Yesterday I walked up Ben Nevis and ticked another goal off my ever lengthening list!
I’ve been practicing as much as I can living in an area without Mountains. Also when I first planned to do this, my knee was painful and decidedly dodgy. I will give my physio a plug here because I’ve managed this, partly due to his tailoring my exercises to fit my hobbies. So here’s to “Magic” Mitch of Reforge Rehabilitation in Guildford.
I was meant to be doing this walk with Clare but somehow she had broken her hand on a flat walk three weeks before!!!!
So a quick reorganisation of my accommodation and transport plans meant, I would take two days to drive up and I would be camping. As I had just returned from camping and climbing in the Peaks, I felt ready. I had a window of two days good weather to walk provided the met office was right..
Yes I could have postponed but, I’d done that before a few years ago and the intention drifted…..so not this time and if I do it again with Clare, then so be it!
I set off at 7.15 from the carpark at Glen Nevis. The weather was sunny and quite warm, I hadn’t anticipated needing my sun hat but at least I had it with me.
I knew I was in for a 5 (at least) hours going up so, to my dismay at an hour in, my water bladder sprang a leak and I was getting a wet back! After a bit of indecision I tipped it upside down and wedged it in a pocket in my rucksack. I would only be able to drink if I stopped and took it out but, hey ho! Two men helped me strap it up so it wasn’t leaking all over my side. These two chaps and I kept doing a sort of weird relay all the way up. It was nice to have temporary companions.
This tortoise and hare effect also happened with some Outward Bound young people who would overtake me at a pace, then they would stop for a break and slowly I would pass them. (Barney you will remember Masada, and the lady in pink who was always moving as we “yomped” and stopped!)
I stopped every half a hour or so for a few minutes and took in the spectacular views. When walking it was impossible to look up because the footing is treacherous and it gets worse after halfway. Sometimes people seemingly bounded past me and at other times I was alone for stretches. It was strangely silent as there was no wind either.
Then it started getting colder gradually and I put my jacket and knitted hat (from Nepal) on. All I can say is it’s relentless and I’m amazed people walk up in light shoes and no kit at all. I had come well prepared, I including brushing up my map reading skills in case the cloud at the top as thick. I was told that there will be plenty of people to find my way down but I had visions of lemming like people blundering of cliffs so, it was better to be prepared.
Much of the walk was scree and then as I got into the light cloud and the plateau, the scenery changed dramatically into a block field. Eerie and other worldly with directional cairns leading the way.
A block field is blocks of boulders cracked by freeze thaw action over millennia.
Then the cloud cleared a little and I could see the ruins of the research station and the trig point.
The Outward Bounds group and I arrived at the same time! At that point the sun came out! I could almost hear the revelatory music! Dah dah! Their leader took the picture at the trig point for me and then proceeded to round up his still energetic troop.
I was just happy to sit and eat my lunch and marvel at what Ben Nevis is. It’s the remains of a caldera volcano and it is quite obvious when I got glimpses of the steep and dangerous sides. It’s funny to imagine a massive volcanic area in this most serene landscape.
Ben Nevis is Gaelic for Malicious or Venomous Mountain, or another interpretation is ‘head in the clouds’ according to Google. However reading on it may be more complicated and have various meanings.
It took 5 hours to walk up so I was ‘spot on’. I was happy with that and my reckoning it would take me 3 hours to get down.
Setting off down felt amazing! Not for long though as the footing is still hazardous and slow going. Nothing is level or stable and I’m so glad I had my poles.
I met an Asian couple (when I was halfway down) and they were on there way up with light shoes and she was carrying a handbag. The man said “YOU made it to the top?” It sounded like an accusation (I’m sure that was lost in translation) so I said ‘yes’ and smiled broadly feeling rather smug.
The last hour was the worst, my thighs started to tremble if I stood still. I was still amazed that my knee didn’t hurt at all!
What sadistic individual put two styles near the car park?
Finally I made it back to my car after a 3.5 hour descent.
After that is a blur. I made it back to the campsite, showered, ate and fell asleep half out of my sleeping bag and woke up rather cold and stiff in the middle of the night!
To celebrate the morning after because I was too tired the night before, I had a cooked breakfast in a cafe!
What’s next……. Who knows?
The Travelling Bee 