Ben Nevis "The Ben" | Height:- 1342m / 4408ft | Summit Grid Ref:- 166712
The Ben Nevis Challenge 2005.
An early start for the accent of the "Ben"1st October 2005 7.30am. Weather forecast for the day Cloudy overcast with continual rain showers low lying cloud, possibility of snow over 900m.
The group sets off up the mountain, after a few minutes all the less experience people stop to remove the layers and layers of warm clothes they put on down at the buses, its going to be a long day. At the 405m point we've lost 3 people already and its taken us just over an hour. Pictures above and below show the bottom of the red Burn water fall, looks a lot less dramatic here.
After another stop to allow everyone to catch up its onwards and upwards again towards the Lough at 1500ft. Not quite half way and time now 09.30am.
Passed the lake and the new path, very nice almost feel as if there should be flowers planted along the edges of it. Starting to get up into the cloud line now, temperature has dropped and its time for the hat and coat to go on.
Red Burn Waterfall. Half way and time for a brew just over 2000ft to go now along the rocky zig zag path. Not to bad to follow on the way up but can get confusing when coming down.
As we cross the waterfall you really get a feeling of the power the water is moving with, "one at a time please" comes the call from the guides afraid they may lose someone over the edge as we all try to cram over together.
Safely across and the trek continues, should take around 2.5 hrs to make the summit from here.
Now were getting there deep within the cloud rain pelting and the wind gusting to 15mph everyone looking forlorne as we stop yet again for the tail to catch up. Almost feels like the moon up here. With 5 corners to go of the 8 on the zig zags it feels like its taking forever.
Picnic Rock Time for lunch also the 4000ft point now an easy slog over the plateau for the last 408ft to the top, is really cold here and with the wind wiping straight at us, its time to don the warm kit as there will not be time at the Summit.
Just getting a quick cuppa before we push on.
Near the top the track passes very close to two vertical drops of around 2000ft, just pass these we have the summit 5hrs after we started we reach the derelict observatory, everyone crowds around as the temperature has dropped to -15 with the wind chill and were fighting of winds gusting to 30mph. This is really is an inhospitable place.
The Trig point across from the rescue shelter designates the top of the "Ben" and whoppee now its snowing.
Eventually 109 people made it to the top, for some this was there first atempt for others they had been here 14 times before. With a quick group photo for the UCF its time to desend. Just after courner 6 on the zig zags there is a sharp right that drops 2000ft straight down Red Burn Gully. All loose stone and shingle its like the vauxhal astra ad where the bloke tumbles off the mountain..
10mins later were at 2000ft again by the red burn waterfall what a rush jumping over rocks through waterfalls and over 10ft ledges, definatly not for the faint hearted.
One more snap of the waterfall and the view down the valley and then it back down the track to the bottom. So 5 hrs to the top and with the shortcut it has taken us little under 1hr to reach the bottom. Even got down before the buses got there so phone a cab and was in town for a pint 20min later..