20 August 2024
I had always realised that my chosen adventure on this map, an ascent of Ben Nevis via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete, was an ambitious challenge and would only be possible for me in near perfect weather conditions. Hence my back up plan was the standard mountain path which I have completed previously and is straightforward although obviously strenuous.
Unfortunately neither of these walks were ones that it was sensible to tackle on a day of multiple heavy showers and forecast wind speeds later in the day of up to 70mph on the summit.
Out of the other walks that I had considered, the path to look up at the mighty precipice of the north face of Ben Nevis appeared the most interesting. On the evening beforehand I realised that there would be time to add in a second part to look at the south west side of Ben Nevis as well, using parts of the East Highland Way and the well known West Highland Way to link the two routes.
As I set off from the North Face car park near Torlundy where I had been dropped off, it was already raining. The track ascended through the forest and became a path after crossing the forest boundary fence. It’s a distinct and easily followed path as it follows the Allt a’ Mhuilinn. I even saw the muddy and less distinct path on the left which diverts up on to Carn Mor Dearg where I would have turned if I had been following my good weather plans.
The Allt a’Mhuillinn was definitely in spate with many small waterfalls and rapids. The rain settled a little and I saw a rainbow. There were fine views over Loch Linnhe and Fort William as well as upwards to Ben Nevis, although the summit remained in cloud.
Two women passed me coming down the path then oddly soon after passing me turned round and began to ascend again. They overtook me and looked soaked through as they appeared not to be wearing waterproof over trousers.
The path remained clear but rocky in parts with some small stream crossings and some stepped sections. There was also a minor scramble as I ascended and was almost level with the turning point for the walk at the level of the CIC hut, a private climbing hut. In fact the path crosses the Allt a’Mhuilinn here at a fording point. This crossing didn’t look safe in the very wet conditions with the stream in spate. If possible, it would have given access to a path which appears to contour around the 600m level to the Ben Nevis mountain track.
I spent some time looking at the back wall of the mountain and also the impressive buttresses, gullies and rock towers on the cliffs opposite.
The two women who had overtaken me spent more time looking at the scenery although I was slow on the descent so they soon overtook me again.
I descended beyond the forest line and stopped for lunch at a viewpoint with a seat. For a short time it almost stopped raining.
I had to descend almost to the North Face car park. The East Highland Way wasn’t waymarked but I found the right path using my waterproof Harvey’s map. It was a clear path then a track that crossed the Allt a’Mhuilinn on a bridge then continued past the aluminium smelter with good views of the hydro tunnels on the mountain.
The track emerged on to the main road approaching Fort William. The rain became torrential. I was certainly glad to be at low level. I walked towards the town and turned off along the Glen Nevis road. Everybody else seemed to be walking towards Fort William – streams of drenched and bedraggled walkers completing the West Highland Way. They must have endured wet and windy conditions on every day of their walk.
I turned off the road at the Braveheart car park and walked up the track, views of Glen Nevis and Ben Nevis unfolding as I proceeded. I continued to see weary walkers coming towards me on the final day of their West Highland Way trek. A few asked me if I was just starting but north to south so I explained that I had completed the route in 2013 and was merely out for a day walk. I thought I could see walkers on the opposite side of the glen on the Ben Nevis mountain path – I wonder how they fared in this stormy weather.
Eventually I reached the turn off to Dun Deardail. This is a grassy mound with ditches surrounding it, the site of an Iron Age fort. The information board explained that it may have been rebuilt on several occasions from Celtic fort to Pictish citadel, being on a site dominating the glen and providing a natural stronghold. It is known that the fort was destroyed by fire and it is still possible to see blocks of burnt stone rubble. Unfortunately I couldn’t find these and, because the rain became heavier once more, the views to Ben Nevis and over Glen Nevis were largely obscured by cloud.
I returned to the main track, confusing some West Highland Way walkers who almost turned off to the fort. It was an easy and steady downhill walk back to the junction of the Glen Nevis road with the main Fort William road. We were staying in a cottage in Inverlochy village only a short walk from this point. However, I still managed to get wetter during this short walk when the rain became even more torrential.
I’m sure that an ascent of Ben Nevis by any route that day would have been a miserable and probably dangerous experience. I feel l had made a good decision to stay at relatively low level and attempt to view the great mountain from the north, taking in some of Britain’s most impressive rock scenery, as well as looking at it from the more familiar south west aspect across Glen Nevis.
Where's Kathryn? 