Weather Glen Nevis

[Norvard]

About to head over to Glen Nevis next week for 4 days. Taking the bus up there and setting up my tent at the feet of the giants. Then spending my days finding my own way up to various peaks. Pretty experienced at hiking (outside of the UK) and don't plan to do anything too crazy since I will be alone. But the only thing I'm still a bit worried about is weather and lightning in general, I was originally planning to sleep on the peaks but then I read a lot about how lightning storms can be really dangerous on peaks and during tent camping. So my question is how possible dangerous is the lightning around Ben Nevis? All I'm used to is the storms that roll through America and those take out a few people a year. Thanks!

[Caberfeidh]

The weather right now is muggy and warm, which could be building up to thunder storms. The wind and rain will be more likely though, neither of which are conducive to surviving a night out in a tent. Corries might be a better idea to camp in. The midgies will be hellish down in the damp glens. At this time of year I just don't go camping until the first frosts have killed off the midgies. Beware of the convex rock faces up there too, they lead you in until it's too late and you're falling.

[Essan]

Looking at model output for the coming week, there is certainly a risk of thundery showers* pushing in from the west, though nothing like the violent storms you get in the US (or, indeed Europe - 4 walkers were killed in the Polish hills last month) and the Ben Nevis area is no more prone to them than anywhere else. Any storms are likely to be fairly fast moving as well.

I've not heard of a tent being struck in this country though and I wouldn't think it's something to be overly concerned about - but if it's looking very thundery, use common sense. Mid level camping shouldn't be a problem.

* ie heavy showers with just the occasional rumble of thunder, as opposed to a more intense thunderstorm with frequent groundstrikes.

[Caberfeidh]

Reminds me of a time camping with Big Dave From Newcastle in the Ooter Hebrides. We pitched by the shore on the west coast of Lewis, ate some dinner, beach-combed and lazed around resting with a beer. The radio news announced thunder storms over Glasgow, but our skies were clear, the sun set in a blaze of glory, and all was well with the world. Suddenly the sky went dark, vast anvil-shaped black storm-clouds piled up and thunder rent the air. The ground shook. I know this because I was lying in my sleeping bag trying to burrow into the ground using only my abdomenal muscles, in stark terror. Big Dave got up and and got out of the tent. As he did so, a lightning bolt arced between cliff and cloud behind him, down the coast a bit. I pointed out that the pile of billy cans at the door of the tent might attract lightning. He picked up the billy cans and asked in panic-stricken tones where he should put them. I , no less panicked, suggested a small hillock a bit away from us. Big Dave obligingly carried the steel lightning-attractants to the hillock. "Will I just leave them here?" he asked.
"No", I replied; "Hold them above your head!"
He chucked them, ran back to the tent, and we survived the night unfrazzled...

[Essan]

I recall walking up Glen Finnan one late December night with a thunderstorm lighting the sky somewhere to the north. "I'll be okay" said my companion "why I asked?" whereon he pointed out that I had an ice axe, strapped to my sack and protruding above my head. And he didn't ......

But I've never experienced a severe storm in the hills. They're not that common.

Mind, as a 'weather photographer' then if I did, my main concern would be getting some photos - sod safety!