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Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Ben Nevis with a different slant!


Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:11 pm

Route description: Ben Nevis by the Mountain Path

Munros included on this walk: Ben Nevis

Date walked: 12/10/2013

Distance: 17.1 km

Ascent: 1455m

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After spending a freezing night in the tent at Bunroy Campsite Roybridge, I drove over to the visitor center in Glen Nevis to meet up with Rich (the organiser) and the others to pick up bin bags, litter pickers and to generally get a brief of the procedures for the day. This was the day of 'The Real 3 Peak Challenge' when the three summits of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike were to be given a deep clean, ie all litter, left over gear, unnesessary cairns removed and generally anything that was alien to the environment. The sky was clear and the morning was frosty and with feet still cold from the night before the cleaning squad left the centre 0915hrs

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Some of the squad at the Visitor Centre picking up equipment etc
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Heading on up the frosty track, it looks like it's going to be a bright sunny day
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Soon we are catching up with other walkers, some for charity some for there own personal goals
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Looking up Glen Nevis
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Looking back down the path, much improved since the last time I was on it, much hard work has been put in by many people to make these vital changes and improvements
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Looking back down the track
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View over Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe and Corpach
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Another photograph looking back down the Pony track, with the first signs of the snow
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North side cliffs
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The summit gained in under two and a half hours, not bad for an old guy. On the way up I met numerous charity walkers, an elderly guy doing his first munro (and he made it, well done Sir) a girl wearing plimsoles, well I guess it is the tourist route
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I challenge anyone to find the apple in this picture, bet you have to enlarge it to see it, but someone has seen fit just to stuff an uneaten apple in one of the aperatures in the stone building rather than eat it or take it back down, pathetic!
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Guess I will sit down here and eat my roll until the others arrive
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The squad arriving, pickers at the ready
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More pickers arriving
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View of summit towards the CMD arete and beyond
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Group photograph at the top, then wait for the others to have their snack and then it's off on the sweep of the summit. Two other pickers had gone as far as the Lochan and were giving that area a clean up. When I was at the summit a group of young lads lended a hand in tidying up the area they were sheltering in, thanks guys, and also when the sweep began in earnest other walkers helped out as well, great stuff, and many thanks.
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Start of the sweep, South side
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Sweep in progress, North side
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Sweep continuing
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Heading on down after the masses. On the way down there were lots of walkers who stopped to say Thanks! which was most unexpected, as I was just happy to do a small bit in tidying up one of Scotlands National treasures, which brings in thousands of pounds to the local community each year.
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End of a long day, another two fininshing off, with loaded bags and rucksacks full of rubbish. In total 17 bags 75k was cleared off the hill. In general the pony track down was relatively clear it was on the summit itself that the majority of litter was cleared. My personal bags contained a discarded waterproof suit, an old boot, and loads of tissues part hidden under stones and lots of the norm plastic bottles, beer cans, energy drink at side of path and I must have followed the person who decided to drop orange peel in small bits down the track, thank you so much, please make this your last Scottish Hill. For the names I can remember there were Rich, Ewan, Stuart and Callum and sorry I have forgotten the rest, but if you would like to contact me, I will include you in the report. I'm told the last group of pickers left at 1900hrs, a long day on the hill but most satisfying none the less.
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby jmarkb » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:41 pm

Great effort, well done to all involved!
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Mountainlove » Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:53 pm

Wow thats a lot of rubbish!!! Was wondering while I was reading it how much rubbish might have been collected. Great on you :clap: :clap: that you have helped to clean up the Ben. Lol I am guessing you will start shouting at people who drop Orange skins from now on :lol:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:02 pm

Mountainlove wrote:Wow thats a lot of rubbish!!! Was wondering while I was reading it how much rubbish might have been collected. Great on you :clap: :clap: that you have helped to clean up the Ben. Lol I am guessing you will start shouting at people who drop Orange skins from now on :lol:

Drop skins in front of me at your Peril! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:11 pm

jmarkb wrote:Great effort, well done to all involved!


Thanks jmarkb, it's amazing that if your not actually looking for litter you will not see it! In all honesty the track was not that bad, I thought, but it was on the summit where people actually hide rubbish that's very dissapointing, so they must know its wrong to do so. We were very lucky with the weather but no doubt some tissues would have been missed with the little snow on the summit.
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby gman » Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:13 pm

Well done folks :clap:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Graeme D » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:06 pm

Job well done Rod! Looks like it was a cracking day up there! :clap:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:16 pm

Thanks gman and Graeme D :D , I feel better in doing my wee bit, as I get so much enjoyment in climbing the hills, so putting a bit back now and then, I'm all for it :D . It probably was one of the best days this year on the Ben, yes, so very lucky.
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Jabber » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:17 pm

Well done! Made my stomach turn when I last visited the Big Ben at all the rubbish folk had left behind!
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Stuart Angus » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:30 pm

:thumbup: yer a guid egg Rod :thumbup:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:41 pm

Jabber wrote:Well done! Made my stomach turn when I last visited the Big Ben at all the rubbish folk had left behind!


Hi Jabber, I don't believe that mess is left by 'Hill folk' if you know what I mean. I think there were twelve of us in total, so thanks to ALL of them also. Clean for a wee while now! :D
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:43 pm

Stuart Angus wrote::thumbup: yer a guid egg Rod :thumbup:


And all the rest Stuart, I take it you were not the Stuart that was helping, or were you? as I remember there was a Stuart there, I'm terrible with names, it's an age thing :lol: :lol:
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Backpacker » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:50 pm

Well done Rod and the merry band of helpers.

Drives me nuts seeing the amount of litter on some of our hills. Why people can't put their rubbish in their pockets for a couple of hours beats me
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby Stuart Angus » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:53 pm

No, not me, I would've come over and introduced myself :D You're right though, good on all of you taking the time out to clean the joint up, I was in Glencoe willing you on from afar :D
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Re: Ben Nevis with a different slant!

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:00 pm

Stuart Angus wrote:No, not me, I would've come over and introduced myself :D You're right though, good on all of you taking the time out to clean the joint up, I was in Glencoe willing you on from afar :D


Nice one :) , hope you took full advantage on a superb weather day, this year has really made up for the last two! :D
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