The Ben

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It seems wrong for me to be in Scotland and not be in pain, thanks to my experiences on the Great Glen Way. So we made up for my happy muscles by hiking to the top of the UK on Ben Nevis.
I was warned that at the summit, absent-minded hikers could 'fall off the edge' seemingly at any moment and that hiking it required a map, compass, GPS unit, Sherpa, and oxygen tanks. But, while the summit was in a cloud and there were several opportunities to wander off a cliff (literally) hiking on a Saturday meant that there were tons of other people on the mountain doing charity hikes or three peak challenges. And the path is well worn (and very well kept, I might add). This doesn't mean that one shouldn't be prepared to deal with the unpredictable nature of the Nevis range, but perhaps shouldn't be scared into reconsidering. What should keep people from doing Ben Nevis should be the 'long slough' to the top, the endless demoralizing switchbacks, and the painful, rocky descent.
That said, it is a beautiful hike. I mean absolutely lovely. Every step of the way offers spectacular views of the surrounding area, and even when we entered the cloud on the summit, it was spooky and snowy and generally cool. Oh, speaking of cool, it was frigid on the top and I could barely wait to get back down. Part of the trail is covered in a huge snow patch that I couldn't be bothered trying not to slip on, so I just slid down, which was great fun and saved time.
The novelty of the descent wore off quite quickly and became more of a marathon than getting to the top. In all, with a long lunch and liberal photo stops it took us eight hours to complete the 4,409' and back. For the keen hiker, I would totally recommend it and even though the summit did not make me feel like I was on the top of Great Britain, it was still a great experience. One that I won't soon repeat.

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