Possum's Blog
The Mountain of Heaven

The Gaelic name for a mountain in Scotland called Ben Nevis is ‘Beinn Nibheis’ which translates into the mountain of heaven. Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in not just Scotland but the whole of the British Isles! It is 1,344m (4,409ft) above sea level, which makes it a Munro. It is in a location near Fort William.

The mountain is known to locals as ‘The Ben’. It is a popular tourist attraction with 100,000 ascents a year with three quarters of them taking the pony track from Glen Nevis on the south side of the mountain. If you are a climber or a mountaineer the main attraction lies in the 700m (2,300ft) high cliffs of the north face. They are among the highest cliffs in Britain.

Ben Nevis through the seasons

The summit of Ben Nevis is a large stony plateau. There are ruins of an old observatory at the top which was used to study the weather. This observatory was permanently staffed between 1883 and 1904. The observatory has had an emergency shelter built on top of it in case of bad weather.

Ben Nevis’ altitude and its maritime location mean that there are usually bad weather conditions. The mountain summit is only clear on one day out of ten. The bad weather conditions include rain, snow and thick mist which causes quite a few accidents.

The main access to Ben Nevis is along Belford Road (Grid ref. NN1223873040) from Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland. On the left hand side is the entrance to a car park with plenty of spaces. It is also served by a local bus service from Fort William.

There is a large visitors’ centre (Glen Nevis Visitor’s Centre) at one end of the car park. This has an access suitable for disabled visitors. There are toilets, disabled toilets and baby changing facilities inside. There is a gift shop selling various souvenirs and also drinks, snacks and ice creams. There is also a small café and there are picnic benches alongside the river.

The visitors’ centre is well worth a visit before setting off, as it has an exhibition all about Ben Nevis and the surrounding area. It details the walk, the history behind the mountain and those people who have climbed it. People have taken all sorts of objects to the top including a car, a wheelbarrow, a piano, a horse and cart and even a bed! The exhibition has a very good section on how you should prepare yourself for the climb and what sort of clothing, equipment and supplies you should have with you.

 Access to The Ben is along a footpath. It goes all along the side of the car park by the river to a wooden suspension bridge – wide enough for wheelchairs. The path then goes all along the other side of the river. After this point there is a style over a wall and the path becomes steep and bumpy so is not suitable for the lesser abled. The path goes up through the Glen and round the corner you get the first good view of The Ben.

The climb itself takes a good five hours to the top and you should make sure you take plenty to eat and water to drink. A map, compass, warm and waterproof clothing and something to attract attention in an accident are all things that you should take. Always make sure someone knows you have gone up The Ben. You can leave your details with the Visitors’ Centre or the police before setting off.

Ben Nevis map

The popular pony track (also known as the Ben Path, the Mountain path or the Tourist Route) is the most simple and most popular route for climbing. The pony track has stone steps to get up and down.

Ben Nevis’ popularity and climate leads to a high amount of mountain rescue incidents. There is an active mountain rescue team (Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team) that is based in and around Fort William which is staffed mainly by volunteers.

Two years ago, I climbed three quarters of the way up Ben Nevis. I missed some of the great views right at the top including the Caledonian Canal, Loch Linnhe and Fort William but I am pleased with myself for climbing most of the way. I would highly recommend it to other people but not for the beginner between the months of November and May or during bad or cloudy weather. Hope you get a chance to go!

Possum, June 2009