Yes. That's the short answer. I had a relatively straightforward (albeit it tiring) hike with my 7 year old to the summit of Ben Nevis. Of course, there are plenty of variables and things to consider.
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Firstly, it's more than a gentle stroll. You need to be reasonably fit before you consider making the ascent, and we wouldn't recommend a Ben Nevis walk for beginners.
If you are not very active or are very unfit, we would recommend asking yourself if you're able to do an 8+ hour roundtrip hike safely before setting out. If the answer's yes, then please just ensure you follow all the advice at the end of this post on important things to do and know before you climb Ben Nevis.
Be safe on Ben Nevis !During the winter the mountain is cloaked in snow and ice and in these conditions only mountaineers equipped with ice axes and crampons should attempt the ascent. Winter conditions can occur from October to May.
How hard is it to walk Ben Nevis? Most beginner to intermediate hikers would classify Ben Nevis as hard. It's certainly not something to take on without any preparation, but it's completely doable as an amazing challenge!
Don't forget, this is the highest point of the entire British Isles. You'll need good cardio fitness to keep walking uphill for 6+ hours, and strong legs, core, and upper body to carry your stuff.
The North Face of the mountain offers the greatest challenges of all. The Ledge route is a non-climbing route, but it still has some sections of grade 1 scrambles. You may encounter pockets of snow even in early summer, so it's best to have some knowledge of using ice axes and crampons.
An average time to the summit and back is 7 – 8 hours. Walkers fit enough to try to climb The Three Peaks in 24 hours need to take 5 hours or less. The winner of The Ben Race each September gets to the summit and back in around 90 minutes.
Ben Nevis hill walkNorth Face car park is the starting point for the Carn Mor Dearg Arete route up Ben Nevis. While considered to be one of the most spectacular hill walks in the country, it's a long and extremely challenging route even by the standards of experienced hill walkers.
There are no toilets on the mountain, the only access you have to toilets is at the Ben Nevis Visitors center. The opening hours of these change during the year so it is worth checking with them if you have any questions.
Climbing Ben Nevis is the equivalent of climbing about 6,725 steps or nearly 700 flights of stairs, so you need to be relatively fit and have the appropriate clothing. It is also worth noting that some people believe coming down is just as hard as going up. The biggest factor that affects the difficulty is the weather.
Ben Nevis is purportedly the hardest mountain (and highest peak) of the Three Peaks Challenge. That's why people tend to do it first if they're taking the 24 hour challenge.
The gondola is accessible to visitors with disabilities, with a wheelchair ramp to allow chairs up to 60cm wide onto the Gondola. Facilities and Services: Nevis Range has a range of facilities and services that are designed to be accessible to visitors with disabilities.
Novice walkers – 6+ hoursHikers attempting Ben Nevis who perhaps don't go on big walks particularly often. By no means an athlete, but reasonably fit enough to scale the peak at their own pace with plenty of room for breaks along the way.