I’m watching the rain fall from the breakfast nook window in Fort William. I feel as ready as I’m ever going to be. Today is the day that I will attempt to climb the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, Ben Nevis.
The omnipotent, foreboding mountain stand at 4,411 feet above sea level, and has haunted me ever since I set eyes upon it. It looks otherworldly, more for dinosaurs than man.
The rain lets up as I leave town, walking a couple of miles along the river towards the starting point.
Spirits are high as I go.
The rain comes and goes as I cross the bridge and start along the trail. It quickly starts to climb, but I pace my breathing and take it slow and steady. The initials view are truly stunning as the rain clouds dissipate. However the stones on the trail are extremely slippery. I need to make sure I don’t slide right off the edge of the mountain.
Sheep appear as small white rocks embedded in the mountainside as I climb. Water rushes downward, a sweet sound to my ears. The air is chilly but my adrenaline keeps me warm as I reach my first glacial valley.
I pass a tour hiking group taking a break at the base of a stunning waterfall, then the clouds rush in and cover everything in a fog blanket. The cold really starts to set in now at this elevation. I realize that I most likely don’t have warm enough clothing, not even layers, but at least I brought gloves.
I keep pushing upward, through the mist, into the unknown.
For the briefest of moments the clouds disappear and I see blue skies and one amazing view below me. I stand on the edge and take it all in, then find myself dizzy and almost fall down.
Time to try and drink some water, if my frozen fingers can do their job of holding the bottle.
The clouds roll back in, and all that one can see is faint outlines of rock cairn pyramids that are your trail markers to keep you from getting lost and falling off the mountain. This section of the trail seems never ending, and I wonder if the cold and light-headedness I feel will force me to turn around……
One slow step at a time, I keep going. Just when I think that I can go no further, I make out some rock structures that appear to be slightly larger than the rock cairns. I large crevasse opens up betweens the cloud fog on my left, and I carefully get as close to the edge as I dare.
Continuing forward, I find that I’ve reached the summit, although everything is shrouded in fog. It is quite an amazing accomplishment, yet I can’t celebrate in my normal fashion with a nice trail beer. I need to find a shelter from the wind in the remnants of the rock structures up here.
I hunker down and ravishly eat an apple, before realizing I need to descend quickly or freeze to death.
