Help-Crag Map. The cairn at the top (1214m) of Ledge Route is about a one-and-a-half kilometre walk from the summit of Ben Nevis and presents no difficulty on a clear day. legend: false,
Also essential are water, a map (waterproof maps of Ben Nevis are available in Fort William), and a compass. This passes the top of a couple of minor gullies on the way (as well as some vertiginous drops), but Three Gully is easily identifiable by a large pinnacle dividing the gully-top. Despite being one of the easier routes to the summit of Ben Nevis, the Ledge Route is long and will take all day. Search. Follow it downhill (very slightly north of west initially) all the way to Glen Nevis. The top of Four Gully is marked by a large, well-constructed cairn built in 2012 by Martin McCrorie to replace an older summit post deemed unseemly by the John Muir Trust, custodians of the top half of Ben Nevis since June 2000. polyline_options: { color: '#3366cc', weight: 10, opacity: 0.7 },
Grade 1 Scramble – with the usual warning not to stray onto more technical routes. They are bypassed by two longer versions of Ledge Route, described shortly. Either diversion abandons Ledge Route in favour of the grade three (serious) scramble up Tower Ridge (though it is possible to traverse rightward from the top of the Garadh to the slightly less demanding slopes of Raeburn's Easy Route). Climb Gully No. The Ledge Route starts from the North Face car park and follows the excellent track up into Coire Leis and along the Allt a’ Mhuilinn river up to the CIC Hut. This itinerary describes a circuit route starting and finishing at a deer stile to the north of Ben Nevis (1344m). However, it’s easy to accidentally find yourself in the middle of a rock climbing route if you don’t know where you’re going. }).addTo(map); After reaching the summit via Ledge Route it crosses the Carn Mor Dearg Arete (c.1050m) and returns along the north ridge of Carn Mor Dearg (1220m). The CMD Arete is the classic hill walker's ascent of Ben Nevis that should be on every mountain walker's tick list along side Crib Goch, The Snowdon. The top is most easily negotiated by stepping down the first (eastmost) of two cracks on the right a few metres before the end of the approach wall and moving carefully along a thin ledge to the base of the second, from where a confident stride or short jump ends the difficulties. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Under snow and ice it is a grade II winter route and reputedly the best of its grade on the mountain. You can add your Accommodation for Ben Nevis, or any relevant local business via our Business Listing Page – currently FOR FREE! Start and Finish: North Face Car Park (also possible from Glen Nevis). The CIC hut (NN168722) is actually a stone cottage, named after Charles Inglis (pron 'ING-gulls') Clark, the son of two pioneering Nevis climbers who was killed by a Mesapotamian sniper in 1918. Cyclists could reach the deer stile by following a forestry track from the Nevis Range Ski Centre at NN172775, but the uphill sections of this are loose and arduous; an alternative is simply to cycle to the NF car park, either via Torlundy or by taking the right turn off the A82 at NN121751 (for Rio Tinto, the aluminium works), crossing the railway and turning left instead of going over the level crossing. map.gestureHandling.disable();
Carn Mor Dearg and the North East Buttress of Ben Nevis from Ledge Route; the CMD Arete links the two hills . From the closest point of the ruin sight through the case and walk that line until the edge of the plateau is reached, then head directly downhill for a quarter of a kilometre until the angle begins to ease slightly. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Ticklists . dragging: false,
6 years ago. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. L.control.scale().addTo(map);
On 10th January this year, three of us headed up the valley of the Allt a Mhuilinn in the grey half light of a wet morning. (The hut is almost exactly half-way to the summit, altitude-wise). The exposure is sensational as we move across the narrow crests and negotiate The Tower and Tower Gap. crs: crs,
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There is a choice of approaches to the deer stile from Fort William, the nearest town and a good place to obtain supplies and equipment.
I've been up the Ledge Route in a variety of winter conditions and most times pretty straightforward, attached pic is the beginning of the route as I found it in Nov 2018, not much snow but a sheet of ice on the sloping ledge, a slip here would be have serious consequences, as we didn't have a rope with us we backed off, went further up No 5 and joined the route without difficulty further up. It soons returns to west and after a few very simple rock problems, reaches the ledges. Coire na Ciste (unseen) is to the immediate left at half height; the Ledge Route scramble is on the central skyline. Ben Nevis via the Ledge Route. new L.GPX('https://www.walkupbennevis.co.uk/wp-content/blogs.dir/11/files/gpx/ledge-route-ben-nevis.gpx', {
Other browsers are no longer supported, infuriatingly. It’s the same grade of scrambling as the CMD Arete and is technically a more direct route to the summit from the North Face. };
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None – you’ll need to get a taxi from Fort William. reverseCoords: false,
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In cloud you will very likely hear people on the path before you reach it, but in any case it is impossible to miss unless there is substantial snow on the ground. First identify No.5 Gully (a scree cone very visible at the bottom). A photo journey from scrambling Grade 1 Ben Nevis Ledge Route on the North Face and descending via the Pony Track to the north car park. Whilst it is possible to descend Carn Mor Dearg directly down to the CIC, this is steep and not advised. In summer, Ledge Route is a 450 metre grade 2 scramble that finishes at the summit of Carn Dearg, a 1221 metre subsidiary top of Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis: ledge route - See 2,457 traveler reviews, 2,373 candid photos, and great deals for Fort William, UK, at Tripadvisor. minZoom: 0,
This is also explained at the website of Ordnance Survey (the United Kingdom's statutory mapping agency) where Microsoft Silverlight users can preview suitable maps. Detailed description. Beyond the gully an anti-clockwise downclimb and (highly exposed) traverse-return on the southern buttress headwall may interest very experienced scramblers. The route is steep, but reasonably short at only 1km in length and around 460 metres of ascent to the summit of Carn Dearg (1221). attributionControl: false,
The top of Five gully is mere yards from the Ledge Route cairn, and can be recognised by the steep rock of the north wall. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. From the east end of the summit ruins locate the large, incongruous metal frame of a discarded instrument carriage. Apart from one rounded step, the rest of the ridge is easy ground until a final steepening and an unsurmountable wall on the right, speckled with much whiteish lichen. Ledge route of Ben Nevis, starting in Number 5 Gully and ascending part way, then swinging to the right, following the ledges below Carn Dearg, before topping out on Carn Dearg. gestureHandling: true,
The route can even hold snow well into the summer, so you may need winter kit such as crampons and ice axe (and the skills to use them) even in spring and autumn – in the hope that patches will be avoidable in summer. Water is heavy, so consider taking an extra empty bottle and filling it up at the waterpoint at the CIC hut (see below). Break right up a worn grassy slope to the crux slabs. This saves carrying a day's supply 2200ft (c. 700m) from sea level. var mapOptions = {
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From this half way point, the path follows a zigzag pattern to the rocky summit plateau. As is usual with this sort of route, one of the main dangers is straying onto difficult ground that’s the terrain of rock climbers. Post Code for Sat Nav: PH33 6SW for the turning at Torlundy! The Ledge Route is the least well trodden of these three routes up Ben Nevis. An even longer version of this approach begins with a southern and then south-western scramble over slabs and, later, scree, from the CIC hut, initially heading as if to gain Tower Ridge from West Gully. A main path runs up Ben Nevis, from Glen Nevis, which can be followed from either Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, or the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Some 'mere scramblers' might not make it all the way for interest in the rocks above: the east ridge of Garadh na Ciste will prove barely resistible even if they pass the threatening west ridge of the Douglas Boulder without succumbing to the urge to "have a look at it". This becomes a ravine with boulders on the right flank and an easy grass bank on the left. Even in dry conditions these slabs are the most awkward pitch on the way to the cliff-top. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Fetching Map. map.gestureHandling.enable();
This runs dry at height, and an intermittent path crosses and ascends left of (and occasionally entering) the now bouldered gully, leading to the north end of Coire na Ciste. The Highland Mountain Company: Ledge route Ben Nevis - See 64 traveler reviews, 38 candid photos, and great deals for Fort William, UK, at Tripadvisor. Overview; Photos 89; Free Range; Ledge Route ; 450m. On a clear day this makes a gradual clockwise survey of the finest caldera and rock architecture in mainland Britain. map.on('fullscreenchange', function () {
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The Highest Mountains in Scotland – The Munros, The Highest Mountains in Scotland – The Corbetts, The Highest Mountains in Scotland – The Grahams. Ledge Route Grade-2 . It is graded between Grade 1 and Grade 2 on the Scrambling scale, depending on which route is taken. Ben Nevis, Ledge Route - Aerial filming using a drone. On Friday 13th March 2015 I took my Phantom 2 drone fitted with a GoPro Hero 4 up onto the North Face of Ben Nevis to do some aerial filming. The ground here is often muddy but with care it is possible to walk the few metres out to the top of the pinnacle and look down the gully. });
However, because the flank variation avoids Five Gully altogether, it is the only route to become clear of snow in very early season (May). Ledge Route is best started from CIC hut, have a breather here after approach path from Glen Nevis or from North Face car park (approx 2 hours from Glen Nevis). Approaching Ledge Route from Coire na Ciste, https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Ledge_Route_and_the_Carn_Mor_Dearg_Arete_(Ben_Nevis)&oldid=3842562, Articles without Wikipedia links (via Wikidata), Articles with Wikipedia links related to but different to article, Articles with Commons links related to but different to article, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This travel guide page was last edited at 08:41, on 7 September 2019 by Wikivoyage user. From here head directly uphill - roughly south-east - and follow a straight line until you reach the tourist path leading to the summit. Trend left to the crest and follow it downhill to a well-constructed cairn similar to that at the top of Number Four Gully. The best way to make your way from Four Gully to Three is to follow the cliff-line fairly closely. layers: [ leisure, open_data ],
5 a short distance (around 100m) to the base of the route of the right hand side. from Rob Johnson - Filmuphigh PRO . Furthermore, the more difficult areas of the climb can easily be avoided if you wish. if ( ( e.target.get_elevation_max() - e.target.get_elevation_min() ) > 1 ) {
Since a map is essential anyway, these directions assume you have one and hence understand the UK grid referencing system. From the CIC, the direct Ledge Routes are best reached from the slabs well right of the CIC waterpoint as one faces the letterbox buttress, beginning with a short descent to cross the merged watercourse from Coire na Ciste. Gully No. marker: 'position-marker',
Finding the start isn't as straightforward, but a reliable method is to descend a depression due west of the low point of the ridge below the unnamed top on the way to Carn Beag Dearg. Ledge Route offers a fantastic way to reach the summit of Ben Nevis via it's famous North Face. This angle makes Ledge Route look very formidable (but see photograph below). var map = L.map('os-datahub-map-0', mapOptions);
In high summer, stay for the sunset because the light will last long enough to get down. One of the finest easy routes up to the highest peak in the UK. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. marker_options: { startIconUrl: false, endIconUrl: false, wptIcons: { '': defaultMarker } }
The Ledge Route is the North Face of Ben Nevis for non-climbers. Ledge Route is a grade 1 (ie easy) scramble up the imposing north-east face of Ben Nevis in Highland Scotland. Alternatively, two longer Ledge Routes avoid the damp slabs right of Five Gully, joining the two direct routes at the top of Carn Dearg Buttress: The highly scenic Ledge Route via Coire na Ciste (NN163718) crosses a pleasing watergorge, and is therefore (and even in mist) a recommended route through the face. The CIC hut can be picked out 2000ft (600m) lower down. minZoom: 10,
Intake Eleven, known to north-facers simply as "The Dam", is an aluminium company water intake tapping the Allt a' Mhuilinn (Mill Burn) at NN148751. As a result, participants on this trip should be in good physical condition. These are our 4 best routes up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland and the UK. Ledge Route II . Height Gained – 1300 metres, Distance – 8 km, Time –4-5 hours – ONE WAY ONLY. 5, located left of Carn Dearg Buttress and right of Trident Buttress. It is unquestionably the most enjoyable non-climber’s route on Ben Nevis, leagues ahead of the crowded and frankly dull trudge up the Tourist Track. From here we climb up through the boulders towards Number 5 Gully then break out to gain the crest of the ridge. theme: 'lightblue-theme',
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Follow the arete east and then north-east to the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. We can’t decide! It also avoids the slab crux. It curves progressively right to reach Coire na Ciste, passing underneath the colossal Douglas Boulder (NN167718) and crossing a principle watercourse near and below an impressive steep-sided black gorge. It can also be done in reverse, but not to any real advantage (and navigation becomes harder). Number Five Gully Buttress. Walkers based in Fort William can use the same approach, or could catch a bus to the distillery and follow the footpath behind the barrel store to merge with the track at NN132752, shortly before it turns uphill. By Ben Nevis standards, the Ledge route is easy to reach from the CIC hut. Five Gully can hold snow until mid-season but a simple flanking variation avoids Five Gully itself, though it does not avoid the damp slab crux and loose upper ravine. The Mountain Track route up Ben Nevis from the Ben Nevis Visitors Centre. controlElevation.load('https://www.walkupbennevis.co.uk/wp-content/blogs.dir/11/files/gpx/ledge-route-ben-nevis.gpx'); The Ben as it’s affectionately known is climbed by 150,000 people every year with another 100,000 people turning back due to bad weather or finding the ascent too challenging. }. This route via Carn Dearg (1221) is still a challenging route that has some sections of Grade 1 scrambles, surrounded by proper rock climbs. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Ben Nevis. Note: Unroped scrambling is potentially the most dangerous of all mountaineering activities. Is it a grade 1 ( ie easy ) scramble up the imposing north-east Face from ridge. The first Ledge from the Ben Nevis standards, the highest peak in the United Kingdom 150m further up crest! Everybody gets hungry on long days out, but not to any real advantage ( and navigation becomes harder.. 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