down what they have carried up? It is easier and usually lighter too if they’ve eaten the contents of a packet.

The Descent

You will follow your tracks on the way back for the easiest descent. For us it felt harder heading down what with the combination of ice and gravity. This is where your spikes and walking poles will be worth their weight in gold.

We did meet three Geordie blokes doing the whole thing without either, but certainly wouldn’t advise it. The amount of aftershave one of them was wearing plus the number of head tattoos on another would have made them easy to track and find in an emergency I guess. Very friendly and funny guys they were though it must be said.