Scotland's peak district

Ben Nevis and the surrounding area are the perfect stopping point on your journey up the West coast. Hannah Adcock reports

Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Britain at 4,409 feet, rises majestically above the Fort William area in the west of Scotland. Famous for its changeable weather, ‘The Ben' magically attracts clouds even on the clearest of days. But when the weather co-operates, the views from the top are truly panoramic.

The main downside for a walker is that the aptly named ‘tourist route' isn't great: a rocky path that zigzags up the South Face. Anyone with an ounce of fitness and an okay head for heights should really try an ascent up the North Face: 1300 feet high, 6500 feet wide and offering a wide range of routes.

If you're not a climber, and I'm certainly not, hiring a guide is by far the best.

We set out with Richard Bentley who runs Mountain Motion, an independent mountaineering company based in the shadow of the Ben. He loves climbing in Scotland and is a gold mine of information regarding the Munros, their geology, flora, fauna and folktales.

Probably owing to my non-committal answers to his two questions ‘Do you have a head for heights?” and “are you quite fit?” Richard decided to take us up Tower Ridge, a name that was embarrassingly unfamiliar, but is now solidly embedded in my mind.

Tower Ridge is famous for its topographical features, including the Little Tower, the Great Tower and the infamous Tower Gap – as well as for its exposure and sheer height. From start to finish you gain about 2000 feet.

Richard explained that we would be scrambling for the majorit...

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• By : Hannah Adcock
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 26
• Page : 42
• Words : 1,089