Is Ben Nevis suitable for children to climb? Absolutely, as long as they are prepared for all weather conditions and keen for a challenge. The Carn Mor Dearg Arete route is generally not advised for children.
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You will have incredible views of the north face of Ben Nevis the whole way. Although it is only a Grade 1 scramble, the ridgeline is very exposed. Skip to about 3:35 in the video to get a feel for it! You should be comfortable walking on loose boulders with a drop either side.
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.