BEN NEVIS WEEKEND, LEDGE ROUTE TWICE

Shabaaz on Ledge Route

Easy scrambling

Carn Dearg Buttress

NE Buttress and Carn Mor Dearg arete

No. 5 Gully

Brilliant cloud formations on Sunday

Final section

Aonach Mor & Carn Mor Dearg

Ledge Route, upper section

The best bit

Allt a' Mhuillin & Great Glen

Mystical cloud

Saturday on the fun bit

Could watch this for hours!

Good spot

Fun, fun. fun

The Ben Race runners

Fabulous clouds

I was over in the west this weekend. A well timed bit of work for the good weather window. Saturday was glorious blue skies, no wind and very warm. I had a wander up Ledge Route on Ben Nevis. One of the finest easy routes up to the highest peak in the UK. Seldom do you see many folk on it, whilst hundreds of walkers head up the Pony Track every day in summer. The North Face carpark was absolutely chocka-block when we arrived on Saturday late morning. I thought the whole of the North Face of The Ben was going to be hooching with people. There were a few strollers heading to the CIC Hut for pic picnic-ing. After heading into the Ciste Coire it was wonderfully deserted. The rock was warm and the sun shone all day. No one on the route. Looking across to the top of The Ben you could see many folk and a piper was blasting out a tune for the runners on the annual Ben Race. T-shirt weather all day. Brilliant.
On Sunday I was out on Ledge Route again. Showing Shabaaz one of the easiest, most spectacular  ways to gain the summit of Ben Nevis. Weather today was very different but equally as spectacular than a clear day. There were layers of cloud coming and going, giving us glimpses of Carn Mor Dearg and the NE Buttress on The Ben. We could have watched this for hours! Alll too soon the fun is over and it's a easy walk back down on the Pony Track. Good craic with Shabaaz and quality couple of days.