Mountaineering, climbing, scrambling, hill skills & navigation courses. Cutting a line straight through the centre of the North face and at around 600m in length, Tower Ridge is one of the longest and most sought after climbs in the United Kingdom. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. The Ledge Route is the North Face of Ben Nevis for non-climbers. Descent via Number Four Gully. You must avoid the gulf of Gardyloo Gully (see the photo carousel above) and other areas of steep ground in most directions. The options start with the 5 mighty ridges of the Ben 1. The Red Burn can be avalanche prone in certain conditions. Share on Linked In This emerges into a huge snowy amphitheatre which has been invisible from below up to now. Easy climbs on Ben Nevis do not come much better than this. Some final rock bulges bring you to the summit plateau and a little cairn at 1214m. Ledge Route offers a fantastic way to reach the summit of Ben Nevis via it's famous North Face. It will also expose you to a major avalanche hazard in the wrong conditions. There are many other incredible ways to experience Ben Nevis Rock Climbing. Join MIC-certified instructor Ken on an action-packed day of scrambling via the Ledge route on Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland and in the United Kingdom. LEDGE ROUTE & CMD ARETE, IN WINTER? Whatever grade you climb, on a clear winter’s day you’ll enjoy this one for the scenery alone. The route is generally c… Now you scramble over and between various pinnacles along a narrow section of ridge line. The final slopes can be tackled in a variety of ways and you can either take the easiest line or seek out small challenges. The Ledge Route up Ben Nevis. I was near the summit of Ben Nevis in high winds, the fresh snow would conceal any trace of the path, and more snow was forecast. They are complex too, being a series of alternating major ridges and buttresses separated by huge corries and gully lines. Candice and Aileen have come over from Singapore, so the cold temperatures came as a bit of shock for them, however, they were expecting wet and windy conditions whilst […] Britain's winter ridges, Ben Nevis Ridges, 3 star Scottish winter, Winter Aspirations, … If you’d like to know more about winter mountaineering up Ledge Route on Ben Nevis in winter, then see our main page for more details and prices. No description has been contributed for this climb. Motorway light-, Today felt like being in the Alps, with lovely vie, A fine winter’s day walk on Beamsley Beacon. When you are ready, then get in touch to make an enquiry or a booking. The first ascent of Ledge Route happened in 1897, at the time it was just another route to the summit of Ben Nevis, but now it is renown as one of the best routes of its grade anywhere in the United Kingdom. Once the top of the buttress is gained, the nature of the route changes dramatically and a fine arete, in a spectacular position, is followed to the Ben's summit plateau." "An unlikely yet excellent mountaineering route. We had the whole place to ourselves. There are deaths almost every year including very sad cases of victims being buried for many months, not emerging until the spring. It feels like a long time ago since the last winter was forced to finish in mid March but it was good to be back in the snow. Under 'External Links' and 'Mountain Conditions' could you please update the URL for West Coast Mountain Guides to: It could be an easy-ish walk in deep well-packed snow, or extremely tricky with bare slabs covered in a thin layer of ice and gravel debris. Winter has arrived early this year, and Candice, Aileen and myself were on Ledge Route on Ben Nevis, making the most of the snow and sunshine. The route is a non-technical, 450m snow climb (when well-covered! From the top of Number Four Gully head west into the Red Burn or a little more south-west to intercept the Mountain Path. We aim to ascend this classic and iconic route, and descend via Ledge Route to make a truly unforgettable day. It finds a cunning way up the seemingly impregnable buttress connecting a series of ledges in a zig-zag manner. Head around the rim of Number Five Gully and (roughly) southwards, to reach the cairn at the top of Number Four Gully, then continue to carefully navigate around the rim of the cliffs towards the summit. This is partly true, but you should read the comments on avalanche conditions below. Saturday, 30 October 2010. Ledge Route is no exception and can be a fatal choice in the wrong conditions. Ticklists. This should be on every keen mountaineer's ticklist. The Summit is Optional updated their information in their About section. Probably the best route of its grade on Ben Nevis (and perhaps in the UK), Ledge Route has a bit of everything. You still need to cross Number Five Gully, but at this point you can be across its narrowest point in a couple of moments. This is not a place to linger at any time. Distance to the Top: 9km (5.5 miles) Ascent: 1280m (4200ft) Rough … First, it’s known as being a route you can do “in any conditions”. History made once again. Soon you will find yourself above the famous ice route, The Curtain, and the exposure is tremendous. Ledge Route is one of the classic 'easy' mountaineering routes up the north face of Ben Nevis. We headed up onto Ledge Route on ben Nevis this morning. As far as mountaineering routes go, Ledge Route is not especially dangerous but unfortunately it's still complicated enough in Winter that route finding mistakes when unroped can prove fatal as unfortunately happened earlier this year - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46735220 Winter Skills Courses based in Lochaber, Guided Ben Nevis Winter Ascent, Guided Winter Mountain days, Winter Walking Skills Courses in Glencoe and Ben Nevis For those intending to go further, regardless of how ‘easy’ the route may be (in terms of technical grade), it is absolutely imperative that you have an understanding of avalanches in Scotland and how to avoid them. One of my 'lockdown tasks' has been to re-visit my archive of monthly tips. Or, after the cairn at the top of Number Four Gully, continue southwards to intercept the main Mountain Path and then follow this to the top. How difficult they are can vary enormously. The higher you climb, the more rewarding the views become. At Grade II, it’s not a highly technical winter route but that takes nothing away from its quality. Many walkers who ascend Ben Nevis by the zig-zagging ‘Mountain Path‘ or ‘Pony Track’ will never see these cliffs. The ridge now widens again, and a series of snow slopes with little ‘problem steps’ bring you finally to a point where the ridge is behind you and you are now on the final slopes of Carn Dearg. Guided ascent of Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis via CMD arête Guided rock-scrambling day on 'Ledge Route' and Carn Mor Dearg arête Above Fort William mighty Ben Nevis dominates the view. It totals 450m of vertical climbing. To do otherwise is courting disaster. A good many have no idea that the north face even exists. Sunrise on Ilkley Moor. Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. However, at least once in your life you should take the 1hr 45 minute walk up to the CIC hut. The scrambling is never too difficult and the harder bits can be avoided if you want to but it takes you through some fantastic ground and you are surrounded by Ben Nevis' rare plants and geology. But it’s somewhere to avoid totally in unfavourable avalanche conditions. It was time to focus. Turn left to head north (-ish) and then left again to continue scrambling upwards. Myself and fellow instructor Mark decided on a mountaineering day ascending the classic Ledge Route to the summit of Ben Nevis … The cliffs are enormous, rising up about 2000ft from the valley floor below (the site of the CIC Hut). A sneaky start leads onto a sequence of sloping ledges, which allow passage across the steep southeast flank of Carn Dearg Buttress. Ledge route is a perfect introductory ridge for your first scramble or north face route and a great way to get to the summit of Ben Nevis. For the first-timer, it is an imposing sight and it makes you realise just how seriously you need to take it. Finally a descent via the old Pony Track or perhaps Ledge Route really rounds off the day. If you are interested in climbing Ben Nevis by Ledge Route in winter take a look at our Winter Mountaineering page for prices and more information. Patrick Hickie In Navigation, Resources, Tips Coarse and Fine Navigation – Tip #56 Coarse and Fine Navigation This tip is all about coarse and fine navigation and I will explain this with an every-day example. You now head up to the right, towards the outer-most side of the buttresses, until you reach an obvious and prominent balanced pinnacle – a towering Jenga tower. Ben Nevis via the Ledge Route. After entering the mouth of Number Five Gully, almost immediately you break out to the right and follow slanting ledges that lead back out towards the face. This is towards the northern end of the cliffs (to the right as you look up at them). Improvers’ Rock Climbing Courses and Coaching, beginners’ tips for winter mountain walking, thesummitisoptional.com/category/resources/tips/, www.ukclimbing.com/news/2021/01/first_winter_ascent_of_k2_made_by_all-nepali_team-72688. The views … From the top of Ledge Route, depending on snow conditions, it could easily take you a further hour to reach the summit of Ben Nevis, especially if there are deep snow drifts on the top. You might like to read our article on beginners’ tips for winter mountain walking. Very soon, a prominent line emerges – a narrowing ridge that looks like the natural line to follow. Having completed Ledge Route, there are a number of options for descending Ben Nevis in winter. 1-day Ben Nevis ascent via the Ledge route. But be aware that this snow amphitheatre can also be an avalanche hazard at times too – so you need to do your homework first. You are now in the lower left corner of the large amphitheatre mentioned above. 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). The route winds it way up the Carn Dearg Buttress on the north face past a series of gulleys with awesome rock architecture including an the improbable Pedestal, a sort of Jenga block tower. A technically easier (and sometimes safer) option is to avoid the entrance to Number Five and the slabs above The Curtain altogether. To do this, first ascend a short way into the enormous Coire na Ciste area before traversing steep but easy snow slopes to reach the top of Moonlight Buttress. Ledge Route – Grade 1 Scramble A fantastic route in the summer although navigation can be difficult so best do some research and leave for a clear day. Of course, it’s a very fine route in its own right, but it has a couple of added bonuses. 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