Ben Nevis – Winter Lingers On!

New Snow on Old Snow

This idea of flying half-way across the world to climb Ben Nevis is obviously catching on. This time, it was Louisa who decided to nip back to Blighty from Saudi Arabia and sample a bit of hillwalking. She brought Laura with her (but only from Edinburgh) for moral support. Neither had much previous experience of Scottish (or Arabian) mountains so anything we accomplished was likely to be a great achievement and hopefully a memorable experience. No pressure then!

Only 9 hrs To Go!

Hopes of an uncomplicated ‘summer’ ascent were dashed 48hrs before our arrival when the icy blast of winter returned and deposited fresh snow on the upper part of the mountain. Fortunately, the sun is high enough now to carry some heat and this, coupled by us carrying crampons up and down the mountain, ensured we were not troubled by ice this time!

Clear Air Between the Showers

We set off in warm sunshine, along with quite a few other folks, and didn’t really encounter any cool breeze until approaching the half-way lochan. Assorted groups passed by including one numpty in shorts and football shirt looking every bit the pratt he was!

Onwards & Upwards!

The Red Burn was a mere trickle compared to recent visits but as we trooped up the zig-zags, the snow depth steadily increased until there was solid cover by the time we picked up the first of the large cairns that mark the route to the summit. A couple of snow buntings flittered around us for a few minutes on an opportunistic foray after picnic crumbs!

Approaching the Summit

Once on the summit plateau, the cloud came down bringing the visibility with it and suddenly, out of the blue, we were caught in a vicious hailstorm. The winter jacket came out of the sack lightning quick (there’s a pun there somewhere) but you could still feel the sting of the hailstones through the material. Not nice, but fortunately short-lived. On we went and there were the 3 cairns marking the top of Gardyloo Gulley and the left turn for the final 150 yds to the summit. At 5hrs 20mins this was no record-breaking day, but the girls were happy and we still had plenty of daylight to spare.

Made It!

The descent was largely uneventful although a 20 minute snow shower kept the hoods up for most of the zig-zags. The first wheatear of the year confirmed Spring had definitely arrived and the birch trees and larches are turning a welcome green. Then the snow stopped, the clouds cleared and evening sunshine ensured a very pleasant return to the car - albeit almost 10 hrs since we left it!

The Sun Shines on the Righteous!

Louisa is returning in August hoping to tackle the 3 Peaks. Hopefully, this dress rehearsal will have give an indication of what to expect. I noticed Laura didn’t rush to suggest she would be joining her!

Evening Sun on Stob Ban

Check out my future plans for similar walks on:http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm