Ben Nevis Guided Walks

If you’ve dreamt of climbing Ben Nevis, conquer the UK’s highest mountain on one of our guided Ben Nevis Walks

Reach the Ben Nevis summit on our guided walks
Professional qualified Mountain Leaders
Private Ben Nevis guide for small groups of 2 to 8, from £275
Individual Ben Nevis private guiding from £250
Ben Nevis walk time of 6-8 hours

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Join Our Guided Ben Nevis Hike

West Coast Mountain Guides have been guiding hillwalkers & hikers up Ben Nevis since 1988.

About Ben Nevis & Our Ben Nevis Guided Walks

At 1345m (4409ft), Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. Easy to reach for Fort William, it dominates the skyline and attracts hillwalkers from around the world.  Of all the Munros in the Scottish Highlands, Ben Nevis is the undisputed king, being the highest land in any direction for 740kms.

West Coast Mountain Guides offers privately guided walks on Ben Nevis for groups of up to 8 hillwalkers. As you are hiring a mountain guide privately, we can arrange dates to accommodate you. All our guides hold the Mountain Leader award, ensuring that you are in safe hands. Our team is familiar with the landscape and history of Ben Nevis, and as you climb you will discover more about this once active volcano and the landscape around it.

We take the Mountain Track up Ben Nevis. This is the easiest of the Ben Nevis walking routes, but, as should be expected on the highest mountain in Scotland, is still challenging. The route starts as a well-maintained path and becomes rockier towards the summit. Our guides will discuss with you the best time to climb Ben Nevis, but this is generally between April and the end of October. If you are a very confident hillwalker and are looking for an even bigger challenge you may want to consider our winter guided hikes of Ben Nevis.

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Full Description

Guided Hike up Ben Nevis via The Mountain Track

The Mountain Track (which is also known as the Pony Track or Tourist Path), starts in Glen Nevis at 20m above sea level, and finishes on the summit of Ben Nevis at 1345m. The total distance to the summit and back is 16km. How long to climb Ben Nevis will depend on conditions, but the average time to climb Ben Nevis is between 6 and 8 hours. The path is never too steep, although the climb itself is fairly sustained, so a good level of fitness is recommended.  It’s a big undertaking at any time of year, and should not be underestimated. Our guides are experienced and fully qualified, their job isn’t just to guide you, but to share their intimate knowledge of  Ben Nevis and the surrounding area with you.

Your safety on the mountain is our top priority, so we cannot guarantee reaching the summit of the mountain. Our team will take into account the Ben Nevis summit weather, and strong winds can on occasion prevent us from getting all the way to the top.  That said, we will guide you safely, develop your knowledge and make the most of prevailing conditions.

Experience needed

We would expect most people attempting to reach the summit of Ben Nevis to be fairly experienced hillwalkers. You won’t need any experience of scrambling or climbing. You should be fit enough to sustain up to 8 hours of sustained mountain hiking.

Guide-to-participant ratio

Privately guided hikes to the summit of Ben Nevis are offered to groups of no more than 8 hillwalkers, providing a 1:8 guide-to-participant ratio. There is no minimum group size.

Costs and Equipment

Prices include guiding and instruction and are dependent on group size. You will also need to take accommodation, food, personal equipment and insurance costs into consideration. See Kit Requirements for more detail on what to bring.

The Three Peaks Challenge

Ben Nevis is the hardest mountain of the popular 3 peaks challenge. If you are considering tackling the 3 peaks challenge and would like West Coast Mountain Guides to guide you on this leg, please contact us.

More About Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis near Fort William is a former volcano and as a result the route up the mountain takes you through areas of light-coloured granites before reaching the ancient volcanic plug, which is made up of andesite and makes up the bulk of the mountain.

The name Ben Nevis (Beinn Nibheis in Gaelic) is thought to mean either the ‘mountain with its head in the clouds’ or simply ‘the venomous mountain’. The history and mythology surrounding Ben Nevis, together with the spectacular Ben Nevis summit view, combine to make this the most coveted mountain walk in the Highlands.

Dates and Prices

Kit Requirements

Socks – Go for a medium to thick pair of synthetic or wool/synthetic blend socks. You may like to wear a thin liner pair underneath the thicker pair.

Thermal/Base Layers – A couple of thermal layers are useful.

Fleeces – At least one fleece layer for your upper body. If you get cold easily perhaps add a fleece gilet/vest to your layering. Having an extra fleece top or synthetic layer in a waterproof liner at the bottom of your rucksack is essential.

Synthetic Belay Jacket – Whilst not essential, will be a good booster layer.

Walking trousers – Polycotton, polyester or softshell is ideal.

Warm Hat & Waterproof Gloves –Even in the height of summer, it can still be cold and wet in the Scottish Highlands, so please bring along a warm hat and waterproof gloves. If it’s particularly wet, then carry a couple of spare pairs.

Waterproof jacket and over trousers ( Outer shell clothing)

Rucksack – A medium volume pack (25 -40 litres) is best for walking. Use a strong plastic rucksack liner to keep the contents dry. External Rucksack covers have a habit of blowing away and don’t work as well as an internal liner. Everything needs to fit inside your sac.

Bivvy Bag – A large person sized poly or foil survival bag is the minimum requirement, essential.

Head Torch – Essential for all courses, plus spare batteries.

First Aid kit –A small personal pack including medication for blisters. Suncream and sunglasses if good forecast.

Map & Compass – Harveys or OS

Optional. The map should be weather-proofed in a clear plastic map case or covered with clear sticky back plastic.

Whistle/Watch

Flask – 0.5-1 litre for hot drinks on the hill. Optional.

Waterbottle – at least 1 litre. For warmer days, bring 2 litres.

Lunch & Spare Food

Trekking Poles -These are optional, but useful particularly in descent.

Boots – A comfortable pair of 3 season walking boots, with suitable ankle support.

Sunglasses, sun hat and sun cream – If it’s a nice day, the sun will be strong.

Route Outline

We will set out from the Achintee Inn, in Glen Nevis at approximately 8.30am, and set off up the Mountain Track, which zig-zags its way up up to Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (also known as Halfway Lochan, and sits at 600m above sea level). The path here is good underfoot and you’ll get magnificent views up towards the Mamores from this section.

The path levels out at Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe for a bit, before it doubles back, and crosses the Red Burn at nearly 700m. Occasional snow patches may be encountered from here on up, although these patches will lessen as the summer wears on.

From here the upper zig-zags are encountered, which weave their way up to the summit plateau at 1200m. If it’s clear, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views over Loch Linnhe, towards Glencoe and down towards the Isle of Mull. You may even be able to see the Cairngorms and the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. The summit plateau is a wild and barren place, with dramatic cliffs never far away. The route stays away from the cliffs, but good navigation is required.  From gaining the summit plateau, a further 1km will bring you to the summit cairn, the highest point in the United Kingdom.

The return leg will follow the same route back down the mountain.

Private Guiding

If you would prefer to tackle Ben Nevis by a more difficult route, such as the CMD Arete or Ledge Route, we can arrange this for you. Private guiding can be arranged on dates to suit you, and we can tailor the course or guiding to match your needs and aspirations. There are no limits for the number of participants on privately guided days, so whether you are an individual after 1:1 guiding or tuition, or a group or club looking to develop their collective skills or reach a particular summit, please get in touch.

Find out more about Private Guiding