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Be safe on Ben Nevis !

If you are planning to climb or walk up Ben Nevis, the safety information on this page may be of help to you whilst planning your visit to the mountain.

If you are thinking of attempting the ascent of Ben Nevis, please take the following factors into account: The weather conditions can be atrocious at any time of the year and often bear no relation to the conditions down in the glens. 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. During the summer months the weather can change with alarming speed and a sunny day out can quickly become a confused and disorientated struggle for survival. In anything other than stable and fine weather, you should not attempt the ascent unless: 
1 You have full waterproof clothing i.e. jacket and trousers.
 2 You have warm clothing - top and bottom.
 3 You have a warm hat and gloves or mitts.
 4 You have substantial boots.
 5 You have a map (scale at least 1:50,000 and preferably 1:25,000).
 6 You have a compass.
 7 You know you have the ability to navigate accurately in mist and cloud under difficult conditions.

 The round trip takes about 7 hours on average: 4 hours for the ascent and 3 hours for the descent. This timing does not allow for rests, food stops etc.You might like to consider hiring a 

Ben Nevis mountain guide who will provide all the experience and "comfort factor" you need, for an enjoyable day out on the highest mountain in the UK. Check out our page of mountain guides listed in the Lochaber Business Directory.

Mountain Rescue in the UK is not a free service - it costs the tax payer a considerable amount of money to provide Police, NHS and helicopter search and rescue - SO BE PREPARED and TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY before you go

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Hunter Mountaineering
First Class, friendly Mountain Guiding & Instruction on British Walking, Climbing, Scrambling and Mountaineering. Summer and Winter Private Guiding and Courses. From Walking up Ben Nevis to Climbing in Glencoe. Based in Fort William. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer feedback (Find us on Trip Advisor). We offer Private Guiding and the Courses that follow - Private Guiding, all year round: Our most popular choice is a bespoke service. This is the solution if you want to 'tick' specific climbs or summits, or work on particular skills. Do you want to Climb Ben Nevis via the mountain track, Tower Ridge or Ledge Route? Do you want to become more independent as a mountaineer, or develop your trad or winter leading? Or do you want to complete a particular climb, e.g. Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge? Get in touch and we can start to make your plan happen. Summer Courses or ideas for Private Guiding could include - 1  Ben Nevis Walk 2  Munro Summits 3  Hill Walking, Navigation and Safety 4  Scrambling and Mountaineering 5  Rock Climbing 6  The CMD Ridge or Ledge route on the North Face 7  Tower Ridge, or other North Face Ridges 8  Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge or other Glencoe Classics Winter Courses or ideas for Private Gudiing could include - 1  Winter Skills and Safety 2  Walking the Winter Munros 3  Winter Mountaineering 4  Introduction to Winter Climbing 5  Winter Climbing Hunter Mountaineering is run by myself, Max Hunter. I hold the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award (the WMCI - the highest professional certification for Mountaineering & Climbing in Great Britain), and am a member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and the Mountain Training Association (MTA). I am also a qualified and experienced school teacher.
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