How long does it take for a novice to climb Ben Nevis?
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.
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How long does the walk take? 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.
While some trails (The North Face) require specialist knowledge and mountaineering experience, other trails (The Mountain Track) provide more accessible routes to the top. We wouldn't recommend novices take on the harder tracks, but they certainly are able to make it the stunning views atop Ben Nevis.
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.
Toilet issuesPlease 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.
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 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.
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.
How many miles is the ascent? The walk to the top of Ben Nevis is around four miles (about eight and a half to get up and back down). We'd always recommend taking the same route for your descent.
Climbing Ben Nevis is free. There is, however, a charge to use the car park at the Glen Nevis Visitor Center, currently, £ 4 per car and £ 10 per minibus / motorhome / coach, per day.
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.
Take a warm hat and waterproof gloves (spare gloves are also recommended) even on the dry sunny days. Remember the air is much colder on top and it feels even colder if it is wet and windy.