An epic bikepacking adventure through Scotland to the summit of Ben Nevis: Part 3
In the summer of 2016 my friend and I undertook a rather grand adventure. Regular readers will know all about it, but if you’re new to my blog here’s a quick recap: I turned 40 at the end of 2016, and to help ease this transition I created a list of 40 Things I’d Like to do Before I Turn 40. One of these things was to own a bike again, and another was to climb a mountain. I’d climbed up a mountain before, one of the Canadian Rockies, but giving that I took the gondola down I’d never actually climbed down a mountain. I should perhaps have updated my list to reflect that!
So, I had a notion to cycle my new mountain bike the 400 miles to to my nearest mountain, Ben Nevis, and climb it. Just because.
After 9 days of bikepacking through Scotland we arrived at our destination – the camp site at the base of Ben Nevis.
From our location at the camp site we could see a tiny row of climbers making their way up and down the gentle incline of the Mountain Path. This path is the old access route to the observatory at the summit of Ben Nevis and it was designed as a rough bridle path for ponies. It’s now the most popular method of ascending to the mountain summit.
Our original plans were to climb up the North Face of the mountain along the Carn mor Dearg Arete, but the weather wasn’t on our side. When we awoke we could see the top of the mountain was shrouded in thick cloud and we decided it might just be a better idea to climb the safer mountain path.
We set off just after twelve noon after a trip into the town centre for new hiking boots. Since we’d bikepacked from our remote North Sea island home in Shetland, through Orkney, along the north coast of Scotland from John o’Groats to Bettyhill, south through the middle of Scotland through to Lairg, Dingwall and Inverness, and then off road along the Great Glen Way, every gram of weight we were carrying in our panniers was sacred and we didn’t want to take up space with our old hiking boots. I wasn’t sure my knackered old ones would have been up for the job of climbing a mountain anyway, so I decided just to buy new ones in Fort William.
This wasn’t one of the finest decisions I’ve ever made in my life, as I learned on the descent, but I now own the most comfortable pair of hiking shoes I have ever worn.
We made our way to the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre, just a few minutes’ walk away from the campsite. We noted that we did indeed have all the equipment they suggest you carry with you up the mountain, and with hearts filled with adventure began our ascent in the light rain.
The views became quite spectacular very quickly with views up and down the Great Glen. Fortune favoured upon us and the sun began to shine. This meant we had to peel off some of the many, many layers of clothes we were wearing, but it made for a rather pleasant climb.
The path itself wasn’t taxing, but it was very much like climbing a 1,345 metre irregular stone staircase. Some of the steps were quite high up from the previous one, but thankfully the 1000 miles of cycle training we’d done before our climb, and many months of fitness training (I’d completed the P90x3 and a local 12 week strength training & conditioning class) prepared us well.
The path zig zags its way up the to the saddle by Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (aka the halfway lochan) at 570m, then ascends the remaining 700 metres up the west side of Ben Nevis. Some of the first set of zig zags are fairly steep, but they are totally manageable if you have a fairly decent level of fitness (ie: a ten mile hill walk over rough heather doesn’t phase you) and the zigzags up the western face of Ben Nevis are larger and less steep.
On the photo above, right, you can see how the terrain changes from the grassy slopes to a rocky alpine environment. At that transition point it got cold, and it got cold fast. Despite the body heat we were generating from the climb and the fact it was the middle of June I was really glad I’d worn several layers, a winter hat and gloves. I felt bad for the climbers we could see returning from the summit blue and miserable because they were wearing shorts. Shorts!
Once we reached the rocky terrain we climbed up into the cloud we’d spotted shrouding the mountain top from below. Visibility was incredibly poor, and at times we could barely see the next cairn marking the path. We were so very grateful for the cairns, stone marker piles, because without them we would not have known where to go. We can see just how easy it would be to get lost up there in inclement weather. If it weren’t for these cairns we definitely would have had to have taken out our map and compass as there was very little to distinguish the path from the rocky surroundings.
The closer we got to the summit the more often folk, on their way back down, would smile and say, “Not much further!”. We’d spoken to quite a few people on the way up the mountain – a father and son in their later years who had climbed the mountain together several times already, an elderly gentleman (if I recall correctly he was in his late 70s?) who had suffered a heart attack a few years prior and was determined not to let that stop him from pursuing his fitness goals. Big respect.
Oh, I totally sat on my bottom and slid down that little patch of snow when we climbed back down the mountain. Just because I could.
At the very top of the mountain we shared a celebratory dram of Shetland Reel whisky, first edition, from my hip flask. We’d made it. Nearly 400 miles on the bike followed by one rather epic mountain climb in just 10 days.
I was quite surprised to find, at the very top of the mountain, in such a freezing, inhospitable environment, a snow bunting flitting about feasting on the remains of someone’s sandwich.
Quite often grand adventures like this are accompanied by a fundraising effort of some sort, and I chose to help support the RNLI with my cycle challenge and mountain climb. £586 was donated by my friends and blog readers, with a whopping £250 of that donated by our local village charity shop. Huge gratitude.
I wrote an article about my cycle training in Shetland which was published in the Autumn 2016 issue of our local tourism magazine 60 North. You can download the whole magazine for a small fee. There’s also an article in that Autumn issue about my trip on The Swan, Shetland’s restored herring drifter.
I found descending the mountain to be much more difficult than the climb up. I was using an entirely different muscle set than usual and I was really feeling it. That, coupled with the fact that my new high rise hiking boots were digging into the back of my calf meant most of the descent occurred in grimaced, stone-faced silence, as I didn’t want to complain. Lesson learned! Still, six months later these boots are the best I’ve ever worn, and when they get too old I’ll be replacing them with the same model, but perhaps not breaking them in by climbing Britain’s highest mountain!
My friend logged our climb with her Garmin – it took us 5 hours and 9 minutes to climb up and down the mountain. Ok, admittedly, the battery died in her device about 10 minutes before we made it to the Ben Nevis Inn, where we’d planned to fill our bellies with a hot food and drink after the climb, but still, that’s a pretty good time, I think.
Best burger ever, this was!
All in all this was one rather fantastic adventure. The whole thing – bikepacking from Shetland to Fort William through Orkney and off road down the Great Glen Way, finishing with a mountain climb. It’s one of those things I’ll look back on in my later years in life and go, yea, my 40th summer was pretty awesome indeed.
I’m hugely grateful to my friend (who wishes to remain nameless) who accompanied me on our adventure. She motivated me to push myself as far as I could with training, and helped lift my spirits when I needed it. Her infectious enthusiasm and kindness (and tendency to strike up conversation with the most random of strangers!) has inspired me and made me a better person just for knowing her. Again, huge gratitude.
OTHER POSTS IN THIS ADVENTURE SERIES
An Epic Adventure to the Summit of Ben Nevis – The Plans
Five Things to See and Do in Orkney in a Day
Bikepacking Through the Highlands of Scotland
Mountain Biking [Most of] The Great Glen Way
OTHER BEN NEVIS CLIMBING STORIES FROM OUTDOOR BLOGGERS THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE
Ben Nevis by 1 Vision 2 Girls
Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis by Hill Explorer
A Beginner’s Guide to Ben Nevis by The Helpful Hiker
West Highland Way and Ben Nevis by Angus and Vivian Adventures
16 Ways to Jazz Up Your Christmas Dinner Leftovers
Scotland is such a beautiful place, It’s high on my wishlist of places I still want to visit!
I’m also really glad to see some patches of forest in your pictures. Lately I’ve been reading up on the deforestation that has happened in Scotland after the Vikings landed there. Luckily there’s an initative to restore the last bits of European primeval forest that are still there in Scotland – at least, so I’ve read. Thanks for this wonderful post!
The views are so breathtaking! I love mountain hiking. I am Canadian too from the East Coast and hiking up Grouse Mountain is still one of my fave adventures!
Hi. Ben Nevis looks like a good challenge. I always carry whisky to celebrate at the top too. It actually gives me the motivation to keep climbing. Lovely pictures and lovely adventure.
wow that looks like an amazing adventure – I have never climbed a mountain so I am in awe of your courage and planning – the world must look different now you have viewed it form the summit of ben nevis – hope you have many more wonderful views of the world in your next year!
What a great hike! That view is gorgeous. We recently came here but didn’t hike it. Just took some pictures from the bottom as we were passing through on our road trip around Scotland.
These pictures are so gorgeous! This looks like a beautiful place to visit.
Dear Elizabeth, What a fantastic trip this must have been for you and your friend. Loved the pictures. You mentioned going down the mountain is very hard, because you use totally different muscles. Myself, I sometimes feel it is harder going down than up.
Well done both of you for actually managing to finish the whole trip.
What an inspiring post Elizabeth!! Loved every word of it. I can’t believe some people thought shorts were an option for walking to the summit… Love the gorgeous views and that misty shot with the cairns. I am also curious about the brand of hiking boots that you bought as I am in the market for a new pair 🙂
Thank you ever so much Jeanne! I think a lot of people underestimate the size of Ben Nevis as, in all honesty, it doesn’t LOOK that big, lol! They think when on holiday they can just nip up and down no problem, but it is a proper mountain with a real alpine environment. It changes quickly. My boots were Salomon women’s hiking boots – you can see them here: http://amzn.to/2iTFUq3 🙂
Looks like a great adventure! I’ve always wanted to do something like this 🙂
That is just one beautiful set of mountains and hills! The view is just so cool, and I want that burger! Definitely looks like a contender for the best just by the pictures.
I’m sure it feels rewarding to finish an adventure like this! It’s physically demanding and tiring but it’s also very much worth it especially when you have a view like that and when you’re in good company.
It looks so lush and green here! I would love to challenge myself to a mountain climb in the New Year!
What an adventure this must have been! It’s a challenging climb but it’s worth it. I love that you guys rewarded yourselves with a good meal afterwards!
Congratulations Elizabeth on such an amazing achievement! The cycle trip sounds incredible, but to top it off with big Ben is fantastic!
I did the Nevis climb a couple of years before my 40th and also made the same daft decision to wear new boots! The climb down was excruciating and I think took at least twice as long as the climb up! xx
Wow. What a beautiful mountain. I would love to climb that.
Scotland is now on my bucket list! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure!
Happy belated birthday! This looks like an amazing adventure. I haven’t heard of Ben Naevis camp before but it looks breathtaking. Love the green pasture. Great post!
Awesome!! What a fun adventure. I love to see the goals of 30 befor 30 or 40 before 40. I love this whole adventure. The pictures were beautiful I can only imagine how gorgeous it was the further you got up. Bike packing sound splendid. I rode my Brad new mountain bike on a 50 mile trail and it was so exhilarating. I was so proud I made it and wondered what else I could do. That took me 5 hours but since then I have been training and know it wouldn’t take me as long plus I wouldn’t need to take all those pictutres from my first time. Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
Wow! What an amazing adventure for you. Scotland is so beautiful. What a cool way to experience the country.
What a fantastic end to your adventure! I’m going to echo the other comments about doing it in brand new boots though, wow. Extra kudos for that (or crazy points, take your pick!)
What an adventure! It must have been a great experience. Happy 40th. You will enjoy
This is amazing! You have captured nature at its finest. The raw beauty is breath-taking.
Congrats, what fantastic views you had while on your climb! I have actually not done a climb in this tense, but when I was younger used to love rock climbing, sort of miss the challenge sometimes.
Would love to hike this trail! Thanks for sharing
Oh this would be so much fun! I would love to go hiking/backpacking in another countries. We only have been hiking/backpacking here in Norway. Maybe one day!
I can oy imagine how awesome this was! I loved the views and your new hike boots! 🙂
Congratulations – what a great time! Not only the travel and the adventure itself, but the bonding experience of having taken that trip together with a friend. Your photos are lovely too!
I would love to make that trip with my boys. Great pictures.
What an incredible adventure! Ok, the fact that you biked/hiked for 9-days before you climbed the mountain ~ wow! Your images are stunning! Great article!
Oh wow, everything is so green! I’d love to do this. And that food looks amazing.
What a fabulous post, really enjoyed reading about your climb and hope you didn’t have too many blisters from the new boots!
Oh wow. What a journey! This looks like an amazing hike for sure. I’d love to go here one day too. And that burger looked to die for too. -Jocelyne from resonatecreations.com
These photos and the views are incredible!! This sounds like quite the adventure although I would have been shaking my head at the hikers wearing shorts too. Lol.
Buying new boots just before you hike up a mountain sounds completely insane. I do have particularly tender feet, but I’d be crippled after the first 15 minutes.
Loved reading this and viewing your fab photos. I was fifteen when I climbed Ben Nevis, so my memories are somewhat hazy, but a few came flooding back seeing these.
Very well done on all counts. Now have you started on your 50 things to do before you’re 50 list?
What an incredible adventure. I’ve loved reading about your trip, and this last installment lived up to expectations. That was a really good time to get up and down, it took us quite a bit longer, and like you I struggled coming down. Can’t wait to read about more adventures in 2017 (and thanks for including my link!)
Wow, there is so much greenery there! You took excellent pictures! And that burger looks great.
Brilliant – well done you – especially after all that cycling! What an amazing adventure. New boots to climb the highest mountain in the UK? Yea definitely brave 🙂 I am looking forward to hiking up to the summit in October this year, it’ll be a fitting end to the West Highland Way, not actually included in that hike but as we finish in Fort William it would be a shame not to 🙂
What an amazing adventure Elizabeth!! I bet this was one of the best meals in a very long time. I know that after climb like this it would be for me. Lovely photos too, as usual 🙂
I last went to Fort William in my university days, which seems like a lifetime ago. I never managed to climb Ben Nevis however (but I have done Snowdon).
Now my knee is on the mend I want to get back to hill walking.
Wow what an adventure! Loved the photographs
What an adventure! It is on my bucket list to go up Ben Nevis. It’s amazing you cycled there too.
This looks like one of those trips of a lifetime! Such an amazing adventure for you and your friend. Simply awesome!
I never thought I’d want to climb Ben Nevis… and then I read this. Congratulations for the whole wonderful achievement. Have absolutely loved reading about every single second of it on all platforms. So what are you going to do next?! Happy New Year
Amazing photos yourself! Looks like you had much, much better weather than we did; we couldn’t even see anything after the first 2 or so miles. SO green! Glad you had a great time, and I must try that burger next time I’m up in Fort William 🙂
The bit about your boots reminded of the book Wild, by Cheryl Strayed {highly recommended read, btw}. Such a great thing to do…and food for thought on my part, too! All the best for the New Year, look forward to reading what you get up to xx
Wow – big respect for you – what an amazing time you did it in and in NEW BOOTS! 😮 My boyfriend wants to do Ben Nevis this year but my fitness level currently is not up to it. I’d rather re-visit Snowdon and Cadiar Idirs (local to me) to break myself back into the mountains. I think I’ll put it in my 2018 to-do list though….
Having done some of the Coast to Coast, I know how knackering biking is, so kudos to you. You are an inspiration!