We offer experiences in both Winter and Summer and our Private Guiding option lets you choose exactly what you want to do and when to do it
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.
Conquer the highest mountain in Britain any time of year
Climbing Ben Nevis is a goal for many climbers and walkers. Starting from Glen Nevis, just outside Fort William, this challenging hike up the tallest mountain in Scotland and the UK can be tackled at any time of the year, but it is a very different prospect in the winter. Even during the summer, when experienced climbers would consider it more of a walk, conditions can be changeable and parts of the route up Ben Nevis can be very demanding.
With West Coast Mountain Guides at your side however you can reach the summit of Ben Nevis safely. We offer private mountain guiding up Ben Nevis, which allows any reasonably fit climber or hiker to reach the summit.
For experienced climbers looking for the ultimate mountaineering challenge, West Coast Mountain Guides can help you climb Ben Nevis in winter, together with providing instruction using crampons and ice axes when necessary. Climbers who prefer to make the ascent of Ben Nevis in better weather will enjoy the experience of climbing Ben Nevis via the Tower Ridge.
For less confident climbers or experienced walkers we recommend our guided walks up Ben Nevis along the Mountain Track, which take place generally between April and the end of October.
For all our Ben Nevis climbing experiences you can choose the date, letting you pick the best time to climb Ben Nevis for your level of experience and ability. Whenever you climb, you will be part of a small group with a dedicated private mountain guide to lead your ascent of the mountain.
Can anyone climb Ben Nevis?
That depends on what you mean by ‘climb Ben Nevis’. The most commonly used (and easiest) route up Ben Nevis is the Mountain Track. If you use this route during the summer then anyone with a reasonable level of fitness should be able to reach the summit. However there isn’t really any climbing, or even scrambling involved. More experienced climbers generally prefer either the ascent of Tower Ridge or climbing Ben Nevis in winter. Alternatively, contact us to arrange a personalised climb up Ben Nevis.
Along which route do you climb Ben Nevis?
Winter climbing of Ben Nevs takes us up the Mountain Track. As you might guess from the name our other major climbing route up Ben Nevis takes us along Tower Ridge. If you would like to take a different route up Ben Nevis, such as the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
How big are the groups of climbers you take up Ben Nevis?
For winter climbs of Ben Nevis using the Mountain Track we have no more than 6 climbers for each guide. For the ascent of Tower Ridge climb, there are never more than 2 climbers per guide. This allows us to give you climbing instructions as necessary.
Can you climb Ben Nevis at any time of year?
The best time to climb Ben Nevis is undoubtedly in the summer when the weather is better and the summit is clear of snow (although some patches of snow have been known to remain until June). Summer is a great time to tackle some of the more difficult routes up Ben Nevis. However, West Coast Mountain Guides have extensive experience in alpine conditions and are qualified Winter Mountain Leaders, so if climbing in snow is your thing we can help you reach the summit in winter.
How long does it take to climb Ben Nevis?
We would expect to be on the mountain for up to 9 hours. When climbing Ben Nevis in the winter we start at around 8 am to make the best use of the daylight hours.
How high is Ben Nevis?
Ben Nevis is 1345 metres high making it the highest mountain in the U.K.
Do I need any particular climbing skills to go up Ben Nevis?
For our summer guided walks you need to be fit enough to cope with a full day of hiking and walking, but you won’t need to scramble or climb. For the winter climb we will use ice axes and crampons when necessary, but don’t worry West Coast Mountain Guide instructors will ensure that you are fully comfortable using this equipment. The biggest challenge of the winter climb of Ben Nevis tends to be the weather conditions on the mountain, together with a lack of visibility and a consequent difficulty in identifying the route. Our guides are very familiar with the ascent though so route-finding is generally an issue.
The Tower Ridge ascent requires some use of technical equipment, but again we will ensure that you are completely comfortable using any unfamiliar equipment. If you are a very experience outdoor climber we are happy to guide you to routes that will safely challenge your rock-climbing skills.
Will I definitely get to the summit of Ben Nevis?
While we will always endeavour to allow our clients to reach the top of Ben Nevis, we will turn back if we feel that conditions are dangerous.
What kit do I need to climb Ben Nevis?
When you join West Coast Mountain Guides on a privately guided climb up Ben Nevis we will provide you with a comprehensive kit list. Broadly speaking you will need to wear appropriate climbing gear and boots, and bring enough food and drink with you for a day on the mountain. We recommend high protein food and snacks that are easy to eat.
Winter Cimb of Ben Nevis Great experience with a great guide (Will). I appreciated his skill, patience, kindness, knowledge, flexibility, and passion for the hills. Would highly recommend this guide and company for Ben Nevis.
Great winter climbing course with Sally We had an amazing day with Sally from West Coast on the winter climbing course. From initial contact to finals plans the night before we felt like we were in good hands. She provided the gear and took three of us up the hill and had great patter. Once we reached the snow we were led through the training with the ice axes and crampons before tackling the climb full... read more
Great Mountain Guides - Recommended Fantastic experience with West Coast, from the initial booking and correspondence through to the guiding from Simon. Everything was brilliant. Highly recommended.
5 day intro winter climbing Alex is genuinely the best instructor I've had the pleasure of learning from. I wasn't sure what to expect from the 5 days, but would have been happy coming away from it feeling I'd learnt something and having ticked off a few routes. I ended up having the most enjoyable and educational experience I've had since getting back into climbing. I feel Alex perfectly balanced getting us up the routes... read more
Introductory winter climbing course I completed the 5 day intro to winter climbing course with west coast mountain guides Our guide Alex Kay did a great job, he tailored each day to suit the groups aims and we learnt a lot in the short space of time whilst still keeping it really enjoyable. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who's thinking about it, just get it booked in, you won't regret it!
Winterising climbing skills Our guide David Whiteley was fantastic, fantastic teacher and made a great effort to find good routes in less than ideal ground conditions.
Awesome intro to winter climbing Awesome intro to winter climbing over three days with David and Dave. Learnt the basic safety and technical skills and managed to do some challenging climbs as early as the second day
Winter summit of Ben Nevis Awesome day with guide Craig who was knowledgeable, friendly and good fun. In great conditions we made it to the summit with some expert nav from our guide!
