Climbing Nevis on 27/09/08..a couple of quick questions.

[vertigoman.]

I am heading across to Ben Nevis on 26/09/08 to climb with 12 friends and I have a couple of quick questions:

1. My head for heights is not the greatest but my mates are all experienced climbers and I dont want to comprimise their weekend by taking the soft option of taking the tourist route.I am pretty fit and I have walked extensively in the Mourne mountains since I was a kid and I completed the Mourne Wall walk this year so fitness is not an issue. Is there any suitable route for me to take that wont have me hugging the hill ?...

2. Whereabouts is the best place to go for a guiness and some grub after the climb..we are staying locally in the Glen Nevis area in a bunk house and nobody wants to be doing any driving?  

[mike knipe]

Hello Vertigoman (have you met Dizzy by the way?.... (sorry...get me coat.....))

As far as Ben Nevis routes is concerned, I think that if you're shaky on exposed things, your best bet would, in fact, be the Tourist route. I dont believe there's another route on this hill that isnt exposed. The usual alternative to the Tourist route is the Carn Mor dearg arete and, whilst this has easy scrambling, it is fairly exposed and the climb up to the summit is long and steep. (In fact its a superb but strenuous way up the hill - if you search images for "CMD" or "CMD Arete" or "Carn Mor Dearg" - you'll likely find lots of pics of it. You should be helpful  to allow you to decide whether or you'd cope with it.  If there's 12 others in your group, there might be others who would also prefer the tourist route on the day.

If not -soddem (!)

The tourist route is a fairly standard sort of long slog - excellent if you like people-watching.... Its reasonably (but not completely ) safe but has no exposure.

For post-Ben boozeramas, there's a pub/restaurant just a little way up the road from the main campsite in Glen Nevis.

[vertigoman.]

Cheers Mike, I believe the proposed route folows along a ridge which has an 800m drop off one side and the other side is a gentler slope and my friend said it was a similiar walk to Slieve Bernagh in the Mournes. He proposes walking thirty or so feet in from the sheer drop for my comfort value ...although he does state that if the weather is poor its a no-goer.The tourist route sounds like our own Slieve Donard tourist route so I dont mind tryng a bit of scrambling!
I will enjoy my guiness either way at the end of it all!

Thanks again.

[mike knipe]

Hello v'g man again.....   Just to be clear - there is no scrambling involved on the tourist route. Its a straightforward uphill walk  (or downhill if you're coming the other way!!)
I'm a bit puzzled by the intention to walk 30ft away from the CMD arete crest. I don't believe this is possible.  There is a path a few feet down the Eastern side although its technically much easier than, for instance, Striding Edge. Its not 30 feet away, though - just a foot or so...    You still have to scramble up to the summit from the end of the ridge. The top of the CMD arete/ridge itself is a couple of feet wide and is bouldery and just a little awkward and balancy.
Bill Birkett gives a scrambling grade of 0.3 for the arete - compared with 0.5 for Striding Edge (for instance) and a time of 9 hours.
Unfortunately, Bill doesnt seem to have included any Irish walks in his book about Great Ridges....

[vertigoman.]

Thanks again Mike....both Bernagh and Binnian in the Mournes are very steep climbs with some hands and knees stuff..they aren't particularly high compared to Nevis( both are around 2500ft) mark but at least Binnian offers some exposure on the Silent Valley side of the mountain and my friend is convinced the route hes taking is within my "scare factor" tolerance level!
I have also had some scrambling experience on the "Devils Crack" or Wee Binnian to give it its proper name so I think I can soldier on with this one but your advice is great as I don't want to walk up the tourist route now knowing that its so monotonous,

[vertigo girl]

Hi Vertigoman.

Looks like you and I have something in common. I did the tourist route several years ago and it was very busy to say the least. But for me it was the only way as I'm terrified of heights. It's the ascents that bother me. I always have a feeling that I'm going to fall. I would never tackle anything which contained  the word 'scramble'

Does anyone else have this fear?

Carole

[vertigo girl]

Oops I Meant to say the descents.

[vertigoman.]

Hi Carole, good to know I am not alone!Coming down the mountain is not an issue for me which seems daft as ultimately my brain is processing the same visual going up the mountain as coming down but some how I manage to feel extremely uncomfortable at times but it doesnt stop me.
The one plus side to having a bit of vertigo is that my fitness is great due to the fact I want to get to the top as quickly as possible with absolutely no stops on the way. Whilst taking part in the Mourne wall walk in May this year my only uncomfortable times were when the lads stopped for breathers on the way up some of the 15 peaks we climbed...its a drug though that keeps me coming back for more...its Wales in March next year hopefully after Nevis.

Davy.

[vertigoman.]

Looks like we are doing the CMD arete route up Nevis after a quick straw poll yesterday..I have googled and youtubed it to death and decided I am going for it. I believe it provides the best view of the North face of Nevis and as I am doind a video diary I want the best content...hop its not windy!

[vertigoman.]

Climbed "wee Ben" or rather "walked up" the mountain in the most horrendous weather conditions. Wind, rain and visibility rendered all ambitions of the arete null and void so we trundled up the tourist route....horrendously busy...at one stage there was a traffic jam when 103 charity walkers has stopped with their guides and wouldn't get out of the way!?What constantly amazed me was the amount of people dressed in jeans and trainers who looked like they were about to go into shock as the top of the mountain was sub zero. On the way down we came across a very drunk guy in a Celtic shirt , a rucksack and a walking pole???..hes probably still up there!

[Robert Craig]

a very drunk guy in a Celtic shirt , a rucksack and a walking pole???..hes probably still up there!

Was he skinny with long hair? I think I know this fellow...