Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2022
- An ascent of Scotland's highest mountain. Ben Nevis 1345m, (4,413ft), via the Cárn Mór Dearg (CMD) Arête 1220m (4,003ft).
Starting from the North Face Car Park in Torlundy just on the outskirts of Fort William. An easy walk in through the forest track which is well sign posted for the North Face and CIC hut.
The navigation is easy and the route straightforward.
once off the normal track and making your way up CMD, the route becomes a little rougher and boggier under foot. Progress is good though and there's even a very good water source after 800m. If I'd known this I wouldn't have taken so much water with me to this point.
There is a large (false) summit prior to ascending the main summit of Corn Mór Dearg called Cárn Dearg Meadhonach which offers outstanding views of the main summit on clear days.
Once at the top of CMD you realise the grandeur of the area with fantastic vistas in all directions. Particular attention is drawn to the Arête which is mighty impressive from here. The ridge starts easy enough and doesn't pose too many problems, even offering bypass paths often. Good balance and a head for heights is required. The ridge is a long one and takes a good amount of time to traverse the whole lot. The main bulk of the work is dine when a large built cairn is reached at what I can only assume is the start of Ben Nevis.
The climb up to Ben Nevis is intimidating from a far. This side looks steep and unrelenting. Once on this section you'll realise that these fears are unfounded and other than being a thigh burner, its less difficult than the ridge you just traversed.
Reaching the summit of Ben Nevis you'll more than likely be greeted by the usual crowds of people, fortunately Ben Nevis' summit is huge and there's plenty room for all. Care does have to be taken here especially in thick clay as there is huge unsuspecting drops on the North face particularly!
The descent down the Pony Track is the usual the so many people have heard about. Busy and long! But once done, the achievement of the day sets in and pride in ones work is established!
This was a great hike, one of my best and I thoroughly recommend this.
OS Explorer 392
Fort William
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Was looking for a vid with nice footage of the scenery, 2 minutes in im also partying. 🎉🕺one of the best videos of the ones of Ben Bevis ive watched so far. This deserves 10 to a 100 times more views. Ive been to Fort Williams a couple of years ago when i visited scotland, didnt try to get on the top as there wasnt any time for it. Recently im itching with Fernweh (the pain you feel when you wish to be somewhere else) and been grinding videos about hiking to the top of Ben Nevis.
What a great comment! This hike is truly a great experience and I would always recommend saving it for the perfect conditions, because it deserves it! I hope when you get to go that everything fits for you! All the very best of luck on your future travels! Thanks for watching 😊
Hi great video by the way 👍 I just did it 18/06/24 I started and finished at north face car park ! Took me 10 hrs ! Had some great encouragement along the way by other walkers and their dog 😆 some fantastic views ! Sprained my ankle on way down ( incorrect footwear ) so hobbled last hour !!😵💫 great sense of achievement getting climb ticked off list !! Just wanted to thank Andy , billie & mike ! Really helped me !!
Hi Gary, thanks for the great comment. Sounds like you had quite a memorable day. Hopefully your recovery is quick. Thanks for watching. ATB. 😊
Gary what was the incorrect footwear you wore please? Were you wearing approach shoes? Hope you are better and well done. I'm doing it this Saturday
@@marcnikolai hi marc
I wore Salomon speed cross 6 which have great grip on the rocks 👍 route very boggy lower down ! They were fine dealing with bogs going up but coming down 8/9 hours later when my legs were like jelly not so much !! In hindsight I would recommend a lightweight boot/ shoe with ankle support to deal with any off track hiking that may arise . I know you’re in for an awesome hike 💪let me know how it goes! Oh and don’t forget your sandwiches like I did 😭😆
@@GaryBurns-l2c that's very helpful indeed thank you. left my midweight Lowas at home 🙁 but am taking a pair of heavy Meindls. I might pack my Speedcross (4) for the ridge.
@@marcnikolai makes sense to me 👍enjoy
The best CMD vid I've seen on CZcams,drone footage was top notch and a cracking soundtrack to boot,thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much. It truly was a great hike and one I'm sure I'll repeat in the future. Thanks again for watching. ATB.
Watched this about ten times. Amazing 😊😊❤
Spectacular drone work! Love it!
Thanks so much! Was a nervous few flights in that wind but thankfully managed to land it safely! 😂 thanks for watching! 😊
Well done!! Great video.Always fancied this route.🙌🙌🙌
Thanks for the comment Amanda. The route is well worth it. Especially if you get the views! Thanks for watching. 😊
Awesome video, well done. I did it many years ago and your video brought back some great memories ... 👍
Thanks Phil! Hopefully fond memories! It is truly one of the great hikes in Scotland and i'm glad my humble wee video brought back memories for you. Thanks for watching. ATB.
Watched many videos on this route this is the best I’ve seen this is on the list to do two in one just need to get the boy’s onboard thanks for sharing your vlog great source for me
I appreciate the great comment William. I took a bit of time planning this vid as I know how important it was to portray this walk in the right way. Thanks again for watching. ATB.
Enjoyed that video and drone footage was excellent. Well done. I'm planning this route next Sunday 🤞
Thanks for the lovely comment. Let us know how you get on next Sunday and I hope the video helped you in some way. Thanks for watching. ATB.
Thanks, i have a good idea now of the CMD arete. Great video
Amazing footage m8. Brilliant video well done 👏
Thanks so much for watching Craig! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Congratulations Stevie. I could tell at the start of this hike you looked a bit nervous. Well done for getting it done, you certainly got a cracking day for it.
Thanks so much mate. Couldn’t have asked for better weather. I absolutely loved every minute of it!! Thanks for watching. ATB.
Thank You 💐 🕊 ❣️ 🔥 😊 🙏
New sub.....some seriously epic drone footage in this.
Thanks so much for the great comment… and the sub. Really enjoyed filming this one. Thanks for watching. ATB
Fantastic
Great video. Well done mate
Thanks so much mate. Enjoyed making that one. ATB
Well done, great video really enjoyed that.
On my way back next week to hopefully bag some more munros.
Definitely want to do this route one day, once I've got a bit more experience 👍🏴
Thanks for the comment Peter. This route is a cracker and well worth the effort!! Happy Munro Bagging for next week! Thanks for watching. ATB. 😊
I've done it three times in both directions solo and in actual fact its the 'best' route ontae Big Ben 🙌 👌. Its a great view when you step out of the tree-line from Torlundy and see the Ben Nevis that the tourists don't see on the Donkey Track. Great thing is you can join them or better still leave them all behind at Half Way Lochan and take the quiet route back to Torlundy.
Thanks so much for your great comment. I think you're absolutely right. This is by far the best route but would be even better to slope off from the half way lochan. Circumstances didn't allow for me to do it this time but will definitely be considered for the next! Thanks for watching ATB.
Wow!! Stunning video and views. Well done! I did Ben Nevis for first time on 2nd October via tourist path. Nice day but fog at the summit obscuring the views at the top sadly. Was truly a great experience though. You got a fabulous day for it! 💚🥾🥾
Thanks so much for the lovely comment Corina. Yeah, i was very lucky that day to get a view from the top. Previous summits of mine weren’t so good. Any time on the hills is good in my opinion. Well done on your summit too! Thanks for watching, ATB.
Looking forward to this one , 2 of my most wanted hikes this one and the bookle ,
The Buachaille is next week! I'll post a link after this vid airs. Hope you enjoys it.
Well Done! Done Ben Nevis 10 times now , twice by the CMD Arete mostly solo but also as a group chatity leader twice and once in a three piece suit at midnight.Google It! 😂 My favourite route is from Torlundy and I recently changed a friends opinion of The Ben as 'boring' by showing them this route. No doubt do it all again 2024. 🎉
Superb bro 👌 nicely done
Thank you 😊
Brilliant thanks. Fantastic watch. Who sings the tune please...... its awesome 😊
Be mine by Offenbach and Wicked Ones by Dorothy. Had these tunes saved especially for this vid 😜
@@mountainspeak390 Thanks so much
Love the video, amazing scenery.
How did the Free Hikers work out? Are they a bit less stiff than usual boots?
Hi mate. I didn't wear my FreeHikers on this hike I used the Trailmakers. Both are great boots but the FreeHikers have much less ankle support and given that there's a LOT of uneven surfaces on that ridge I figured these might be better. The one thing I will say about the FreeHikers is that the grips are so soft and grippy but wear out very fast. I now only use these for day to day walks. Thanks for the great comment and thanks for watching. ATB.
Hi awesome video with some amazing drone footage. Just wondering what month is it in the video. Wanting to do this route but want to avoid snow. Thanks
Hi @strafeyfn5717. Thanks for the great comment. This was done in July the day before the hottest day of the year. I think the temp at sea level hit 30°C that day and there was still snow at the North Face of Nevis!
Great vid I've got this route penciled in very detailed and great views. I will be camping on CMD so good to know there's water up there and the arete looked ok it's the wind that puts me off with the bigger backpack on so those little bypass routes come in handy
Hi Craig, it’s definitely “doable” with a slightly bigger pack but as you say, the wind will play a big part. There would always be the option to back track if the wind became an issue. Good luck 😉 and thanks for watching. ATB.
Great video. How long is the ridge in terms of distance? Cheers
Hi Terry. The ridge, from the summit of CMD to the cairn at the start up Ben Nevis is around 1.5km. As ridges go, it’s a decent length! Thanks for the great question, and for watching. ATB. 😊
This was a fantastic video, im going next week via cmd route was just wondering can you easily get lost or is it a simple straight forward route
Hi @k33tokhan25. The route is fairly straightforward and well pathed pretty much all the way to Ben Nevis. I would say though, if there’s low cloud level it could become very disorienting and you could get off track easily. If the weather is clear you shouldn’t have an issue till Nevis. At Nevis it’s a little undefined in places and you may need the help of GPS and a map. This is all very weather dependent and if the weather is poor and you are unsure I would wait till a clearer day. Have fun, stay safe, and thanks for watching.
@@mountainspeak390 thankyou so much for heads up. Keep up good work
8:53 are their various routes? I saw people take much steeper routes directly up to the arête
Hi @daniellondon. Yes there are various routes up to Carn Mor Dearg summit and eventually the arête. This one is the most straight forward. The others may require more careful navigation. 🧭 thanks for the great question. ATB.
Great video as always mate, correct me if i’m wrong but it didn’t look the exposure was anything too hairy? I’m still not sure how i’ll cope with sheer drops or huge exposure.. i’ve already done Nevis but am keen to do this route too!
Hi Paul, thanks for the comment. I guess it comes down to weather really. If you took that out of the equation then I would say the exposure isn’t too bad, but even on the day I did it, the wind caught me a few times by gusting past. When that happens you do feel quite vulnerable. I would say give it a crack if you feel experienced enough and comfortable with heights. Although I will say, it’s a very long ridge!
Top video mate. Drone footage is amazing. I’m planning to do this route in the next couple of week with the dog. Was there any parts of the route you thought would be a bit too risky for our K9 friends?
Dogs are always more capable than we give them credit for, however it would definitely depend on the breed. There are some sections where even I at 6’2” was stretched. My dog Luna 🐕 I believe would manage it and she’s a medium sized dog. Hope this helps and best of luck. ATB. 😉
Brilliant video mate. The drone footage was amazing thanks for sharing 👍 The boots you are wearing are they any good and would you recommend them, what Adidas range are they? Thanks loved the music too 👍
Thanks so much for the kind words Paul, the boots are Adidas Terrex trail makers. Here's the link. www.adidas.co.uk/terrex-trailmaker-mid-gore-tex-hiking-shoes/GV8954.html Thanks for watching. ATB
@@mountainspeak390 thanks mate, keep up the good work 👍
Excellent. Would you recommend some sort of water purification/sterilisation if you used the burn water?
Super nicely done m8 that drone handed the wind like a champ what is it a DJI Mavic ? Im into drones also but build my own just doing my research before setting of on some adventures.. new sub from me 🤙
Great to have you on board @serval_fpv. It’s a Mavic Air 2S. Did really well. Gusting upwards of 25mph over the ridge but handled it well. Had to keep a close eye on the battery though! 😂 🪫 thanks for watching and more dronage to come! 😜
@@mountainspeak390 aye DJI top of the game best on the market.. the aerial footage just makes the views you see that little bit better. Keep up the good work fella 🤙
This video is amazing and so inspirational. I’m aiming to do Ben Nevis in august and as a novice hiker would you recommend still doing this trail?
It looks amazing.
Hi @amnanoor6191. Thanks so much for your kind words. This trail is definitely more difficult than the standard tourist route but very rewarding. I’m not sure what level you’re at hiking wise but this is quite technical in places and a good head for heights would be required. Lastly, if there’s a hint of poor weather I wouldn’t recommend it as a novice. I definitely lucked out on my hike! Let me know how you get on!!! Good luck 🤞🏻
@@mountainspeak390I just did the cmd arête route on Saturday. First ridge I’ve ever hiked. It was definitely difficult but worth it. The views were amazing and the weather was great. I really enjoyed it despite being anxious. It was great fun 😊
@@amnanoor6191 absolutely amazing! Glad you enjoyed your hike. Thanks again for watching. ATB.
Would recommend doing it late April early May where you've got a chance of the best weather fronts for clear blue skies and spectacular views which I was lucky to get.💙 👌 It's all about the weather front to get the best experience August is OK too. Bagged some great days in August
How good is wild camping at the north face car park.
Hi, how long did this route take you from start to finish?
Hi @rolando4002, this took me 7.5hrs with filming and a decent lunch stop. ;)
@@mountainspeak390 I see, thanks for much for your reply. I'll be doing cmd in may and some info online was telling me it would take around 9-11 hours not sure why.
@@rolando4002 these things are always open to interpretation. I suppose it all depends on how quick a hiker you are and how many stops you take.
Would be interested to know where you left the path to the CIC hut ?
Hi @salsageordie. Apologies for the delay in replying. I didn’t actually get near the CIC hut. I’ve attached the route link for you to look at on OS Maps. Let me know if there’s anymore information I can give you. Thanks for watching. ATB. explore.osmaps.com/route/16801195/ben-nevis-via-cmd