Two different Worlds: The Beauty & The Danger of Ben Nevis !

[Petr Dakota]

It was my Ben Nevis climb no.23...….
Sunny and peaceful Glen and Wintery Ben - Autumn colours, views and perfect snow...

The Route:

RK_gpx _2019-10-31_0707.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The Video - Movie incl. Photos at the End:

Ben Nevis is very popular and often climbed mountain, but also mountain where people are dying every year...Please be prepared and don't underestimate the mountain even if you plan a trip by the "easy" tourist ( mountain ) path...The mountain path looks easy way, but may be dangerous because many people want to climb the highest mountain of Scotland ( of Britain ), incl. people who never climbed a hill, people without any experience who can easy get in a trouble higher up when the weather, conditions, terrain, temperature and visibility change and they are not ready for it.
Who is climbing the mountain by the other more challenging and adventurous routes is mostly experienced and knowing what to expect, but using the easiest way may be the danger for no climbers, no hillwalkers...

Ben Nevis is a great mountain, but it's not just about the distance, ascent and your fitness level...it's about the conditions and the weather can really surprise you as there is a different world on the top mostly. Please don't judge the mountain by looking and feeling the weather on the bottom even in sunny , dry and clear day. You will experience much colder temperature, stronger wind, sometimes no visibility, ice and snow in the higher level. It look easy to follow the path, but the path disappear in snow ( wind will spread the snow over any track or foot prints and there are dangerous cliffs very close of the usual way which can be even more dangerous in no visibility and snow as the snowy cornices go over the edge - every bad step closer to the edge can be fatal. Don't use just your phone as an GPS device, the batteries are running out much quicker in cold conditions. Also starting later in full daylight looks ok, but in this time of year the darkness is starting earlier and descending in the darkness without a torch etc. can make it struggle. Better to start earlier when the day open the views than finish later than expected or badly estimated...
It's a beautiful mountain, but safety on the first place. If you are prepared and ready for worse conditions then you will sure enjoy the beauty of Ben Nevis.
P.S. You can find different conditions on Ben Nevis in my others videos from the mountain as I climbed The Ben every month in a Year
incl. video "Total Whiteout and snow - gale January 2014".

White out on summit February 2015

December's test of endurance in snow and gale:

Mountain Path difference bottom-top in November 2017:

But it may be beautiful in a clear day - via CMD in May 2019:

All the Best
Petr

[Anne C]

Fantastic! What a contrast between autumn lower down and the depths of winter halway up.

[R1ggered]

Brill!

[Petr Dakota]

Fantastic! What a contrast between autumn lower down and the depths of winter halway up.

Thank you really contrast, always different world on the top of Ben Nevis between Autumn and late Spring and always wondering how some people are "prepared" when meeting them on my descend in the lower level as they are going up just in light shoes, t-shirts only and very small bags as they are judging the conditions by what they see and feel on the bottom ...then turning back when meet 1st snow, ice, wind or colder temperature
The snow on top was really good this time, views clear almost up to the summit, cleared there shortly only by the wind, but somehow it made even better atmosphere and feeling like different world in silence rather than the sometimes opened views around...no crowds early morning

[Petr Dakota]

Brill!

thank you

[Silverhill]

I like that you keep coming back to Ben Nevis and are showing us how it looks at different times during the year . Those autumn colours are stunning! The snow covered ruins of the observatory looked a bit spooky in the mist.

[Grisu]

Thanks for compiling and the considerate information!
Very interesting task to do Ben Nevis once a month over a year - I'll keep this in mind

[Petr Dakota]

I like that you keep coming back to Ben Nevis and are showing us how it looks at different times during the year . Those autumn colours are stunning! The snow covered ruins of the observatory looked a bit spooky in the mist.

Thank you glad you like it as I will still keeping repeating Ben Nevis again and again as long as my legs will work and I will be able to catch my breath

Hope to do The Ben at least once again up to the end of this Year yet...….
Even the same mountain, never the same...

[Petr Dakota]

Thanks for compiling and the considerate information!
Very interesting task to do Ben Nevis once a month over a year - I'll keep this in mind

thank you...and...….Let's do it !

[Marty_JG]

The footage is great, the soundtrack is mince & tatties without the tatties.

[Petr Dakota]

The footage is great, the soundtrack is mince & tatties without the tatties.

thank you