Ben Nevis

The first practical details :) In Fort William there is a visitor center Ben Nevis with a parking fee whose machines do not change or work with credit card. There are notices to go to the center to get the change but without considering that these ascents begin at 6 in the morning. Total, that following the road, later there is a place to park and an alternative ascent also paved, which is where I started the route.

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK (in Europe) and, of course, also in Scotland. The mountain rises from the sea so, despite its moderate altitude, the difference is important.

I started with the shortcut indicated at the beginning, which connects with the Pony track, then I left the pavement and followed the course of the Red Burn stream along a very steep path. After making the summit I descended by an edge that the Scots call Ledge route. It is quite simple, with climbs of grade I, but already with total alpine environment: height, loose rock, complicated orientation, etc. Finally I have flanked the mountain to take the Pony track again.

I emphasize that the edge has thrown it. It is safer to do it in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, whoever wants to make it easier can follow the Pony Track without deviating. It's like a Roman road and up there are cairns that look more like mini-towers. That is, it is very easy to follow them without fog.

With fog everything is more complicated because above there is a huge plateau where we can be disoriented. That is why there are so many cairns, although not all of them favor orientation. On this there is a certain controversy encouraged by several deaths, since the mountain is visited by people without experience. Keep in mind that this mountain has a very damn weather. Copy of the wikipedia: "According to the measurements made in the observatory on the mountain top between 1883 and 1904, there was fog on the summit almost 80% of the time between November and January, and 55% between May and The average temperature during the winter is around -5 ° C and the average annual temperature was -0.5 ° C. In an average year the peak is witness of 261 storms and receives 4350 millimeters of precipitation, in comparison with only 2050 mm at Fort William and about 600 mm at Inverness and London. "

As you read, there was a meteorological observatory at the top! Its ruins are still there. A part of them has been recycled as an emergency shelter.

There is water everywhere of everything that rains and, therefore, the rock is slippery when it is wet because it has lichen, mosguitos and all kinds of microvegetation.

Other routes through Scotland:

https://en.wikiloc.com/holiday-hours/ben-hope-30633287

https://en.wikiloc.com/holiday-trails/por-las-cuillin-30633309

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-a-pie/the-old-man-of-storr-30633318

And I was left with the desire to climb the Bidean Nam Bian and explore the coast.