Adventure Awaits

Ben Nevis is a mountain in Scotland that I have visited several times. This particular mountain is the highest in Scotland at about 4,400 feet. Several years ago on my first trip to the mountain I went with a group of friends to hike to the top. We caravanned together to Fort William, a small city in the mountains where we started and ended our hike. Everyone in the group talked about the excitement they were feeling about climbing to the highest peek in Scotland and the United Kingdom. Reaching the top would be the biggest challenge we faced in several years. We eagerly anticipated the views we would see from the trail as we ascended the mountain looking back to where we came from. Maybe there will be waterfalls, as well, to enjoy as we climb.
Located at the foot of the trail was Ben Nevis Inn where we lodged for two nights. The inn’s location was the perfect place for the group to start the adventure. Upstairs was a pub where hikers and guests of the inn could stop to enjoy a nice cooked meal and a pint of beer after a day of hiking. Downstairs was a hostel with capacity to sleep twenty-four people. The hostel had three open areas which accommodated eight people with four sets of wooden bunk beds in each area. The bed was surprisingly comfortable with the small mattress that was provided. Each person had to bring their own pillow and sleeping bag or sheets and blankets as they were not provided. The showers and toilets did not have separate areas for women and men but at least there were doors for some sense of privacy. The bathrooms were located on one side of the sleeping area and on the other side was a kitchen and sitting room.
The morning of the hike started with a light fog and a chill in the air. After breakfast we packed enough food and water in our backpacks for eight hours, not knowing how long it would take to reach the top and return. We started the hike walking through a meadow where sheep would graze but none were in sight. We had to climb over several rock fences using a ladder that was built onto the fence for the hiker’s use. As we walked, the area went from the meadow to mossy tundra to rocky outcropping to a desolate area--no trees just rocks and boulders with small patches of grass growing between the gaps in the rocks. It’s amazing how plants thrive in areas where conditions are not amiable for growth. We would stop and admire the small waterfalls cascading down the mountain. We watched as the water flowed over a ledge and splattered on the rocks below and rejoined the water flow continuing to the next ledge displaying a chorus of beauty. Waterfalls have always fascinated me; watching the water spray as it hits the ground and hearing the roar as the water continues it journey.
About four miles into the hike, we came to stairs built into the rock that seemed to go on and on. It must have taken about 30 minutes to climb the stairs. At the top of the stairs we reached the base of Ben Nevis and the start of our ascent to the top. The trail was made using a zigzag pattern called switchbacks. The ground became steeper as we hiked the switchbacks challenging our minds to overcome the pain and discomfort our muscles and lungs were experiencing. As we progressed up the trail the sun was in full force with no trees for shade. We did not need the shade to block the heat of the sun due to the temperature plummeting as we went higher but because the sun was in our face at times and would be nice to have a tree or two for cover. Next trip sunglasses would be a necessity.
Some of us stopped to catch our breath and to look around to take in the beauty of the landscape. The city had become very small from our vantage point and the cars below barely perceivable. There was a small lake about half a mile off the trail situated between two small mountains. The lake had a smooth surface like glass and I could see the clouds reflected as they passed by. As the mountain trail went steeper Vince, the oldest on the trip, needed to stop more frequently to catch his breath. At the switchback turns there were benches for people to stop and rest. At the benches we would take the opportunity to talk with other hikers--no particular conversation just about the views and desires to reach the top. Closer to the top the ground leveled off and was snow-covered. We walked through the snow and at times was knee deep making it hard to stay on the trail.
After four hours of hiking we finally reached the summit. We quickly forgot how our bodies felt and with jubilation we congratulated ourselves for the accomplishment. Walking on the top we found a stone marker with a metal plate inscribed with the location and elevation marked the highest point on the mountain. We all had our photo taken at the marker to prove we were there. There was also a small windowless building where we took shelter from the cold and wind and ate lunch. While enjoying the moment of standing at the top of Scotland taking in the beauty of the view, the clouds moved in and obscured the view. We were in the clouds. It was time to start the hike back down.
We started the trek down following the same path we came up. In two hours we arrived back at Ben Nevis Inn. The journey down the mountain was hard on the legs from the jarring of stepping down. After a nice hot shower we went upstairs to the Pub for dinner and had the best hot lamb stew ever with a pint of Scottish ale. We felt recovered and ready for the next adventure: a drive to Loch Ness.