by MC-75 » Wed Aug 18, 2010 5:25 pm
I have to say, that the Arete is the far superior route to take. I thought that the tourist path was more like Sauchiehall St. It was an awful experience walking that path, to the half way point. You just stop for a minute, to get something out of your pack, like a drink, and about 100 folk pass you both ways. I was unfortunate to have picked the day to do this walk, when the Great Caledonian Challenge was on. There was hundreds of folk on the Ben that day.
I was lucky to get some great views from the Arete, and the drops on either side, certainly gave me the heebie jeebies at one point, when I had a slip on a loose rock.
Shame the crowd's at the top spoiled you day too, but I have to agree with you on the way some folk were dressed. I passed one guy in shorts and sandles. And another in a pink tutu. Considering they had to cross about 400m of slushy snow, about 6" deep before they reached the summit, (in June btw), I thought to myself, "you ain't gonna make it".
Otherwise, I had a great day out, and I was so glad I did the "climbers" route.