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Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video

Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video


Postby Petr Dakota » Sun May 17, 2015 8:55 am

Route description: Ben Nevis by the Mountain Path

Munros included on this walk: Ben Nevis

Date walked: 24/01/2014

Time taken: 6.14 hours

Distance: 15.1 km

Ascent: 1412m

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20140124_072931.jpg
Started at darkness, car park empty
:lol: :lol: :lol:
20140124_075516.jpg
Daylight is coming very slowly...but the strong wind very quickly, not snow at the bottom
:lol: :crazy: :wink:
20140124_082633.jpg
Looking at the Waterfall, whiteout and snow above...
:roll:
20140124_082646.jpg
Much better looks the valley - looking back to Glen Nevis
20140124_083013.jpg
not at Half Way yet, but the ice, snow and strong wind makes it difficult and more adventured
:wink:
20140124_085059.jpg
Avalanche over the path...nice obstacle to overcome
20140124_085104.jpg
Looking down from the Waterfall
20140124_090622.jpg
Green & Peace in Glen Nevis...so different from here
:lol:
20140124_091918.jpg
The Wind is getting stronger...
20140124_091924.jpg
...and stronger
20140124_092821.jpg
20140124_092825.jpg
Some clear view before the Whiteout begin
:lol: :lol: :lol:
20140124_094626.jpg
20140124_094524.jpg
Let's the Arctic begin !
20140124_095122.jpg
The white Kingdom, supported by very strong and sharp wind...no path and the snow is icy !
20140124_095129.jpg
...climbing up...keeping going
:wink: :roll: 8)
Nobody else far away, but not surprised :lol: just someone really mad want to complete every Month in a Year at any conditions :D :wink: :lol: Then the weather was really bad, strong gale and total whiteout and freezy on the top...impossible make a photo as the screen was frozen quickly..but atleast short video can show you the conditions and "visibility" there:

( especially on the end of the video - total whiteout...almost not visible my footprint when looking just the short distance from my eyes to the feet ) :crazy:


20140124_115242.jpg
Frozen.......but survived !
20140124_134400.jpg
Back in the car park safely and happy...different peaceful world here in bottom
:D 8) :lol:
It was probably my hardest and scariest trip up to the summit of Ben Nevis...the feelings on the top in total whiteout, strong gale and freezy temperature made it a serious challenge and great experience. I could not continue to get the summit if I was there in the 1st time...Fortunatelly I was there many times before, knew about the risky places near the cliff. Walked very carefuly and slowly, used GPS and keeping going a little around on the top to avoid the Cliff...you are still opening and closing eyes, but nothing...really nothing visible...just the white around... and hard to recognise where is the border between snowy ground and the fog - whiteout. Good experience.
Last edited by Petr Dakota on Wed Nov 09, 2016 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Petr Dakota
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1274
Munros:247   Corbetts:28
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:19
Wainwrights:12   Islands:1
Joined: Sep 3, 2014
Location: North Lanarkshire

Re: Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video

Postby Andrea Rosslyn » Sun May 17, 2015 11:30 am

Really mad ...crazy... :roll: :wink: But well done! You completed it all. :clap: :D Si borec! ;-)
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Andrea Rosslyn
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 28
Munros:57   Corbetts:12
Fionas:5   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:11   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:3   
Joined: Sep 14, 2014
Location: Fife

Re: Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video

Postby Petr Dakota » Wed May 20, 2015 4:04 pm

Andrea Rosslyn wrote:Really mad ...crazy... :roll: :wink: But well done! You completed it all. :clap: :D Si borec! ;-)

Thanks :) Madness necessary for it :wink: :D :lol: :lol: 8) :D :wink:
User avatar
Petr Dakota
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1274
Munros:247   Corbetts:28
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:19
Wainwrights:12   Islands:1
Joined: Sep 3, 2014
Location: North Lanarkshire

Re: Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video

Postby Mal Grey » Thu May 21, 2015 11:25 am

Good effort. Its a scary place in those conditions, worse when you've been before and seen how big the cornices and cliffs are! Enjoyed your report.


As students we went up in similar conditions, I was very glad I was confident of my compass work and knew the bearings and distances to turn. We found a couple in the shelter at the top, with a half frozen dog, who asked if they could follow us down, as they had no idea how to get off the hill. The first 15-20 minutes off the summit were pretty stressful, it really was blind faith in the compass and step counting. Stuff I thought was 100m away turned out to be a small rock 5m away.
My group were fit and moderately well equipped with cheap but tough clothing (good for students in the '80s), but only two of us knew the hill and navigation. The next day the rest saw the big picture on the stairs at Nevisport and were very glad they didn't know about the big drops at the time!
User avatar
Mal Grey
Wanderer
 
Posts: 4617
Munros:113   Corbetts:23
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:9   Hewitts:116
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Joined: Dec 1, 2011
Location: Surrey, probably in a canoe! www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk

Re: Total Whiteout & Gale - Ben Nevis on January, incl.video

Postby Petr Dakota » Thu May 21, 2015 6:37 pm

Mal Grey wrote:Good effort. Its a scary place in those conditions, worse when you've been before and seen how big the cornices and cliffs are! Enjoyed your report.


As students we went up in similar conditions, I was very glad I was confident of my compass work and knew the bearings and distances to turn. We found a couple in the shelter at the top, with a half frozen dog, who asked if they could follow us down, as they had no idea how to get off the hill. The first 15-20 minutes off the summit were pretty stressful, it really was blind faith in the compass and step counting. Stuff I thought was 100m away turned out to be a small rock 5m away.
My group were fit and moderately well equipped with cheap but tough clothing (good for students in the '80s), but only two of us knew the hill and navigation. The next day the rest saw the big picture on the stairs at Nevisport and were very glad they didn't know about the big drops at the time!


thanks, glad that you enjoyed :)
thanks for sharing your story and the experience...sometime is really better to dont know...and stay in peace, but it can be really dangerous in some situations...good luck is the best friend then :wink: :roll: :? :lol:
User avatar
Petr Dakota
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1274
Munros:247   Corbetts:28
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:19
Wainwrights:12   Islands:1
Joined: Sep 3, 2014
Location: North Lanarkshire

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