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Published: September 2nd 2012
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Ben Nevis Inn car park on 1st Sept 2012 6am
Having a much needed sugar boost before we start off on our epic walk up Ben Nevis! One way to remember a walk is to be faced with challenging weather conditions, a great sense of occassion and good company! Pleased to say that all three were amply met during our walk up Ben Nevis on Saturday 1st Sept 2012.
Well after two and a half months of anticipation and planning, Grace & I, finally made our way on Friday 31
st August to Fort William via the scenic route….following 4 small de-tours (all part of the adventure!) we arrived at our hostel “Chase the Wild Goose”.
There were several events taking place on Saturday 1
st September:
a) the Ben Nevis hill runners race, where aprox 500 hill runners head up & down BN via the quickest route…my uncle Derek was one of them (his time on the day was 2hrs 30min)!
b) the 3 peaks challenge (Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in Lake District and Ben Nevis in Fort William) all 3 hills completed within 24 hours!
c) the usual hoards of people fulfilling their own personal challenge, in some instances for charities and for Grace & I realizing a personal goal (this was Grace’s first munro and my 12 of 2012
or 26 overall)!!
In true Fort William style the weather on the day was awful, with low cloud cover, rain and gale force winds…nothing like a good old challenge! So we decided to make an early start to give us plenty of time to complete our goal. We met our guide Sandy at 6am at the Ben Nevis Inn car park and we were on our way by 6:10am.
I usually walk up munros unassisted, however on this occasion I very sensibly opted for the services of a seasoned guide, to ensure Grace & I arrived safely (and with no de-tours!) at our destination the UK’s highest peak!
The whole experience was brilliant….there was a real sense of camaraderie on the hill….everyone we encountered on our way up and down was encouraging, motivating and cheering each other on, which was exactly what we all needed in light of the poor weather conditions….it took us just under 5 hours to reach the true top (arrived at 11am), where we celebrated with some much deserved prosecco and chocolate!
We were so glad to have made an early start since the
We made to the top!
Yes it was still raining & very windy at the top, but we are so thrilled to have reached this point we don't care about the weather our smiles tell the full story! gale force winds were in true force (40-50 knots) when we reached the summit, so we gladly departed 15mins later after the customary photos and celebratory drink were consumed.
A real sense of achievement ensued which was evident to all by the big smug smiles on both our faces as we happily headed back down and cheered everyone we met on our way. We were also pleased to finally get glimpses of the halfway lochan (Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe) and views of the valley below, due to the wind speed picking up.
Another highlight was seeing the hill runners as they were heading towards the half way point. It was a brilliant feeling seeing my uncle run past & giving me a high five for my achievement!
When we reached our finish point at the Ben Nevis Inn (aprox 9 hours after our departure), we were warmly greeted by another friend and her 2 daughters who were waiting for us with pink bubbly, strawberries and more chocolate….perfect end to a great walk up the highest hill in the UK!!!
The poor weather conditions combined with all the other
the half way lochan views on the way down
Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe marks the half way up Ben Nevis in terms of height however in terms of duration there is still more than half way to go, due to zig zags.... activities taking place on the day, enhanced the whole experience. I can honestly say it was one of the most enjoyable days I have had hill walking and despite what people have said I think Ben Nevis is a truly beautiful hill!
Now just need to figure out what the next big challenge will be….
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Grace
non-member comment
Our Day up the Ben
Brilliant blog Tania! looking forward to reading the rest of your blogs , My legs have decided not to play today, calf's are just a tad SORE! lol! But still smiling.......