Walk Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from Achintee, Fort William
A different side of the UK's Highest Mountain - not for the faint hearted
This 12¼ mile, Grade 9 (Very Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Fort William & will take you about 10 hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | h137 | |
| Length: | 12¼ miles (19.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 5333 ft (1625m) | |
| Time: | 10 hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Route outline for this walk:
Fort William - Achintee - Glen Nevis - The Ben Nevis Tourist Path - The Pony Track - Allt na H-Urchaire (Red Burn) - Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe - Allt a' Mhuilinn - Carn Dearg Meadhonach (Carn Mor Dearg) - Carn Mor Dearg - Carn Mor Dearg Arete (CMD Arete) - Ben Nevis - Ben Nevis Tourist Path - Coire Ghaimhnean (Five Finger Gully) - Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe - Achintee - Fort William
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
Despite the fact thousands of people safely climb Ben Nevis every year, the mountain should never be under estimated. The wide tourist path can soon be obliterated by snow making route finding very difficult for the inexperienced. Deep and precipitous crags to the north & west await the careless.
The Carn Mor Dearg arete is a narrow airy ridge with steep drops on either side. It should be avoided in thick weather.
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 2 Munros |
 0 Corbetts |
 0 Grahams |
 2 Murdos |
 0 Donalds |
 2 Scottish Marilyns |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Ben Nevis at 1344m (4411ft). Ben Nevis is classified as a Munro (No. 1) and a Scottish Marilyn (Highest in Scotland, Highest in the UK). Ben Nevis is also known as a Murdo (Highest in Scotland). Ben Nevis means 'Poisonous Mountain' and is pronounced 'byn nevis'.
The summit of Ben Nevis is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point, cairn, shelter & ruins. Ben Nevis is the highest point in the county of Highland, the highest point in the Grampian Mountains, the highest point in Scotland, the highest point in the United Kingdom, the highest point in Great Britain and the highest point in The British Isles.
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Carn Mor Dearg at 1220m (4004ft). Carn Mor Dearg is classified as a Munro (No. 9) and a Scottish Marilyn (6th highest in Scotland, 6th highest in the UK). Carn Mor Dearg is also known as a Murdo (11th highest in Scotland). Carn Mor Dearg means 'Big Red Hill' and is pronounced 'caarn more jerrack'.
The summit of Carn Mor Dearg is marked by a cairn.
You will also reach the summit of Carn Dearg Meadhonach (Carn Mor Dearg) at 1179m (3869ft). Carn Dearg Meadhonach (Carn Mor Dearg) is Unclassified
Be Adventure Smart
If walking in the Lake District (and anywhere else) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself 5 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR for the day?
- Do I have enough FOOD & DRINK for the day?
- Do I have all the ESSENTIAL ITEMS for the day?
Note that there is no mobile phone or WiFi coverage in many parts of the Lake District
A dedicated GPS Device can be a good navigational aid, but only if you know how to use it properly. See The Myths and Truths about GPS for Walking and Hiking
You can find this walk and other nearby walks on these unique Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
(worth a look if you're new to go4awalk.com & have never seen one of these before.)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from Achintee, Fort William
In no particular order . . .
On the Carn Mor Dearg Arete with Fort William and Loch Eil far below in the distance
. . . load all 124 pictures & photos from this walk
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