Ben Nevis

One thing that I adore about mountain hiking is the peaceful environment. It's not just about the solitude, and it's more than being at one with nature. There is much pleasure to be had from sitting on top of a peak and seeing the terrain all around, with no other people in sight.....

It took us 8 hours to drive to Fort William, and it made us realise that the UK is a long thin island!  Overnight in a hotel then an early start to beat the crowds, well that was the general plan!

 We had chosen the timing of our hike to avoid the summer midges, and still enjoy warm weather. the volume of charity hikers were an unknown variable! 

Most of the route is now laid with stones, the exception being the area around Halfway Lake.

The weather was superb for a long day hike, warm, not hot, and as we climbed higher we could see for miles.

 

 It's always nice to be nearing the summit of a mountain, and this was no exception, but just look at all the people in front, heading to the same point! The thought of my Chicken Curry for lunch kept me going!

 

The views from the summit are great, and there was a small amount of snow at the top, which you can see settled between the rocks.

 

 After spending several hours climbing the path, we started the long descent to Glen Nevis. Going down is harder on the knees! We passed quite a few walkers who were finding their footwear uncomfortable, and saw one man attempting to walk down in white sports socks, carrying his shoes. Several miles later he would be crossing this area.

 

 

The footbridge which crosses the river and leads back to the car parking area, is limited to 6 people at one time, and is really bouncy. Just the job for tired legs!