The Ben Nevis I

Our final hill walk was The Ben Nevis via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete, 11.75 miles with a 5112 ft ascent.

The start of the mountain track ascent of Ben Nevis

At 1344 meteres The Ben is the highest peak in Britain. It can be climbed via the front mountain track, a walk up and a dull one at that, or via the back.  The back climb via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete offers a rare view of the beautiful north face...

SNOW!  Photo: EW

...as well as the opportunity to traverse the arete (the ridge on the left). So we seize the day.

#YOLO

Get ready.

Get set. 

Go!

The first hour is up the mountain track.  Hot. Dull. Steps. Hot. Rocks. Dull. Hot. Sun. Hot. Water. Hot.

Looking back down the valley from a switchback on the Ben Nevis mountain track.

I'm getting an Asian vibe, steppes and all. Then I realize how lucky I am to be doing this climb by choice.  I am not fleeing Nazi persecutors or Japanese invaders or afraid that a helicopter might come up-valley and machine gun me down.

After 1.5 hours up the mountain track, we come to the proverbial fork in the road.

The mountain track comes up from the left and continues on behind me.
Ahead lies...  

...the Carn Mor Dearg Arete Cairn.

So we take that road much less traveled. But will we be the better for it?  Who is Robert Frost?

Up the valley. The arete is ahead. The north face up to the left.

The scale is hard to fathom. To climb Ben Nevis we must first must summit another munro, Carn Mor Dearng, then walk along the arete to the last scramble to the summit.

From the top of Carn Mor Derag, arete ahead, Ben Nevis north face to the right.
The shot below is as we scramble up this hill.
Photo: EW

Scrambling up. Big butt is me. Mid-range blob is Alice.  The two dots = C&F
photo: EW

Easy for you do do.
photo: EW

For me -- not so much.
photo: EW

We get to the summit and the view changes very fast. No longer are we looking up. We are now looking out across the arete with valleys on both sides and the summit in the distance. The wind picks up.  The clouds roll in.

Carl, Fred (repping for Canaries) and Alice.
Photo: EW

Onwards, across the arete!