Ascent of Ben Nevis via the tourist trail

I had injured my right knee at the start of August, and it had looked uncertain as to whether I would be able participate in this event, having had to sit out the previous two weekends. When I visited the GP on the Thursday morning, I don’t think that she was aware to what she was opening the door when she informed that one could now participate in a little gentle exercise!

So it was a done deal, and I travelled up to Leeds to pick Dave up and drove on to Fort William on the Friday. The journey took approximately 11 hours (the return journey took only 7 and a half hours), and was plagued incessantly by the large white boxes that certain drivers insist on appending to the rear of their vehicles. Met up in the bar under Nevis Sport with Nobin and Dylan, had food and beer, and crashed out in preparation for the following days exertions.

We left the car park by the Ben Nevis Inn at 09:00, heading off into the cloud. I don’t think that the route up the tourist track requires too much descriptive. The track being quite pronounced, I wouldn’t expect navigation to present too many problems for most of the year. We climbed out of the cloud to an inversion, and enjoyed a thoroughly nice summer’s afternoon climbing the Ben. This explains the proliferation of photographs below, as I don’t expect that degree of view from the Ben to be occasioned too frequently. If there could be any grumbles about the day, then it would have to relate to the midges, who appear to like me somewhat.

Taking the route slowly to ensure completion, we attained the summit just outside of the guidebook time of 4 hours, which I felt was pretty good for a non-mountaineering team, I was quite impressed at the ease with which we all attained the top as I had expected it to be more problematic. So congratulations gents, really enjoyed the weekend.

I appear to have taken a little stick at the club in recent months with not completing the Welsh 3000s due to heatstroke, and now this knee injury. Those concerned should examine rather closely the rear to my rucksack – as they shall be seeing rather a lot of that in the coming months!!!!!!