this sharp right turn, the path slants back across the hill to cross the Red Burn below a waterfall, and rises in wide zigzags. The rebuilt path is clear to follow, except when snow covered. As the slope starts to ease at 1100m, unseen drops into Five Finger Gully are on the right; occasional glances backwards will help memorise the path line for the descent. At 1200m the slope eases further, and the path runs just south of east to a steepening, MacLean’s Steep. At this point you become aware of the tops of the great northern crag nearby on the left.
The path, marked by cairns but still not very clear, continues in the same direction to pass the head first of Tower Gully (with a small pinnacle on its left wall) and then of Gardyloo Gully. It bears left beyond, to the summit with its observatory ruins, shelter, large cairn and trig point. You may now refer to this hill as ‘The Ben’.
In normal conditions, the descent is easily made by passing the stream of people coming up. In mist (or if you happen to be the tired and damaged last person up) it requires care. In a winter (or spring, or autumn) white-out, this can be a life-threatening place. In falling snow it may be impossible to see cliff edges until you’re already standing on the unstable and overhanging snow cornice. The summit shelter was provided for such situations.
Ben Nevis summit
From the summit cairn head past the memorial cairn to the top of Gardyloo Gully that falls to the right, and turn half-right (see bearings in box ‘Getting off Ben Nevis’) on a wide path which is cairned, and clear enough in snowless daylight. After 400 metres is the top of MacLean’s Steep. In mist, take the direct downhill path (north of west) rather than the gentler zigzag leading out left, as the latter path flirts with top of Five Finger Gully.
In another 500 metres you reach the cairn at the top of the zigzags (see GPS ref in box below). The well-built but stony path descends in broad sweeps, the last one heading rightwards to cross the Red Burn. In another 600 metres you reach the path junction above the Halfway Lochan. For the North Face car park, continue ahead now on Route 8; or a crossing of Meall an t-Suidhe on Route 11.
Turn sharp left, on the well-reconstructed smooth path. It leads over the plateau edge to a zigzag, then down right, around the flank of Meall an t-Suidhe. Just after another small zigzag is the junction with the path down left for the footbridge to the youth hostel, or keep ahead for the gentler descent to Achintee car park. Just before that one, a signpost points down left for the car park at the Nevis Centre.
GETTING OFF BEN NEVIS
Using GPS and compass:
1 NN 1668 7128 Nevis summitSouthwest 150 metres to
2 NN 1658 7117 Turning point opposite Gardyloo Gully283° (just north of west) 400 metres to
3 NN 1625 7125 Top of MacLean’s SteepSame bearing 283° (just north of west) 500 metres to
4 NN 1572 7137 Top of zigzags (you have now avoided Five Finger Gully)Down path, or else:283° (just north of west), directly downhill, toNN 1467 7165 Mountain Track at foot of zigzags
Path, north, 200 metres to
NN 1474 7186 Path crosses Red Burn
Using compass alone, the bearings are:
From the summit to clear the head of Gardyloo Gully: pass to right of the observatory ruins, bearing 232° (roughly southwest) for 150 metres (roughly 100 double steps).
Thus having passed to left of the head of Gardyloo Gully: take a careful bearing 283° (slightly north of west) for 400 metres to the top of MacLean’s Steep, and the same bearing for another 500 metres to the top of the zigzags. If the zigzags are invisible (for example under fresh snow) the same bearing, which should be directly downhill, will eventually lead down steep soggy grass into the lower hollow of the Red Burn.
Bearings are magnetic 2016: subtract 1° for every six years after 2016.
ROUTE 8
Carn Mor Dearg Arête
| Start/Finish | North Face car park at Torlundy (NN 145 763) |
| Distance | 16.5km/10½ miles (up and down) |
| Total ascent | 1500m/4900ft |
| Time | 8hr |
| Terrain | Hill paths and a bouldery arête |
| Max altitude | Ben Nevis 1344m |
| Access | At Torlundy 3km northeast from Fort William, turn right off A82, signed ‘North Face Car Park’. Cross a narrow railway bridge, then turn right onto a track to the car park. |
The Pony Path, now renamed the ‘Mountain Track’, misses out all the exciting side of the mountain. The route by Carn Mor Dearg (‘carn more jerrack’, big red stonepile) and its arête gives all the excitement you want (and if there’s a wind or some old snow, rather more excitement than that). It’s more of a clamber than a scramble, over a ridge of granite blocks. The slopes falling either side are steep, and ahead is the whole of the magnificent northern crag. Or else it’s misty, which is even more atmospheric.
This grander route is usually started from Glen Nevis. (Start as Route 10, Half Nevis; arriving at Allt a’ Mhuilinn, cross the stream and slant up left to join the rounded crest running up east to Carn Beag Dearg.) But this start from Torlundy keeps you mostly off the Mountain Track, and gives a gentler ascent of Carn Mor Dearg.
See Ben Nevis summit summary map. Start along the track, then on a wide path signed for Allt a’ Mhuilinn. It rises to cross the former aluminium tramway. A wide path slants up through the plantations, roughly south. The older route by the old tramway and Allt a’ Mhuilinn is prettier but is now disused and overgrown.
The path winds up through woods to meet a track. Keep on up the track, ignoring a side-track on the right, and as it bends left, cross a ladder stile ahead. A well-built path leads up to the left of Allt a’ Mhuilinn stream, with great views of crags ahead. After about 1km a small path forks off left to climb the broad spur of Carn Dearg Beag. It does not actually visit this first top but skirts to its right, running high along the slope, opposite the great northern crags on Nevis.
Far below you may see the CIC Hut; directly above it the path turns uphill to the crest of the ridge, then turns right and soon reaches the summit of Carn Dearg Meadhonach. Down left you can see the top tower of its east ridge, a rather scrappy scramble.
A brief dip and rise lead to Carn Mor Dearg (CMD). One clear sharp ridge runs down left (Route 12, for the Aonachs); the one for the arête is equally clear, forking right, slightly west of south.
On the Carn Mor Dearg Arête, with the Northeast Buttress of Ben Nevis (Photo S Warren)
The CMD Arête is narrow but well trodden. The crest becomes a line of piled boulders, which can be crossed without hands for the first two-thirds of the way. As the ridge bends right, southwest, and starts to rise, the final crest will require handholds, but there’s a small path down on the left.
Where the crest joins the main mountain there is a marker for the abseil posts into Coire Leis. A few more steps and the rock changes from the pale granite to darker volcanic andesite, with a broad
