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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The route used to climb Ben Nevis during the 3 Peaks Challenge is the Mountain Track which is popularly known as the 'Pony Track'. This is the best route for summiting Ben Nevis without the need for climbing equipment or extensive previous mountaineering experience.
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.
Over 130,000 people climb to the summit of Ben Nevis each year. It's a challenging but rewarding experience and anyone wishing to make the trip should be well prepared for changeable weather conditions.
The system spans 2.3km of the hillside from the base station at 100m to the top station at 650m. Does the Gondola take me up Ben Nevis? You'll see Ben Nevis from our Mountain – the Gondola is located on Aonach Mor, Scotland's eighth highest mountain.