Lochaber · Strenuous · There and back

Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track

Britain's highest mountain by the Victorian pony track: a long, steady climb from Glen Nevis to the summit plateau.

Distance
16.6 km (10.3 mi)
Ascent
1,344 m
Time
About 9 h 15 min
High point
1,341 m
Grade
Strenuous

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

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Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track
Nigel Brown · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre car park and goes out and back on the Mountain Track, built in 1883 as a pony track to the summit observatory. It is rough mountain path most of the way, climbing steadily across the mountain's flank, then zigzagging up to the stony summit plateau and the top of Ben Nevis (1,345 m), with the observatory ruins and an emergency shelter.

The route is 16.6 km with 1,344 m of ascent; allow about 9 hours. It is graded Strenuous. The summit is often in cloud and the north-face cliffs come close to the path near the top, so in mist navigate off the summit carefully with map and compass. Check the mountain forecast and be ready to turn back. Snow can lie on the plateau into early summer; in winter you need ice axe, crampons and experience. There are no mapped water sources on the route.

The visitor centre is in Glen Nevis, a short drive from Fort William; the car park charges a fee. Fort William station is about 2 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Britain's highest mountain
  • The Mountain Track was built in 1883 as a pony track to the summit observatory
  • Summit ruins of the observatory and an emergency shelter
  • Cliffs of the north face lie close to the summit path; navigation in mist is critical

Summits on the way

  • Ben Nevis [Beinn Nibheis] 1,345 m

Getting there

Start: Glen Nevis Visitor Centre · Pay and display. 56.81101, -5.07672

Directions to the start

By train: Fort William station is 2.0 km from the start.

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Fort William: Booking.com → Expedia →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.