Ben Nevis tourist path current conditions

[Primalcarl]

I'm up in Fort William for a week from Friday. I've never done Ben Nevis despite being in the area before, however I'm worried that the recent snow could mean it's too dangerous at present without winter gear.

Does anyone know what the path is like currently?

Thanks

[katyhills]

Winter gear is necessary on all Munros just now. Even the smaller hills have snow /ice on them. If you take a look at the various webcams available online (Glencoe, Nevis etc), you'll get an idea of how the bigger hills look.

If you don't have appropriate winter gear, please don't venture out on hills - for your own safety. It's sinply not worth it.

[prog99]

This came up on UKC this week too.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/destinations/ben_nevis_tourist_path_conditions_and_crampons-682786

It also came up on a well known facebook group recently too with the unhelpful advice of "follow the track you won't need a map"

[walshy]

Katyhills is right, don't go that high without full winter gear, still plenty of the white stuff about.

Maybe have a look at something nearby under the snowline? Pap of Glencoe perhaps if you're up for a bit of a scramble. There's a webcam available showing conditions too.

[Alan B]

Stayed in Glen Nevis last week and decided to see how far we could (safely) go on a fine Easter Sunday. Made around halfway at the red burn before deciding to trundle back down to the frozen Lochan and enjoy the amazing views from there.
Any further was for the experienced and well equipped due to the snow. However, there seemed to be plenty not fitting that description ploughing on! Watched from our lodge later as a rescue helicopter was called to help just after the point we turned back.

[Primalcarl]

I checked closely on Ben Nevis conditions over the last couple of weeks and left my ascent until Thursday. I took ice axe and crampons but the snow was quite soft and only used the axe to cross the snow at Red Burn.

Plenty of tourists were going up in trainers and no waterproofs or gloves etc.

The top half of the mountain was covered in cloud and on the descent from the summit I came across a party of 7 foreign tourists who had been following the footprints in the snow down but got disorientated! Luckily I was able to navigate to the top of the zigzags and they followed, god knows how they would have fared otherwise as most others had already summited and gone by then!