“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.
Each participant is expected to have suitable personal equipment for their activity this should include the following:
- Walking shoes / Boots
- Waterproof clothing (Jacket and trousers)
- Suitable clothing for walking (no jeans)
- Warm tops
- Packed lunch
- Spare clothing
- Water
- Hat
- Gloves
For winter walks (November to March) events please also bring the following:
- Torch (preferably a headtorch)
- Spare batteries for the above
- Spare Gloves
- Flask & Hot Drink
The Following equipment may also be useful if owned:
The following equipment will be provided by The Lake District Walker should winter conditions require:
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Best way up the Ben Review by Julian
I hiked this route with a group of 7 hikers on June 2nd, and our group leader, Spike. Given the unsettled weather forecast, the walk was brought forward a couple of hours, at short notice. We all met at the North Face Car Park at 7am and had a short briefing with Spike. As we began the hike, he mingled and established our previous mountain experiences. He also ensured we set an appropriate pace and were hydrated sufficiently well throughout. As we ascended Carn Mor Dearg, the group began climbing at different rates, but Spike managed the whole group so we all met up at the summit and had enough time to rest before the next stage. He gave clear instructions of what we could expect, along with information about potential abort routes in case the hike had to be abandoned. We progressed along the arete as a group, and Spike provided excellent guidance so everyone felt at ease and completed the route promptly. My confidence on the arete certainly improved as we progressed.
The final ascent to the summit was done as a group, and we reached the triangulation point ahead of the bad weather. Spike ensured that we had time for obligatory photos and had cleared the summit plateau before the time that the bad weather was forecast. We then progressed at a more leisurely pace down the tourist track then diverted back to the North Face Car Park, arriving back 11 hours after starting. This is the second hike that Ive done with this company and it was every bit as enjoyable and successful as before. I shall definitely be doing more hikes with them in future. Thanks for a memorable and enjoyable day with a great crowd (Posted on 08/06/2018)
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Fantastic quiet route Review by Tom
Although my first trip up Ben Nevis, this must be one of the best routes to take, the numbers of people on the summit was somewhat of a surprise as we saw very few on the ascent. Great weather, great company and a big thank you to our fantastic professional guide Sally. (Posted on 27/06/2016)
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CMD Review by Nathan
Myself and a group of friend completed Ben Nevis with you guys last weekend, great day so thanks John for that. (Posted on 16/08/2015)
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