In the morning we meet in Fort William, the gateway to Ben Nevis, and get ready for our trek. While enjoying a fuelling cup of tea or coffee, we’ll have a briefing ahead of setting off on our invigorating ascent of Ben Nevis. Our route kicks off quite steeply, but then settles into a steadier uphill gradient. We climb steadily to the picturesque Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, then leave the green landscapes below us as we tackle the famous ‘zig-zags’ – a well-maintained section that criss-crosses its way gradually up the otherwise-steep gradient. Our surroundings are by now stony and barren. Crossing the rocky boulder field, we look out for the cairn that marks the summit – a welcome sight! In good weather we can enjoy wonderful views over Glen Nevis, Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil, as well as the ruins of the observatory at the top of the mountain. The summit is notorious for its cloud cover, however, so enjoy your views on the ascent in case you don’t experience them later! Expect to get chilly at the top – the summit is on average 9ºC colder than the base. We return the same way. The descent will be much quicker and less arduous, but still tiring and can be hard on the knees. We return to Fort William and enjoy a meal together with our fellow trekkers, before heading home, tired but very elated and proud of our achievement!
Packed lunch and dinner included.
Ascent approx. 5-7 hours; descent approx. 3-4 hours
