This is a fundamental question. What do we mean by ‘walking up Ben Nevis’?
Firstly, it’s more than a gentle stroll. You need to be reasonably fit before you consider making the ascent, and we wouldn’t recommend a Ben Nevis walk for beginners. However, there is a path up Ben Nevis, and you won’t need to do any scrambling.
Employing the services of the mountain leaders at West Coast Mountain Guides will make the chances of a successful walk up Ben Nevis much greater.
Our summer guided walks up Ben Nevis takes the Mountain Track (also known as the Tourist path).
As mentioned above this doesn’t require any scrambling and the path is easily visible in good weather.
If you are considering a more challenging route up Ben Nevis, you may be interested in our guided ascent of Tower Ridge.
How large are the groups of walkers you take up Ben Nevis?
For safety reasons we never have more than 8 walkers for every one guide on our summer walks up Ben Nevis.
Where do Ben Nevis walks start?
The Mountain Track starts in Glen Nevis, just outside Fort William.
How long does it take to walk up Ben Nevis?
We generally allow between 6 and 8 hours to walk up Ben Nevis.
How far is the Ben Nevis walk?
The total distance to the summit of Ben Nevis, and back, is 16 km.
How high is Ben Nevis?
Ben Nevis is 1345 metres high.
When is the best time to walk up Ben Nevis?
Our Ben Nevis guided walks take place between April and the end of October. Outside of these months the conditions on Ben Nevis are more challenging, with a greater chance of snow at the summit and high winds. If you are an experienced climber who would like to test yourself in more difficult conditions, take a look at our climbing Ben Nevis in winter option.
What is the weather like on Ben Nevis?
Between April and October, when our walks take place, the weather in Ben Nevis is much less harsh than at other times. However, there is sometimes some snow at the summit during this time – which can make the path tricky to follow. It’s also important to remember that the weather at the summit is frequently quite different to the weather in Fort William and at the base. Don’t worry though, when you ascend Ben Nevis with West Coast Mountain Guides we won’t attempt to reach the summit if we feel it is dangerous.
Bear in mind you’ll be on the mountain for up to 8 hours so you should bring enough food and water to cover this time. We would suggest 2 litres of water, more if the weather is very hot, and a selection of simple high energy foods and snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, energy bars pies etc. Remember you’re going to have to carry everything, but there is no shop or cafe at the top of Ben Nevis so you don’t want to run out of provisions.
In terms of other kits and equipment, we’ve put together this kit list for all our summer climbs and walks. If you’ve decided to tackle the winter climb you’ll need slightly different equipment including crampons and possibly an ice axe.
Experience the highest mountain in the UK on our Ben Nevis Guided Walks. All of our guides are highly experienced and fully qualified Mountain Leaders
Hire a qualified and experienced private guide to climb the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, via the walkers’ mountain (tourist) track from Glen Nevis this winter.
Climb Ben Nevis the hard way via one of the longest and most spectacular mountain routes in the UK.
Prefer to create your own course, choosing how you want to climb and when you’d like to do so? Then just enquire about our Private Guiding service.
