walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping

Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping


Postby JonAksel » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:08 pm

Munros included on this walk: Ben Nevis

Date walked: 30/04/2011

Time taken: 17 hours

Distance: 15.1 km

Ascent: 1518m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

This is the route description:

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



I went up the tourist route on 30th april. It was late when I started and I could enjoy a lovely sunset near the top.

It was quite cold and windy at the summit.
Slightly on the minus side I think. Then I descended about 15 minutes from the summit, rolled out the mat and slept there under the open sky just in the sleeping bag until morning. It was fun meeting hundreds of people going up as I was going down then, on 1th may. Them probably thinking I am a rare early morning bird. (But I am not.) This was my first Munro, and the only one in dry weather without mist so far,(After 3-4 Munros). This report is maybe late, but I was not sure how to submit reports at that time.

There is a good path up the hill.
Image

View of the western Mamores.
Image

Sunset.
Image

Still patches of snow near the summit. The temperature is below zero and it's quite windy conditions.
Image

Summit pic.
Image

A little waterfall.
Image


Morning view from my home without roof.
Image

Some springflowers.
Image

Part of the cultural landscape.
Image

In the end some information.

Image
Image

And thats all from Ben Nevis for now.
JonAksel
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 111
Munros:115   Corbetts:4
Fionas:2   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:4   Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:8   
Joined: Oct 12, 2011
Location: Greenock

Re: Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping

Postby mrssanta » Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:02 pm

superb pictures Jon. I love the wild camping but am always too much of a softie to ditch the tent - what if it rains or gets cold?
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping

Postby JonAksel » Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:30 pm

mrssanta wrote:What if it rains or gets cold?
I agree with you, then it's better to have a tent. But I have a good sleeping bag for winter use. And on this clear night it was some few minus degrees I believe.
JonAksel
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 111
Munros:115   Corbetts:4
Fionas:2   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:4   Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:8   
Joined: Oct 12, 2011
Location: Greenock

Re: Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping

Postby Turin » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:14 am

I think I would take the extra 1-1.5kg per person for a tent.
It is not only for the rain, I also keeps wind off your cheeks. And it increases the temperature you are "sleeping in".
But great if you manage to do this without a tent.
User avatar
Turin
Rock-climber
 
Posts: 18
Munros:9   
Joined: Apr 9, 2010
Location: Hannover, Germany

Re: Ben Nevis 2011 with wild camping

Postby JonAksel » Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:37 pm

Turin wrote:It is not only for the rain, It also keeps wind off your cheeks.

I was just trying out a new pretty advanced sleeping bag. I bought it for a snowcave trip, and it was good for that purpose. This is what the advertisement says in Swiss german:
"Der erste wasserdichte Daunenschlafsack, bei dem auch der Kopfbereich vor Nässe, Schnee und Regen geschützt ist."
But I am still reluctant to let it rain on it. I haven't used it too much in summer. I enjoy very much when I have a tent with me too. It's freedom and safety. But then I bring an easier sleepingbag. Sometimes though I like to have nothing between my eyes and the stars. And to be honest, on this night, as the place was exposed, it was a little too much wind to say it was a supercomfortable sleep.
There is a shelter for emergency on Ben Nevis' summit too. But it sleeps only two or three, and you can never know if it's already occupied.
JonAksel
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 111
Munros:115   Corbetts:4
Fionas:2   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:4   Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:8   
Joined: Oct 12, 2011
Location: Greenock

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: kwright, lead dnf, Nathan McColm, NellyBee, past my sell by date and 96 guests