Ben Nevis - Britians higest mountain

I have completed this walk in both summer & winter, the pictures below show our completion of the horseshoe in August 2003

I have not added many pictures of Glen Nevis, the bottom of the tourist path etc. as there are many pictures of this on the general Ben Nevis page on this site

this picture was taken past the small Lochain
Mell an f-Suidhe looking up to Carn Dearg

as the path rounded the first view of the Allt a' Mhuhlinn stream and the slopes of Carn mor dearg

the famous cliffs of the North face of Ben Nevis

looking back towards Fort William as we start to gain height

nearing the s onto Carn Dearg meadhonach and then the ridge, this picture is taken about where the steep climbing has finished and we traverse towards the summit ridge

more views
of the famous North face

superb ridge walking
once the belach has been reached

right & below

the summit of
Carn Mor Dearg 1220 m
(the 9th highest mountain in Scotland)

the Aonach Mor to Aonach Beag ridge to the north

superb peaks all around

the Mamores to the east

easy but spectacular ridge walking onto the Ben

the famous "winter abseil posts" leading from the belach down into coire Leis

some views of the descent down the tourist path back to Glen Nevis

the water is Lochain Mell an f-Suidhe
where the tourist path and the path to the C.I.C. hut and horseshoe split

the end is here
over the bridge to the car parked at the side of the youth hostel

Route:

This route can be started at either the main road A82 or in Glen Nevis by the youth Hostel. The height gain is about the same.

The pictures below are from the route starting from the youth hostel, we began by ascending the tourist path to the junction with Lochain Mell an f-Suidhe where we traversed north then east to the Allt a' Mhuhlinn stream which we followed until just before the C.I.C. hut.
We crossed the stream and climbed steeply up the boulders onto Carn Dearg meadhonach (1179 m) and then the short distance to Carn Mor Dearg 1220 m (the 9th highest mountain in Scotland, but dwarfed by "the Ben" across the horseshoe)

From here its a easy but good scramble around the horseshoe to the abseil posts at the head of the corrie. An easy path then leads to the top of Ben Nevis at 1344 m Britain's highest mountain.

from the summit we followed the tourist route back down to complete the horseshoe.

Variation :

If starting on the A82, follow the path south-east through the forest, when at the end of the forest ascend Carn Beag Dearg before joining the horseshoe.
from the summit of the Ben, follow the tourist path down for a short distance until a path leading north ascends to Carn Dearg, take this path to the summit. from the summit carefully continue along the ridge as it descends north to cross the Allt a' Mhuhlinn stream and then back through the forest to the A82.

general Ben Nevis page

with more information on the mountain
as well as on the "tower ridge climb"
and some pictures of the Ben in winter

more summit pictures of Ben Nevis