I have conquered Ben Nevis!

To my surprise and delight, on Saturday I climbed the highest mountain in Scotland - and in Great Britain - Ben Nevis. I have always wanted to climb it, but never thought that I would manage it. This is how it happened.

We were in Fort William for the weekend with the hill-walking club, and the weather was fairly good. I decided that I would attempt the climb on my own, so as not to hold up James and the boys (Ally and Davie had both come along at short notice). I also didn’t want to feel any pressure about how often I would need to stop or for how long. I packed the night before, making sure to carry lots of water, drinks with electrolytes, bananas, protein bars and trail mix. I got up very early and I set off up the tourist track from the car park at the Glen Nevis Information Centre at 6 a.m. 

It was very quiet, but there were a few other people also getting ready to climb the mountain; a group who were starting the Three Peaks challenge, and some fit looking younger people. I was very nervous. Anyway, I got started and made slow but steady progress up the path which parallels Glen Nevis. Eventually the path turned round the side of the hill towards the lochan, however the cloud was so low that I couldn’t see it at all. I had considered stopping when I reached that point, but I still felt ok so I continued onwards and upwards, thinking that I could turn back whenever I felt like it. During one of my frequent rests, a man told me that I was getting near the waterfall which is the half way point. He told me that if I doubled the time that it took me to get there I could work out when I might reach the summit. I noticed that everyone on the hill was very encouraging to each other, swapping stories and information. Sometimes there was even a bit of disapproval e.g. two girls pointed out to me some people who were wearing trainers instead of hill-walking boots, or when a man asked me if the water from the burn is drinkable (it’s not due to sheep crapping in it) another man commented to me “That smacks of a lack of preparation!”
When I got to the waterfall I had a good think. It had taken me four hours to reach it - this was very slow progress and by this time the hill was much busier and lots of people were overtaking me. On the other hand, it was still only 10 o’clock in the morning, so I had lots of time, and it occurred to me that if I didn’t continue, I would have to climb the first half again at some time in the future. So I pressed on. 

After the waterfall, the path becomes a series of eight long zig-zags up the mountain. This was quite good for monitoring my progress and I had a rest at each turn. So did lots of other people so it was quite companionable. Again my progress was extremely slow and more and more people overtook me as I plodded up. At the end of the zig-zags the path winds its way up the shoulder of the mountain to the summit. Word on the path informed me that I now had about forty minutes to go. This was really the first time that I realised that I was actually going to reach the summit! The other good news was that the cloud had lifted and I could now see amazing views far down into the valley.

Meanwhile, James, Ally and Davie had climbed the mountain by a different, much harder route. This was so that they could bag some outlying tops that they hadn’t done before. They had started at about 9 a.m., three hours later than me. By the time they reached the summit, I was only about half an hour away, so they waited for me.

As I made my way up the last part of the ascent, I was encouraged by people who recognised me from the path, who had overtaken me but were now on their way back down. They were telling me that I would definitely make it, and to keep going. I met Cornel and Justin on their way back down (they had gone up by a harder route too), who cheered me on. It was great to reach the plateau, although it took me another fifteen minutes to pick my way along the very rocky path to the summit cairn. It was very busy up there but I didn’t mind. Everyone who was there had earned their place at the top.

I saw Davie sitting beside the cairn and then saw James and Ally walking towards me. They were all really happy that I was there. It had taken me eight whole hours to get to the summit. Shortly after I arrived, Jean, Tom and Steven arrived. It had taken them only four hours, which is a more normal pace! But they were all so nice to me and told me that it didn’t matter how long it had taken me.

After a rest, a chat, a look at the view and the obligatory photos at the summit cairn,  I set off back down the mountain, aware that it was going to take me a long time. The boys soon overtook me and I made my way down more slowly, back into the cloud. Just over half way down, there was a casualty who had fallen during his descent. The rescuers were already with him and I didn’t stare as I went past, however mountain gossip soon  informed me that he was a big man and from his description I wondered if he was one of the charity walkers that I had met at the very beginning of my day. He was stretchered down to a waiting helicopter which was hovering below the cloud, near the lochan (which I could see now for the first time!) and then winched up into it. Later when I checked the report on the Mountain Rescue website they cheekily compared him to the giant Mag the Mighty from Game of Thrones! I continued down. My pace was much better (I got down in just over four hours) but the rocky path was very sore on my ankles, which jarred with each step. I almost fell several times, but eventually I reached the last section of path down to the bridge and the car park, and there was the dear, familiar figure of James waiting for me. Later, at dinner back at the hotel, Gordon K was so surprised and delighted to hear that I had reached the summit and shook my hand, which I found rather moving. What a day!