We got to Fort William around 9pm on Saturday night and pitched-up in what was a very busy site (Glen Nevis Camp Site). Once we got settled and had a coffee it was quite dark and Lindsay noticed that there were lights on the the side of the Ben. Walkers coming down in the dark with their torches.
As it was such a clear night – although a wee bit cold – we spread a groundsheet out and lay under a blanket looking up at the stars (and Saturn) and watched for satellites. It was a lovely way to end a relaxing and fun day.
(We saw 2 satellites)
Sunday morning it was up early to get ready to meet our fellow walkers. We left the tent at 9 and met them in the car park of the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre. A 'before' picture was taken with the plan to take another at the top...or maybe the bottom...
We set off and soon split into 2 groups (unfortunately) so the chatting going up the hill wasn't going to happen. The tourist path was mobbed with kids and school outings and it wasn't a pleasant experience as it was just too busy.
We reached the point on the hill where the tourist path veers right and the walk to the Carn Mor Dearg Arete (CMD) goes off left. There we had a bite to eat with Caroline and David before heading off to the CMD and leaving C & D to fight their way through the kids!
The next hour was fairly easy and slightly downhill until we arrived in the glen at the foot of Coire Leis. Unfortunately this is the point where we missed the easier route up to Carn Dearg Meadhonach and instead walked further up towards the Coire until we decided to head straight up the slope to Carn Mor Dearg. This was easily the hardest part of the day (physically) as the steep boulder-strewn slope was steep and boulder-strewn!!
Stopping ¾ of the way up for a bite to eat provided excellent views of the Coire, the North Face of Ben Nevis and the surrounding hills, but me being a little nervous at this point concentrated looking at my feet....and Lindsay. I said to Lindsay that I didnt think I would make the peak and would skirt along just under it to the CMD but with her motivation I made it and was glad I did. The view was superb.
Only stopping briefly here (it was a bit exposed for me) we started off for the CMD Arete.
It wasn't as hard as I thought and I spent more time concentrating on where I was trying to get to than looking at the steep drops either side of me. We got about ¾ of the way across the arete when we came to a very steep, almost sheer, boulder crop which we couldn't see a way round. The wind had picked up by this time and neither of us fancied trying to find the correct way over this without help or seeing someone else do it.
We dropped down to a path below and to the left of it and followed it for 5 minutes or so and then it looked like a climb up what turned to be fairly loose boulders. Not fancying this either we retraced our steps back and looked again at climbing over it. The wind had not died down so we decided that as we were not sure of the way we would drop down into the Coire Leis and make our way back round.
This was easier said than done!
It took us about an hour to get to the bottom of the Coire (still way above the SMC Hut) and when we looked back up at where we came down from, we both wondered how we manged it.
After that it was a long walk back round to the tourist path and then down the side of the hill. We eventually made it back to our tent at 9:15pm – 12 hours and 15 minutes after we set off.
A long day with lots of ups and downs (literally).
