Ben Nevis & The CMD: A Highlands Classic
5 people attending
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Join Outdoor Lads for a big day out on Britain's highest mountain, as we tackle the summit via the spectacular Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête.
Càrn Mòr Dearg: At 1220m, our first Munro translates to "The Big Red Hill" in Gaelic. The ascent is big pull up from the river below, so we'll take a break on top to enjoy the views of The Ben's North Face as well as the ridge we'll be tackling next.
The CMD Arête: We traverse this thrilling narrow ridge to join our two peaks. The scrambling is quite simple, with lots of boulders to clamber over, but nothing overly technical. While crossing the ridge, we'll see the summit of Ben Nevis ahead of us.
Ben Nevis: At 1345m, our second Munro is Britain's highest summit, and means "The Venomous Mountain" in Gaelic. If we're lucky and get a clear summit, we'll have spectacular views over the Highlands, with mountains, lochs, islands and the sea in all directions.
Accommodation in the Area: If travelling from a distance to the event, there are plenty of hotels, B&Bs and campsites where you can stay in Fort William. I'll also be in the area on Saturday evening.
Note on Event Difficulty: While this walk is definitely a big challenging day out, including some exposure during the scrambling; the time of year will allow us to take our time with the hike, meaning we'll complete the route at a fairly relaxed pace. Also note, that due to the exposure on the ridge, strong winds would necessitate a change of plans. If you've any concerns about the difficulty, please message me.
Dogs: Sorry this event is not suitable for dogs.
New Members: Please feel free to sign up as your first OutdoorLads event, however do look at the event difficulty. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to message me, or go to the "My First Event" section under "About Us".
Photos: UK - Ben Nevis, Scotland by melenama is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Ben Nevis by Loek037 at Dutch Wikipedia is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse.
CMD Arete by No machine-readable author provided. Blisco assumed (based on copyright claims). is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse.
On the CMD Arete by markhorrell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
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What to bring
Water: bring plenty of water (~3 Litres)
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Footware: ideally designed for hiking, sturdy trail runners are OK too.
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproofs: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Please bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water (~3 Litres), as the weather may be hot at this time of year. After the hike, there is a local pub where we can go for post walk refreshments