Ben Nevis

9.8.98 - 19km, 1520m - 406 mins

Area 4: Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht

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Carn Mor Dearg1223m4004ftM9#22
Ben Nevis1344m4409ftM1#23
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Looking up towards Coire Leis - Carn Mor Dearg on the left, Ben Nevis on the right

I had not been able to get to Scotland in 1997 having been distracted by other events such as Kirsty's birth. It was therefore with great anticipation that I returned in 1998 to see what I could achieve. We had had a week's holiday in Arisaig and were now in Glencoe for the second week, when Jörg and Lisa joined us. It was here that I could start Munroing in earnest once again. With such a choice before us, Jörg and I decided to go for the Big One on the first suitable day and we set off early in the morning to drive to Torlundy to start the non-tourist route up Ben Nevis.

The mist-bound summit of Ben Nevis

The weather was supposed to be improving through the day, but the cloud on the top of Ben Nevis never cleared, and we ended up doing a mist-bound traverse of Carn Mor Dearg and the arete, which I personally found exhilarating, but which Jörg seemed less enthusiastic about. It was somewhat surreal, having met only two other people all morning, to emerge onto the misty summit of Ben Nevis to find crowds of people milling about dressed in every state of readiness and unreadiness imaginable. The long zigzag walk down the tourist path, past literally thousands of other walkers was rather tedious, and I was relieved to get away from the crowds again to descend to the Allt a' Mhuilinn and walk back down the path to Torlundy. Both of us were totally exhausted - it had been a gruelling day - but I was relieved that my knee had given me no trouble at all. Ironically, however, Jörg seemed to have done something to his knee.