Ben Nevis near Fort William in the Scottish Highlands

• Ben Nevis Visitor Centre and footbridge – The visitor centre in Glen Nevis is conveniently located approximately 3km from the town centre with a large car park from where you can start your hike.  It is also accessible on foot along a good footpath in Glen Nevis, or there is a bus (No. 41) that can take you to the Visitor Centre.  From the Visitor Centre there is a footbridge over the River Nevis and footpath to Achintee where the route up Ben Nevis begins.
• Climb towards Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe – from the start you will follow the rocky path which rises gently as it traverses the side of Meall an t-Suidhe until you will see the halfway lochan which sits at an elevation of 560m.  From here there are excellent views along Glen Nevis.
• Crossing the Red Burn – from there you will continue the stead climb along the path  and around to your right until you reach the Red Burn which is a stream that flows down from the summit.  This is widely considered to be the half-way point of the climb up Ben Nevis – but don’t let that fool you into thinking it will be plain sailing from there!
• The rocky zigzags – once you have crossed the Red Burn the path will begin to get steeper and you will traverse around the shoulder of Ben Nevis itself, and from there the path takes a series of zigzags through a scree field.  Here there path is quite steep and loose underfoot, with occasional shallow steps.  It is here that you might begin to wonder if the climb is ever going to end!
• The summit plateau – once the zigzag section is over (at about 1200m), the path begins to take a more direct route toward the summit, however is less distinct.  Here you will find a series of cairns that serve to guide you on the route.  If you can’t see the next cairn ahead of you, I would suggest that you seriously consider whether you want to continue, as at this point the path comes perilously close to the North Face of Ben Nevis and in poor visibility can lead to you getting lost leading to severe consequences for the poorly prepared!  The final part of the climb along the summit plateau is less steep, but extremely rocky with the path being almost non-existent.  From the summit though, on a clear day, the views are spectacular and well worth the effort!
• The descent – the descent, once you have reached your goal, is equally hazardous and far from easy, especially in the steeper sections where it is very loose and slippery under foot.  The temptation can be to rush the descent of Ben Nevis, but it is here that walking poles are especially useful to help steady yourself.

Of course, there are other ways to climb Ben Nevis, which are only suitable for experienced hill walkers and climbers. The Ben Nevis website has a more detailed description of the Mountain Track and other routes up Ben Nevis.