BEN NEVIS, CMD ARETE. WHAT A GIFT

Happy Russ

Temperature inversion

Here we go, Alpine

Sun & Ridge

Untrodden snow

Really was an arete in places

A few steep bits

Halfway along the arete

NE Buttress

Temperature Inversion

Halfwy

looking back along to Carn Mor Dearg

NE Buttres

Looking west down the Allt a' Mhuillin

Narrow bit

Arete

 

Aonach Mor & Aonach Beag

What a view

When Russ's wife bought him a gift token for a Christmas present little did he know what a stunning day lay in store. Choosing just one day for a trip up the mountains is of course hit and miss with conditions and weather. Today we had the best day of the entire week. A short ridge of high pressure gave us our weather window. We made an early start for the finest walking Route on Ben Nevis, via the Carn Mor Dearg arete.  One of the best classic mountain ridges in the British Isles. There was a temperature Inversion early morning,  Fort William and Loch Eil sat in a sea of cloud while we were enjoying clear skies on our way up to Carn Mor Dearg. The snow had gone through a melt freeze cycle and was superb throughout much of the route. The best neve was across the arete itself. Clarity of air superb in the NW airflow and hardly a breeze in the morning. It was a day to savour. Many photo stops. The only person we saw was Rob, last bumped into on the Cairngorms recently. The final slopes to the summit of The Ben was in cloud, but it didn't matter. It was a glorious crossing.  No one on the tops. No one on the descent until the Red Burn where we spotted 2 folk still heading up at 3.30pm.  A late start but they were sensible and turned tail. We got back to the car just as the next weather front made it's appearance,  a few spots of rain as we left for Fort William.  How smug were we?