Can unfit people climb Ben Nevis?

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.



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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.

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Attempting to climb Ben Nevis without adequate protection, including waterproofs and warm clothing, could result in hypothermia and possibly death.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Toilet issues Please be discreet with your need to go to the toilet. If at all possible try not leaving excreta on the mountain. There are public toilets at the Glen Nevis visitor centre.

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Mount Snowdon is instead, considered to be the easiest of the three. Scafell Pike is considered to be harder because it has a pretty steep incline. Part of the summit journey also involves a scree slope and this requires hikers to sort of scramble up. Therefore, it is tougher than Mount Snowdon and Ben Nevis.

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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.

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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.

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North 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.

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