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Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.


Postby mountainstar » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:36 am

Munros included on this walk: Ben Nevis

Date walked: 16/10/2010

Time taken: 6.5 hours

Distance: 13 km

Ascent: 1382m

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Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge.
Sat 16th October 2010.
Weather. Sunny, calm, frost to start.



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



19 Ben Nevis North Face, Tower Ridge to RHS of shadow & snow. By Carol Harper (600 x 279).jpg


Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis
….many years ago I looked down to this mammoth rocky spur leading down the north face and thinking, Wow! I’d like to do that :) …but no way by myself. :(
I even wrote to Trail magazine asking for them to fix it for me, when they used to do a monthly feature on “fix it for me” but like my daughter, who wrote to Jim, it never came to fruition (In the Clachaig about 5 years ago I saw Jimmy at the bar, and with a few beers too many, took a picture of him and said “this is for my daughter, being as you never fixed it for her!”)
Since that 1st time around 20 years ago, I have looked down at it many times, and thought that that dream would never come true.

Tower rige in winter conditions. (600 x 425).jpg


In steps my friend Keith Harper, a canny Geordie who I have got to know over the years and countless times visiting the Clachaig (he’s up most weekends from his home in Stirling) I mentioned my dream to him earlier this year, and he kindly said he would guide me up (He is an experienced rock and ice climber)
After two earlier days pencilled in this summer called off due to poor weather, our next date when it could happen was the weekend of 15/17th Oct, and this time the weather forecast was perfect for the Sat 16th with high pressure sitting over the Highlands.
We left a frosty Glen Nevis at around about 9.30am, climbed the busy tourist track to leave the crowds at the Lochan by the pass, to drop to the CIC hut (680mt) below the towering cliffs of the north face.

1 CIC hut (600 x 450).jpg


We chatted here to a handful of others who were doing other routes as we had a break before the hard work ahead. (On such a perfect day I was surprised to see so few doing any north face routes that day….we only saw about 10 in total and only 2 others doing our route, who we would pass later that morning)
From the hut we walked up steadily through the rocks and boulders until we were at the foot of the Douglas gap, looking up it did look a bit daunting, with about 600 meters of rock scrambling ahead, Nevis’s summit looked a long way above. With a lot of hands on, we made our way up with increasing exposure, but fabulous all the same.

2 Keith, my guide & Canny Geordie! (600 x 450).jpg


As we neared the top of the little tower we caught up with the only 2 others on our route, a guide and his female client who were roped up and taking there time up a tricky section, to save waiting Keith went off route to the left up a steep chimney, which turned out to be very difficult, being very greasy and with poor hand and foot holds, I could see even he was struggling, but having got up about 10 meters there was no way back down safely, so he struggled up another 10 meters until he disappeared out of sight to safer ground. He shouted that he would throw down the rope, I tied on and struggled up, really glad of the rope protection, no way could I have done it without a rope.

3 Above the little tower (600 x 450).jpg


5 Catching up the Guide & client. (450 x 600).jpg


4 The great tower (450 x 600).jpg


6 View back, making good progress (600 x 450).jpg


7 More scrambling (450 x 600).jpg


From there we were soon at the eastern traverse, a lovely narrow ledge that led across an otherwise sheer rock face. Another sporting section followed, the subterranean traverse….another steep & narrow chimney with a huge chuck stone at its head, with a small gap or hole to crawl through to reach the other side.

8 Subterranean traverse (600 x 450).jpg


From there we scrambled up to the top of the Great Tower.

9 The great tower (450 x 600).jpg


The great tower is an airy perch to view what we had done and were about to do…which was the famous Tower gap…A narrow ridge led to the gap.

10 Ridge leading to Tower gap. (450 x 600).jpg


The crux of getting across the gap was holding on tightly across the top or a large boulder, shuffling around that boulder and searching for the one foot hold that is somewhat out of sight, then quickly changing feet in that small hole and then stepping across on to some safer slabs, all this with a 1,000ft sheer drop below you! I managed this without a rope. Following that we roped up for a second time to get out of Tower Gap, with a steep rock climb ahead again with great exposure.

11 More scrambling above Tower gap (450 x 600).jpg


12 One of the 2 roped sections (600 x 450).jpg


13 Tower gap done...smiling now! (600 x 450).jpg


My hands were pretty cold by now, with wet & cold rock which changed to verglas as we got higher. From there more scrambling got us nearer to the top of the tower and warm sunshine.

14 Scrambling up, Great tower below. (600 x 450).jpg


15 Looking good in my harness! (450 x 600).jpg


At the top of the tower we shook hands with a “congratulations :clap: ” from Keith, and a “Thank you” from me. :D

16 At top of Tower ridge looking to the summit (600 x 450).jpg


We walked around the face rim to get more pictures, but never bothered going to the summit only meters away, with hundreds milling around like ants.

17 Looking back to Tower ridge. (600 x 450).jpg


We returned down the tourist route, passing many other walkers (and I mean “walkers” loosely) who were still on there way up so late in the afternoon.
At least we looked apart from these “walkers” as we were still wearing our harness’s, even some guides who were leading a charity group stopped to talk and ask which route we had climbed, that felt good, in fact I said to Keith that I want a harness to wear just to walk the hills!!! :thumbup:
The views were great to the west and north as we walked back to glen Nevis.

18 View on the way down. (600 x 450).jpg

So that was it, I had finally done Tower Ridge, and a few pints were had by all to celebrate later in the Clachaig.
Never mind Trail Magazine or Jim…Keith fixed it for me! :D

Watch the video here :-
Last edited by mountainstar on Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby monty » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:49 am

Tremendous stuff Mountainstar. Nearly crapped myself reading that :lol: :lol: :lol: Great photos. (what no video :shock: . I suppose your hands were otherwise engaged :lol: )
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby HighlandSC » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:55 am

Excellent :D Tower Ridge is one of handful of routes in Scotland I AM going to do before I die.....which is hopefully a long way off!! This makes me eager to get on with it. Thanks for the report 8)

Stood looking at it and watching a group come up with when I was up there last year (did tourist trail.... :? ).
Look closely just below centre and you can see a climber with a red jacket
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Last edited by HighlandSC on Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby Alastair S » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:55 am

Looks amazing, but I don't think you'd get me up there :lol:
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby Stretch » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:59 am

I remember you telling me about this last Friday, what an accomplishment Alan! :clap:
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby magicdin » Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:06 pm

Terrific report and well done - sure do fancy that :thumbup:
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby mountainstar » Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:12 pm

Thanks for reminding me Monty...just added the video :D
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby brpro26 » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:10 pm

Extreme stuff from my perspetive...well done to you sir. Watched the video clip and that footage crossing the
Tower Gap filled my pants with the brown stuff. Have stood below at the hut looking up and thinking how the fu*@ no way. Great report liked the video evidence. :thumbup: :clap:
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby malky_c » Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:35 pm

Brilliant - a good set of photos there. I remember you saying you were pretty chuffed. Been meaning to write up my report of this, but I only got a handful of photos, so you've saved me the hassle :D
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby Keith Harper » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:09 pm

Great report Mountainstar, made me feel like I was following you up the ridge in your footsteps!
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby monty » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:31 pm

Tremendous video Alan. :D
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby mgmt! » Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:36 pm

great report mountainstar, tower ridge is something ive always wanted to do but thought was way out of my league, just got a book on mountain scrambles and tower ridge is in it, i done aonach eagach solo earlier this year and loved it, it rates tower ridge a little more difficult but next year im definetly going to give it a go although with a mate who has already done it
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby kw1980 » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:44 pm

Well done, the pictures look amazing. I did Ben Nevis recently via the CMD arete and had a great view of Tower ridge but would be way out of my depth on it. Id like to give it a try in the future when im more experienced.
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby walk aboot » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:49 pm

:thumbup:

Now then, now then :lol: , thanks for sharing that 'Keith'll fix it' moment with us mountain star.
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Re: Ben Nevis, Tower Ridge, A dream come true.

Postby mountain coward » Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:43 am

You're a madman MS! You'd never in a million years get me up that and I can't imagine anyone enjoying it... but that's just me and my cowardice. Well done anyway - superb photos. Now, can I borrow your mate to guide me across Liathach's Am Fasarinen and the Horns of Alligin? I know I'll need more than Richard's encouragement to do them! :o
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