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Ben Nevis - Fort William |
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Climing Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. IntroductionThe aim of this page is to give winter mountaineers and climbers who want to visit the Ben Nevis & Glen Coe area of the Scottish Highlands some idea of what is available in the area and how to go about it. What I've tried to cover is - the climbing areas, when to come, navigation, local knowledge, recommended guide books and reading, local guides & instructors and local climbing shops. Information about avalanches is available from The Avalanche Server Pages. It is important to stress that walking and climbing in the Scottish hills in winter is a serious business. Being on the West coast means that we are subject to wild variations in weather, a South Westerly wind can bring warm air from the Gulf Stream visibly stripping snow from the lower hills and then suddenly swing North Westerly and bring freezing air from the Arctic. Temperatures can vary as much as 15o Centigrade in a single day. This freeze/thaw cycle is the essence of winter climbing in this area, thawing and freezing of the snow pack favours the formation of perfect Neve and superb ice falls. When deciding on routes to do there are quite a number of factors to take into account:
The Climbing Areas Glen Coe is a magnificent playground for the winter mountaineer, with the classic Aonach Eagach ridge on the north side, a good grade III when in condition, and the Bidean Massif on the South with the Buachaille Etive Mor standing guard over the desolate Rannoch Moor. These hills are lower than Ben Nevis but never-the-less provide some superb climbs and mountaineering routes of all standards. The North facing cliffs of Ben Nevis in winter provide serious mountaineering
routes and climbs of an Alpine nature. Early starts, efficient climbing, fitness and
careful navigation are the order of the day. You must take this mountain seriously as
it is very unforgiving of mistakes. It is very important to note the way off the Ben; most
the guide books give the exact bearings from the 'Trig' point on the top. Not all climbs
finish at this point, so make sure you know exactly how to get off from where you finish
your climb. Many people have died descending into Five Finger Gully due to
navigational errors, beware! (The 1:25000 Mountain Master of Ben
Nevis has an inset map of the top of the Ben in 1:10000 scale, very useful.) Recommended Guide books:
When to Come February and March prove to be the most reliable months, however there is winter climbing being done from as early as October and sometimes through to June. The climbing November through to January is a bit of an opportunists sport as temperatures and weather vary so much. April and May have quite often been good times to do the higher climbs on Ben Nevis with the snow & ice remaining longer than on the lower hills. It is always worth checking what the conditions and weather before leaving; you can usually get this from the local Police station, too.  
There are a dozen or so fatal accidents every year in this area during the winter season, a large majority of these accidents usually stem from navigational error. Make sure you know your way on to your climbs and more importantly off them and have alternative descent routes worked out should the weather deteriorate. A planned descent down a perfect neve slope can be transformed into a dangerous avalanche prone slope by fresh or blown snow whilst you are climbing. It is really worthwhile writing down and attaching the direction and distances for the descent to your map. It is much easier to work out distances and directions at home than in the teeth of a howling blizzard on the top of a mountain. The Ordnance Survey 1:50000 landranger number 41 map is the one for this area and the 1:25000 Outdoor Leisure Mountain Master for Ben Nevis for more detail.
Local KnowledgeTo get the best out of the area it is important to know what climbs are in condition
and what the history of the snow pack is. You may be an experienced mountaineer but in
poor or lean conditions without inside knowledge it is difficult to know where to go, so
it might be worthwhile hiring a professional guide for a day or so. There is a list of guides at the end of this document.
Local AvalanchesAlthough we do not get the severity and size of avalanches experienced on the Continent, avalanches in Scotland do maim and kill mountaineers every year. Last year [1995] an enormous avalanche nearly wiped out several members of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, whilst trying to rescue some people who had been buried by a previous avalanche in Coire na Tullaich. Avalanche prediction is an art based on science and many factors have to be taken into
account, weather, wind, snow, temperature, previous conditions and so on. Again local
knowledge is important here. You might arrive here on Saturday night and notice a strong
wind blowing from the North West and quite rightly think that, potentially slopes with an
easterly aspect could be avalanche prone; however what you might not know is that we have
had easterly gales all week! The avalanche predictions are based on past history of the snow pack and the weather forecast, so if the weather forecast is wrong the avalanche prediction may well be wrong as well. [The Avalanche Information Pages and Server are here. ]
Local Guides & InstructorsThe local guides and instructors listed all have relevant qualifications. If you need an instructor or guide for winter climbing there are two important qualifications to look for :-
The local guides & instructors run courses throughout the winter season ranging from basic winter mountaineering skills to serious snow & ice climbing. They will also take clients on specific routes, depending on conditions. So if you've had your eye on that special route for some time but don't want to die on it, give one of them a call.
Recommended ReadingScotland's Winter Mountains
© Gillian Sweeney Reproduced with the kind permission of Gillian Sweeney. In memory of Ray Darker |
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