Reviews
Difficult climb for an inexperienced hiker like myself. Very nice vistas. The climb is difficult but descending is much more difficult. Take short breaks when you're having a tough time. Good luck to you all and keep it safe
Best way to summit is from the north face, although exposed to elements its more challenging. Not for the faint of heart
Beautiful scenery. The trail is all small boulders on this route and it’s very long so not great for the knees. If I did get a chance to do it again I would do a different route. Friendly people all along the way and very busy. Leaving early is a good idea. I did this one in about 5 hrs.
What an experience I went on my own three days ago, on a clear December day following the weather forecast. Parked at Ben Nevis visitors centre - £2 for 2h, or £8 for a whole day. It took me around 2h to walk up the mountain walk up as I followed the stony steps leading up. The walk itself very pleasant and easy...gorgeous sceneries of surrounding mountains and lakes. On the top - different story: lots of snow, icy surfaces, hidden rocks, strong wind with the snow, it became darker...absolutely mesmerising - the long journey was so wort it! Finally I felt the Winter Wonderland atmosphere. Just if going in winter, be careful and prepared.
It’s a difficult, very rocky trail, but doable, just take your time on the ascent. Descent is also difficult as you always have to watch where to step. No view on the summit, but this was expected, very beautiful views on the way up and down. There was still snow patches on the top, in July! The trail can be quite crowded.
Get fit and pray for the most beautiful weather. We got both and it was a memorable experience. From the visitor center to the snow capped summit, the sun was beaming throughout and it made for such a great climb. No rain means the rocks had traction. Friendly climbers. Doable in 4+ hours.
Really enjoyable climb. My partner and I did the less traveled southern approach. I read online it was for experienced navigators only.. Which I am not! Finding and staying on the path on this approach is really hard, but you approach alongside the waterfall/river running off the side which really is fantastic. I would only recommend for experienced hikers, the other routes are far safer.
Beautiful scenery, but the path after the loch would be tough for novices. It definitely worth to climb if you love mountain climbing.
I can honestly say that I’ve experienced some of the most astounding views and was able to capture some remarkable pictures. There were signs to show the direction to the start of the hike and an estimated time to complete. Make sure to plan your trip with enough time as it can take up to 8 hours to and back from the top..
Great hike, took the bus from Inverness to Torlundy 919 at 9am and just made it back to catch the last return bus at 1745 pm. We ran part of the way down. Paths on north face mostly to the hut, so we crossed the heathland to get to the mountain path.