Walkhighlands

Date - Thu 17/09/2009
Title - Ben Nevis via the Mountain Track
Munros - Ben Nevis
Route - Start at Glen Nevis Visitor Centre. Follow Mountain Track built path. Return same route.
Weather - Very good. Mostly sunny and very light breeze. Cloudy over 1000m, clearing on summit.
Attendees - ScottC, ColinL
Time - 7.25 hrs
Distance - 17km/10.5 miles
Ascent - 1405 m
Max Altitude - 1344 m

My low level walk along Glen Nevis the previous week obviously gave me ideas to go up Ben Nevis itself! Aware of the big crowds and all that I didn't fancy it at all on a weekend, and since the oppurtunity came up for 2 of us to do it, on a) a nice day and b) a weekday we went for it. Rookies that we are, we took the Mountain Track to aquaint ourselves with this monster mountain. (Next time it's the CMD Arete.....whenever that may be!) [and in my dreams Tower Ridge ]

This was certainly a different experience from those I've had to date. The well built track, the crowds, the jeans, the flip flops, rubbish in bins and/or lying around, big groups, small groups, loners, and german weirdo's taking sick pleasure in telling you how long you've to go til the top!? Anyway, that aside, it was a GREAT day, nice weather, no rain, no wind, great views, "easy" walking, no navigation issues, my first brocken spectre, a cloud inversion of sorts (i think...not sure of the "rules"!), crazy big steep gullies, rock climbers, and we couldn't complain about following a large group of european girls up the path, in tight jeans of course, you just don't get that on Ben Wyvis It was also interesting to see that group gradually break up as the slog took its toll, and we were left with no choice but to press on...never to see them again....they can't have went all the way up!





We begin at Glen Nevis Visitor centre car park, take the bridge over the river, follow the path, and turn left at the sign to follow the path toward Meall an t-Suidhe:


Looking into the Glen from the path:


Looking back as we climb up the path on Meall an t-Suidhe:


Looking across to to the other side of Glen Nevis:


We continue:


Ben Nevis appears as we go round the side of Meall an t-Suidhe:




Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe:


Getting a wee bit cloudier...


Waterfall, complete with scrambler in 3/4 length jeans and flip flops...


You won't lose this path very easily...


A look across the Glen...


And up to the Ben...


Not long after we find the cloud...


Just cairns to see for now...


Not far until the summit. What's that bright dot up there?


It's the sun about to burst through and give me my first brocken spectre!




Bye bye cloud. Hello summit (complete with lone piper!).








Walkers peering down the North face:


We had lunch in a nice upmarket place:


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QQy_ZeOkKc[/youtube]

Tower Ridge makes it's first appearance




That's better:


It was a very calm and still day on the summit and before the cloud cleared we could hear climbers shouting, screaming and giggling, then we spotted 'em! They are not that far from Tower Gap:










We leave behind the blue sky of the summit:


...and back into the cloud:


and eventually out of it again...


Down we go...


DONE!

I can't see your photo's

Anyone else having the same prob?

Oops. My mistake (I think).

Is it working now?

HighlandSC wrote:Oops. My mistake (I think).

Is it working now?

Nope, not yet. At the bottom of the text box when you edit you'll see 'Post Attachments' - you need to click the 'Place Inline' option.

I know what you mean but I only use attachments for the gpx file. All pics are done by using img tags. I had uploaded them to my pic hosting site but hadn't made them public - I have now and can't think why it wouldn't be working....

Seems to be working now. Can anyone confirm?

Nope, sorry. Not working.

I tried loading an image directly but nadda.
"The server at lh4.ggpht.com is taking too long to respond."

Must be in your browser's cache so it's loading for you.

Maybe you should upload the images directly to the forum?

Hi mate,
The images dont show up unless someone has already downloaded them to there own cache.

I.E. one of the pictures is http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Wfni-i_c9-k/SrOe4PA74dI/AAAAAAAABnI/84T70UDMmpQ/P9170310.JPG

You can click the link and view the pic therebue downloading it into your cache. then when you view the topic it loads from the cache. But the other pictures wont.

This maybe because Paul doesnt allow direct linking. It may be best to upload them seperately to this site as would be the norm

Hope that helps

I now know what the problem is. Its your photo storage is not allowing hot linking to the photos. You therefore need to load them up to walkhighlands

Yes, I think the photo site is blocking the hotlinking - it isn't us. Very interesting how if you type in the URL for the picture you get it, but if the image is referenced from another website then it won't allow it to load, but the image will show if already in your browser cache.

Are they on Picasa?

Hmmm...the pics in this topic are stored on a Picasa site. Several of my other report are using picasa with no problems. Only difference this time was that when I uploaded them to Picasa I chose to make them "unlisted" (not available for the world to see). I then made the report and it was working for me.

Problems were reported.

I then changed the setting on Picasa to make them public.

After my own testing they are showing up fine for me?

Paul Webster wrote:Yes, I think the photo site is blocking the hotlinking - it isn't us. Very interesting how if you type in the URL for the picture you get it, but if the image is referenced from another website then it won't allow it to load, but the image will show if already in your browser cache.

Are they on Picasa?

They are on Picasa http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/sc.highla ... ntainTrack

I wonder if me initially making them non public triggered something strange?

If it continues not to work I'll repost the pics when I've put them on to Flickr. Was just using Picasa for speed (not bothering uploading the massive file size originals) and for this report only....so much for that!

It looks like it, as I think Picasa are blocking the pics from being loaded within another webpage. As the photos are already in your cache this wouldn't affect you.

Had a bit of a traumatic day today - got stuck on Eigg (!) and ended up cadging a lift off a boat picking up scrap cars to get back home... so haven't had a chance to read the reports yet.

Yeah I've just refreshed my page and they've gone!


Still, seems I'm not having the worst day compared to you

Sorted now