“What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know”
Rene Daumal
Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK is a target of many walkers, and the tourist track up and down the mountain from Glen Nevis puts the summit within reach of all walkers. The steady zig zag path climbs to the summit without too much difficulty, it does not however let the walker see the true beauty of the mountain.
Why not spend a slightly longer day on the mountain and see the best of it, our route takes in the subsidiary summit of Carn Mor Dearg and climbing to the summit via the 'CMD' Arête, a fine sharp ridge route climbing from the summit of Carn Mor Dearg to the summit of Ben Nevis with spectacular views of the north face of Ben Nevis.
“Doubly happy, however, is the man to whom lofty mountain tops are within reach”
John Muir
From the North Face Car Park we will climb above the valley of Glen Nevis on a good path climbing through the woods until it emerges onto the open ground above.
From here we will take the path climbing the long slopes of Carn Mor Dearg, a long but steady climb with some wonderful views across to the North Face of Ben Nevis.
From Carn Mor Dearg we will descend a short distance onto the ridge below. The CMD Arête is a fine narrow ridge, although not to difficult, the hardest parts of the ridge can be avoided to the left if needed.
From the southern end of the arête a short climb will bring us up the final slope to the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, and one of the greatest viewpoints in Scotland.
We will descend west from the summit on the zig-zag path with fine views west over Glen Nevis and over the coast. Half way down the Tourist path we will detour from the path and descend the heather slopes back down to meet the path back to the North Face Car Park.
Each participant will be required to bring suitable equipment for their chosen event, please see Kit List tab above.
Where to meet: The North Face Car Park, Torlundy
Postcode: PH33 6SW
Grid Reference: NN 145 764
Directions
Take the Torlundy turn-off the A82. There is a small sign for 'The North Face car park' if you're approaching from the south. Drive through the village, over the single-file railway bridge and take the first right along an un-made up road to reach the car park.
-
One of the best mountain days Review by Tony
We had a fantastic day on the CMD Arete in the company of our guide and mountain leader James. We are a group of 5 with good hill walking experience but the Arete still gave us a good stretch with just the best views of Ben Nevis and the neighbouring mountains. Weather was fantastic, bright and sunny all day but with a strong wind blowing up on the tops. Despite this wind, James lead us safely up and over the Arete.. The final pull up on to the summit of Ben Nevis really is the sting in the tail. Thanks again to James and Lake District Walker for a fantastic and truly memorable day in the mountains. (Posted on 03/06/2018)
-
Ben nevis via CMD Review by Paula
A totally brilliant day! Our guide was fab and coped well with a mixed bag of ages (11-52) and fitness levels. He was brilliant with my 11 year old son. Kept him engaged all the way with navigational tips, safety instructions and information about the plants and other wildlife we saw. Weather was glorious! The walk was strenuous for some of us, especially the final ascent from the ridge on to the summit of Ben Nevis, but Murray was patient and encouraging all the way. All in all a faultless day!! (Posted on 02/06/2016)
© 2024 The Lake District Walker Limited. All Rights Reserved.