Can you climb Ben Nevis without crampons?

If you are climbing Ben Nevis between November and early May then you should plan to take crampons and a single mountaineering ice axe. Early in the winter season the snow cover will be thin and it will come and go, but it doesn't take long for the snow to build up and for crampons and an axe to become essential.



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The first thing to know is that there are two routes up and down Ben Nevis – the Mountain Track (or Tourist Track) and the Carn Mor Dearg Arête which is typically tackled by more experienced climbers. The Mountain Track is doable as a beginner if you have generally good fitness and go prepared for the conditions.

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Ben Nevis is probably slightly harder, but not a great deal, if Snowdon posed no great difficulty, then you should be absolutely fine. One thing to watch out for is how to get off the summit. The top of Ben Nevis is a bit of a plateau, and can be tricky to find the right way off in bad visibility.

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How fit do you have to be to do Ben Nevis? Ben Nevis might not be Everest, but it's no joke. 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.

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Of the 3 both me and the wife found scafell the easiest. Nav would be harder than snowdon if it came in but i really enjoyed it.

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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.

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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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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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The classic ridges of Ben Nevis are Castle ridge, Tower ridge, North East Buttress and Observatory Ridge. Although all of these routes are classed as rock climbing, there is a large proportion of the ground which is considered scrambling and only a very short section of climbing.

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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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There is NO CHAIRLIFT ON BEN NEVIS. You can only climb Ben Nevis on foot.

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The Gondola transports visitors from 100m to 650m up the mountain and takes approximately 15 minutes each way. The Doppelmayr Gondola system comprises of 80 six seat closed cabins running on a continuous 4.6km steel cable weighing 40 tonnes.

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For novices, we'd recommend the 'Mountain Path' (also known as the 'Pony Track' or 'Ben Path'). It's the simplest way to the top, and also the most popular. You'll usually start at Achintree on the east side (if you've parked at the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre or youth hostel, you'll start at west side).

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Which of the Three Peaks are the hardest? Well, that kind of depends on what you find difficult. Although Ben Nevis is the highest, the path to Scafell Pike is the least well marked. Or you might find Snowdon the hardest because you're doing it last and you're exhausted.

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

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Walking poles are recommended but not essential. Many people find they really benefit from the support of walking poles on the way back down. It normally feels much harder going down that it does going up, and walking poles can help a lot.

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