Ben Nevis: Take Two

Regular readers of this blog  may remember how two years ago we underestimated Ben Nevis. To cut a long story short, we hit snow at the top and weren't ready for it. 

Having brushed up on our winter mountaineering skills at Glenmore Lodge in Scotland, we decided it was time to tackle the UK's tallest peak again, this time in the middle of winter. After a warm-up walk in Glencoe the previous day, the weather forecast was positive, and the five of us were all set. 

Leaving the carpark at 6am gave us a headstart on the crowds, with only one couple ahead of us, whose tracks were rapidly swept away by the strong winds. For most of the way up, it felt like we had the mountain to ourselves. 

We were incredibly lucky, and clear weather made it a pleasant and beautiful hike, with little need to navigate or worry about our safety. At the top, we could see for miles, and could even pick out the Isle of Skye in the distance. Local climbers we met at the top told us they'd made it up dozens of times and had never had it so good. We couldn't believe our luck!

Nevertheless, Ben Nevis is still dangerous, and on the day we hiked up, a couple climbing up the North face disappeared. Their bodies were found a couple of weeks later. As we headed back down in search of a warm pub dinner and a pint, we crossed paths with dozens of people on their way up, many in trainers with no jackets or spare kit with them. On that day, it probably didn't matter too much, but you can't help but wishing they knew better.

Soph x