The waves of ridges at the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland. — Photos: JEEVITHA BRAMA KUMAR
As summer was approaching, my friend Shamila and I planned our annual “girls’ vacation”. Each year we would pick a new location to explore, and this time around we we had our hearts set on Scotland.
Of course, the first thing that comes anyone’s mind when they think of Scotland is its picturesque highlands, old cities and the movie Braveheart. But there are other things to check out in the country, like Ben Nevis, Britain’s tallest mountain. Standing at 1,369m, it may not be in the same league as the Seven Summits of the world, but it still is the pride of the country.
We began our Scottish hiking adventure by heading to Fort Williams, a quaint township at the foothill of Ben Nevis. In the wee hours of a chilly Sunday morning, we set off to climb the mountain. The hike was completely free, so it wasn’t surprising to see a large crowd already gathered at the trailhead.
At the foothill of Ben Nevis.
Earlier, we had done a bit of research on what is expected of the climb: An eight-hour hike up and down with a breathtaking view of the land from the summit. A friend of ours had managed to complete the entire trek in five hours and so we thought we could achieve the same feat.
Bolstered with confidence and excitement, we began our ascent at 70m above sea level. From our initial vantage point, the peak of Ben Nevis was nowhere in sight.
As we meandered through the pastoral slopes with its rocky path and echoes of bleating sheep, the cool temperature quickly transitioned. In less than an hour, we were all burning up underneath layers of warm clothing. After a quick change to make ourselves more comfortable, we pressed on.
The scenery above and below was nothing short of spectacular. As we trekked higher, the blue skies and Scotland’s famous lochs could be seen over the horizon.
After two hours, we were pretty sure we were reaching the summit. As the path took a bend, we finally caught our first glimpse of Ben Nevis. It was then that I realised we were going to take a little longer than five hours to finish the hike.
Standing at the precipice with the view of the magnificent lochs.
At the midway point, the gentle incline had somewhat plateaued while the green shrubs and stumpy trees had transitioned into a barren grass field. From atop, a huge lake came into view, almost resembling a crater.
By now, with little protection from the sun, our face began to burn. Luckily, along the way, we came across a cascading waterfall so we took cover nearby and refilled our water bottles. At last, we finally got to taste natural Scottish spring water and it was absolutely refreshing.
We looked up again hoping that the summit was near, but it wasn’t to be. The pathway had now become a steep rubbled ascent, twisting our ankles each time we stepped on a loose rock. By this time, we had lost count of the number of zig-zags we had taken towards the summit.
On the plus side, fellow hikers who were already descending were ever so encouraging, letting us know that the summit was very close.
The lake resembling a crater can be seen from the midway point of the hike.
After nearly five hours of continuous uphill climb, we finally reached the summit, a stoney plateau of about 40ha. Our spirits were high and the view was absolutely breathtaking.
On one side we could see many lochs carving its way into the highlands and on the other, mountain ranges that looked like waves. This was actually once an active volcano with glaciers that eventually collapsed in on itself after a mega explosion.
At the top, there was an observatory which is now in ruins, and several cairns too.
We were fortunate to have good weather that day. A local had commented that out of the many times he had climbed the mountain, this was by far the best weather. We counted our lucky stars to be able to witness such a jaw-dropping spectacle.
After spending one hour at the summit, we made our way down and it wasn’t an easy one, given its terrain. I looked at my watch and it was 4.30pm.
It took a little longer, but we were incredibly happy to climb up and down the mighty Ben Nevis in under eight hours.
The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
