This difficulty is best evaded to the left when there is a choice between an sporting but possibly ill-advised immediate return to the crest or an easier ascent up the left flank at the same grade as the foregoing. This is just a small flattish area with a better view of the upper Trident Buttress to the south and Number Six gully and castle ridge to the north. Tower Ridge at dawn. Walkers based in Fort William can use the same approach, or could catch a bus to the distillery and follow the footpath behind the barrel store to merge with the track at NN132752, shortly before it turns uphill. The top of Five gully is mere yards from the Ledge Route cairn, and can be recognised by the steep rock of the north wall. Trend left to the crest and follow it downhill to a well-constructed cairn similar to that at the top of Number Four Gully. Keep to the crest, ignoring the odd section of intermittent path on the south side. Height Gained – 1300 metres, Distance – 8 km, Time –4-5 hours – ONE WAY ONLY. A sneaky start leads onto a sequence of sloping ledges, which allow passage across the steep southeast flank of Carn Dearg Buttress. Follow the higher ledge to the right passing a large pinnacle block to reach the easy angled crest of the Great Buttress of Carn Dearg by a large cairn. Whatever grade you climb, on a clear winter’s day you’ll enjoy this one for the scenery alone. Cyclists could reach the deer stile by following a forestry track from the Nevis Range Ski Centre at NN172775, but the uphill sections of this are loose and arduous; an alternative is simply to cycle to the NF car park, either via Torlundy or by taking the right turn off the A82 at NN121751 (for Rio Tinto, the aluminium works), crossing the railway and turning left instead of going over the level crossing. The ground here is often muddy but with care it is possible to walk the few metres out to the top of the pinnacle and look down the gully. That’s more, it is at a relatively low grade. Apart from one rounded step, the rest of the ridge is easy ground until a final steepening and an unsurmountable wall on the right, speckled with much whiteish lichen. They are bypassed by two longer versions of Ledge Route, described shortly. 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. In high summer, stay for the sunset because the light will last long enough to get down. But it’s still a lowly Grade II route. Finding the start isn't as straightforward, but a reliable method is to descend a depression due west of the low point of the ridge below the unnamed top on the way to Carn Beag Dearg. The conditions were snowy and icy from about 900m over sea level. The Pony track is about 700m to the south or follow the rim of the north face onto the summit of Ben Nevis. Guided ascent of Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis. On Friday 13th March 2015 I took my Phantom 2 drone fitted with a GoPro Hero 4 up onto the North Face of Ben Nevis to do some aerial filming. The cairn at the top (1214m) of Ledge Route is about a one-and-a-half kilometre walk from the summit of Ben Nevis and presents no difficulty on a clear day. Slightly south of it is a small forestry (ie private) car park, and a deer stile: The Intake Eleven deer stile at NN148750 is just over two miles NNW of the CIC hut and the well-made direct path linking the two also connects to the public North Face car park about one mile further north at NN145765, road access to which is signposted from Torlundy on the A82. However, that takes nothing away from its quality. All the main approaches to Ben Nevis from the north converge at it. Brilliant. The two buttress faces to the left of it are the upper and lower Moonlight Gully Buttresses, both of Moderate grade, the lower being characterised by a distinctive letterbox-like cave. We aim to ascend this classic and iconic route, and descend via Ledge Route to make a truly unforgettable day. The best way to make your way from Four Gully to Three is to follow the cliff-line fairly closely. It's a spectacular winter scramble, which sustains interest and offers amazing views. All the ledge routes are grade one (ie easy) scrambles, but the damp slabs demand respect in wet conditions: the line of least resistance follows a very faint crack system rightwards before breaking left, up, and out. Our day begins at the North Face car park where we begin the walk up to the CIC Hut. Be aware that there are several exposed areas around here, especially on top of the wall. Not everybody gets hungry on long days out, but taking at least a sandwich or some chocolate is sensible. Break right up a worn grassy slope to the crux slabs. ), which feels like a big mountain route. There is an unmade path downhill, boggy in places but easy enough to follow even after sunset. It reaches the Ledges after perhaps 200m and the cliff edge is about 150m further up the crest line. Weather conditions can change surprisingly quickly on high ground and wind speeds at height can easily exceed fifty knots, resulting in significant wind chill. Navigation is not difficult even in cloud, and consists of passing three major gully-tops in turn, counting down from Number Five to Number Three, at which point the tourist track is very close at hand. The devious, gently sloping Ledge Route approach via Coire na Ciste, as seen from the Tower Ridge below Ben Nevis. Ledge Route is a grade 1 (ie easy) scramble up the imposing north-east face of Ben Nevis in Highland Scotland. After the crossing head uphill trending well right, reaching Coire na Ciste as soon as is practical and heading for the distinctive lochan (pool) at the north end. mountains, Scotland, winter In summer, Ledge Route is a 450 metre grade 2 scramble that finishes at the summit of Carn Dearg, a 1221 metre subsidiary top of Ben Nevis. Wear boots, not sneakers/trainers, ideally with part-worn soles for improved grip. Click to draw, click on the last point to end drawing. And, on this full day trip, I would like to guide you along one of the easiest of those routes, the Ledge Route. I'd like tothough! This runs dry at height, and an intermittent path crosses and ascends left of (and occasionally entering) the now bouldered gully, leading to the north end of Coire na Ciste. The Ledge Route is the North Face of Ben Nevis for non-climbers. Follow it downhill (very slightly north of west initially) all the way to Glen Nevis. The Ledge Route will take you up the peak along its North face. Follow the path all the way down to where it joins the CIC path about a third of a kilometre south of the deer style. It is the least-resistant line through North Face, and begins by surmounting the rough slabs south-west of the CIC hut before dropping into and across a grassy corrie, crossing the watercourses low down and ascending the right bank, traversing a scree cone leftward and climbing slabs to the right of a deep gorge. Very near the top of the scree cone from Five, move 10m right along a grassy bank. This route is particularly recommended to strong parties intending to cross to Carn Mor Dearg via the arete below the summit of Ben Nevis, provided they've started early, because the combination tours almost the entire North-East Face. Kirkhope Mountaineering: Ben Nevis ledge route and the 3 Sisters - See 94 traveler reviews, 92 candid photos, and great deals for Fort William, UK, at Tripadvisor. The Ledge Route up Ben Nevis. It curves progressively right to reach Coire na Ciste, passing underneath the colossal Douglas Boulder (NN167718) and crossing a principle watercourse near and below an impressive steep-sided black gorge. In cloud you will very likely hear people on the path before you reach it, but in any case it is impossible to miss unless there is substantial snow on the ground. Ben Nevis has so many routes that there are several very goodguidebooks for the crags. This saves carrying a day's supply 2200ft (c. 700m) from sea level. It is not an easy route La course du Ben Nevis (en anglais : Ben Nevis Race) est une course de fell running reliant la ville de Fort William au sommet du Ben Nevis en Écosse. Die Gegend ist auf jeden Fall einmal eine Reise wert. Other browsers are no longer supported, infuriatingly. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. The CIC hut can be picked out 2000ft (600m) lower down. It is perfectly hideous, but decently well concealed too, fortunately. Coire na Ciste (unseen) is to the immediate left at half height; the Ledge Route scramble is on the central skyline. The awkward gully top mentioned above is that of the 35m Fives Gully (VDiff), not to be confused with the 450m (Number) Five Gully already described. (NB: The footpath from the NF car park is not marked on OS maps yet, but it is signed clearly enough). Ledge route of Ben Nevis, starting in Number 5 Gully and ascending part way, then swinging to the right, following the ledges below Carn Dearg, before topping out on Carn Dearg. The Ledge Route is the best Scottish II route on Ben Nevis. On a clear summer day there are outstanding views of the north-east face from this ridge. Die letzten paar Wochen waren wettermaessig wirklich "ungewoehnlich" in Schottland. It’s not a hard climb, but protection is infequent. The top of Five gully is mere yards from the Ledge Route … 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. T-shirt weather all day. It soons returns to west and after a few very simple rock problems, reaches the ledges. There is a choice of approaches to the deer stile from Fort William, the nearest town and a good place to obtain supplies and equipment. Intake Eleven, known to north-facers simply as "The Dam", is an aluminium company water intake tapping the Allt a' Mhuilinn (Mill Burn) at NN148751. Super Tour. from Rob Johnson - Filmuphigh PRO . This passes the top of a couple of minor gullies on the way (as well as some vertiginous drops), but Three Gully is easily identifiable by a large pinnacle dividing the gully-top. Search for: Brecon Beacons Walks ; Lake District Walks; Peak District Walks; Snowdonia Walks; South Downs Walks; Yorkshire Dales Walks; Log in; Register with Mud and Routes; Mud and Routes Main Menu. Approaching Ledge Route from Coire na Ciste, https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Ledge_Route_and_the_Carn_Mor_Dearg_Arete_(Ben_Nevis)&oldid=3842562, Articles without Wikipedia links (via Wikidata), Articles with Wikipedia links related to but different to article, Articles with Commons links related to but different to article, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This travel guide page was last edited at 08:41, on 7 September 2019 by Wikivoyage user. Britain's winter ridges, Ben Nevis Ridges, 3 star Scottish winter, Winter Aspirations, The Great Gumclub Ticklist, The Ultimate SUMC Ticklist, Easy 3 and 4 star Scottish winter routes, Scottish winter mountains with one axe., EUMC - Must do climbs, Ben Nevis Winter Grade I & II, STAUMC Ticklist, 4 Star Scottish Winter Ben Nevis: ledge route - See 2,457 traveler reviews, 2,373 candid photos, and great deals for Fort William, UK, at Tripadvisor. The most useful feature at the hut is the waterpoint, a black pipe that spews water drawn from above the sheep-line. It can hold cloud even when surrounding areas are bathed in sunshine, and clouds are damp even if it is not actually raining. Danke für die gute Beschreibung dieser Route. Better is to follow the ridge northwards, first to the subsidiary top Carn Dearg Meadhonach, then to the unnamed top halfway to the northernmost, Carn Beag Dearg. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Deine Route sieht auch nicht so überlaufen aus. The top is most easily negotiated by stepping down the first (eastmost) of two cracks on the right a few metres before the end of the approach wall and moving carefully along a thin ledge to the base of the second, from where a confident stride or short jump ends the difficulties. Our first mountaineering route in Scotland, done with Max Hunter, from Hunter Mountaineering. The top of Four Gully is marked by a large, well-constructed cairn built in 2012 by Martin McCrorie to replace an older summit post deemed unseemly by the John Muir Trust, custodians of the top half of Ben Nevis since June 2000. The route starts from the CIC Hut and so can be started proper from either Glen Nevis or the North Face Car Park. Lade den GPS-Track herunter und folge der Route auf einer Karte. Follow the crest of the … Beyond the gully an anti-clockwise downclimb and (highly exposed) traverse-return on the southern buttress headwall may interest very experienced scramblers. LEDGE ROUTE, BEN NEVIS Family group Lianne,Scott & Harry wanted a day on Ben Nevis but a more interesting route then 'just getting to the top'. Navigation is not difficult even in cloud, and consists of passing three major gully-tops in turn, counting down from Number Five to Number Three, at which point the tourist track is very close at hand. Schön, dass du die Route in den Bildern gekennzeichnet hast. The guidebooks give it four stars (instead of the usual maximum three). The approach is quite scenic, walking through the big mountain circus of Ben Nevis. Probably the best route of its grade on Ben Nevis (and perhaps in the UK), Ledge Route has a bit of everything. Free of snow it is graded an Easy climb. The CMD Arete is the classic hill walker's ascent of Ben Nevis that should be on every mountain walker's tick list along side Crib Goch, The Snowdon. It totals 450m of vertical climbing. At NN134753 either continue along a level path to the car park, or secure your bike here and walk uphill following the main track SE and then ENE, turning left twice on the way to reach a bridge just below Intake Eleven itself, where the path from the NF car park emerges from the plantation. An even longer version of this approach begins with a southern and then south-western scramble over slabs and, later, scree, from the CIC hut, initially heading as if to gain Tower Ridge from West Gully. … Plus, the Ledge Route is considered a one way route by … Ledge Route on Ben Nevis is one of the best ways up Britain’s highest mountain in winter. As is usual for north face gullies, the top pitch of Five is the most awkward, but quite near the bottom is the slightly tricky Fork pitch. 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