"The top is half way." Wise words.

Maybe because the tourist route is so well marked, inexperienced people often underestimate this climb. Even in good weather it's a real physical challenge, where even in summer you'll encounter liying snow, and summit conditions that are potentially very dangerous. Great advice, Abbie, have a great Christmas!

I did this in the 80s shortly after arriving in the U.K. It was a good day in spring. Nice, brisk walk, but I had just come off the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, so I was as fit as a buckrat and needed to work off the stodgy pub food I'd been gorging on!

Abbie. your enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you for putting your videos up and inspiring people like me to get outside. I'm glad there are people like you in the world.

When I was coming down from Scaefell Pike, I kept telling people that the cafe at the top was closed.

Just watched your very emotional and brave journey to top of Ben Nevis . Inspirational 🫶

Thank you Abbie, I feel better prepared now. I know it won't be easy to do this climb (planning for April 2023) but with your good advice, I have a better chance now...2 BIG thumbs up!!👍👍

New Subby 🏃‍♂️ I'm doing Nevis in July. I've done Snowdon when I was 10 years younger. Underestimated the weather on Snowdon in May time. Cold,wet,hailstones and cheap trekking gear did not help. I learnt a valuable lesson and 100% wont make that mistake again. Cant wait to do Nevis thanks for this. I will now watch over time your older vlogs.👍🏼😎 Happy New Year 🥂

You are such an inspiration Abbie, I’m so unfit on hills and I’m doing Ben Nevis in July..I’m doing 5/10 Mile walks a day just now and in a walking group and pacing and practicing up the Humphrey hills just now to get in practice with breathing as I struggle with that, so your videos are helping me so much .thank you...also watching a film Eadie is such an inspiration too

I also carry a whistle (three, three second blasts is the international emergency call), I bet you do too. Also two pairs of socks can prevent blisters.

The humans I seen when we walked up and down were unbelievable. Even a lad in BAREFOOT. I saw white trainers and jeans. I seen elderly to ladies with toddlers. Absolute madness. Glad we set off just after 7am,but you pass all the unprepared walkers on the decent as they are climbing.

Flip Abbie, nice thorough run through. Good advice for any peak. I started packing in my 40s and I went straight to trekking poles. I wouldn’t be without them. They really keep my upright while descending. Tallest summit I ever climbed was over 12,000 feet. The weather was great but it was a brutal hike. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Thanks Abbie for a very helpful video - much appreciated! Some sort of Mountain Guide / Leadership course material showing through! Finally someone who understands, values and uses a Wind Shirt - super breathable wind stopping layer of almost no weight - keeps your warmth from being blown away (for most people put this over a regular fleece mid layer when the wind starts to blow) yet the breathability of the fabric keeps you dry - and keeping dry is the real secret to keeping warm and comfortable! My only other comment - think of any hiking trip in stages, end each stage with something visually distinctive (on or very near the intended trail), then you can mentally tick off the Way Points as you reach them, then if you get lost between Way Points you at least know your last definite navigation point of reference to get back to, or refer to as you call in help! (And much better to return to a known point than stumble on getting even more lost - perhaps into danger...) as a family man - I've got a map laid out the day or two before and working out Way Points on the trail together means if I go down - family can be my support crew... Keep up the good work Abbie!

A fried of mine served in the military and recommend sticks to me. He wished he had used them 30 years ago since his knees would be in much better nick now. Glad I am using them in my 20s.

In winter condition's the weather at the summit can be extreme. First time I went up conditions while walking up were fine -5C and clear sky's, top 500M required crampon's. When we hit the top the wind hit us, it hit us hard, I think about force 9, with wind chill about -45C, Quick look look around and head down rapidly. A great day out.

I wanted to do Yr Wyddfa for a long time but wasn't sure I could (negative self belief, anxiety etc). I'd done Pen Y Fan many times, and, more recently, the Camarthen Fans but still doubted myself ...then I found your channel and, after watching many of your videos (and with support from my gym PT), I just did it ❣️ It was the most incredible experience ever!!! I took my time, had plenty of rests and snacks and was blessed with clear skies. and breathtaking views from the top - thank you❣️ I'm watching this video as I have an idea that I'd like Ben Nevis now 😀 For me it's all about the scenery and feeling calm, and whole in nature. I'm not sure when/if I'll do it but, when I do please know that it will be largely because of you and this video ❣️x

Excellent video. I felt for you when you started panicking! I've been there. It always gets me when I don't know where I am. You did really well. You got some big balls girl.

The top is only half way. I love that. How tough would it be for a 4 year old French Bulldog. He needs this 1 to complete his 3 peaks challenge.

I was going to attempt this tomorrow morning but you have put me off which is undoubtedly a good thing...

Abbie thank you for this fantastic informative vid! Ben Nevis is my challenge for summer time I shall keep in mind and pack up all the stuff youve mentioned. Thank you and let the adventure begin🤗

Good advice ... we / I always take time to enjoy the walk / climb up and down mountains, hills, along the coast / beaches etc.

What a great video on preparing to climb Ben Nevis. Full of very useful information and it gave me great insight in how to prepare, take, and what to expect of the mountain. Your enthusiasm and passion clearly shines through and your positivity is abundant. Thanks for the informative video!!

Another great post as always Abbie, may I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas a happy new year and thank you for all the visual delights and journeys that you have shared with us this year, I very much look forward to more of the same in the new one !

Many thanks for this, Abbie. Triff, as always. 😊

Me and some friends climbed it in July. The weather was fantastic we had clear views at the summit which was incredibly lucky. We were well prepared though just in case as you say in your video. It’s the only mountain I’ve climbed where I’ve not needed to put any extra layers on but like I said we were very lucky. Love the videos, keep them coming please

Thanks for all that you do dude

Excellent and interesting video, Abbie. As I hiked Ben Nevis I learned never to wear cotton again whilst hiking and I learned never to hike on mountains without a walking stick. Up on the tourist I was really quick but hiking down without a walking stick took me 1,5 hours longer than up. ATB

Get your vest and long johns on lol..then t shirt..then thin jumpers; yes layers are best to keep warm.

Such good advice Abbie! 👍

Brilliant blog Abbie - informative even though I am an experienced hiker - stay wild yourself

You are a Legend. Well done ...Abbie:) Happy Christmas from Wiltshire. Sandy

i attemted in may 2008 a couple of months after my grandad died. he was an avid hill walker. we got to the 1st cairns near the top and a blizzard rolled in i could barely read my map so we decided to turn back. the path was very slipery and we didn't have cramp-ons so we ended up sliding down on out bums great fun we had such a laugh! i've been promising myself i'll go back on day ever since! maybe this summer?!

Hi There ..... Great video .... i have done The way of Saint James .... and im planning to do Ben Nevis this year .... thanks for the video ... keep it up

Lovely informative video as always. Thanks for all your advice. This is one of the better channels and you deserve more subs.. You are also very beautiful too which is a extra. Keep it up..

I really do love this woman she gives me hope that girls can do the impossible that if you have the right mind set you can do it I am doing this on the weekend! X

Excellent video as always. A lot of the list of items to use and wear is pertinent to all of the Munro’s. Well done on the video,Abby, I think you covered all the points very well. Never underestimate what can happen on a mountain and how good weather at the bottom doesn’t mean good weather at the top. Your check list is identical to mine. I always take a bivy shelter and foil blanket with me on any mountain trek, ( not needed it yet but you never know...if you do need it you will REALLY need it....).

This is excellent peparation for Everest basecamp.

Thanks alot for sharing, planning on my first hike on next months 😅

Wow what a really nice person . Thank you extreamly helpful

Great video abs i see so many people out on the hill some prepared some not. Ive even seen couples carrying babies up on their shoulders

Great Advice Abbie, for all my experience I've been caught out a few times, Assumption of the weather and kit is easily done, my dumbest was a 20 min wait on ben nevis for the rest of the group, a wet cotton Tshirt and an old Haglofs jacket was not the best idea!

👍 Merry Christmas and God bless ✌️

Another inspiring video Abbie, Thank you.

Nice video. Your advice could easily apply to our highest Mountain Carrauntoohil here in southwest Ireland. Its location close to the Atlantic the Weather can change fast. While it's a 1000feet lower then Ben Nevis it's a steep but well worth it.

Brilliant help all in one place thank you

Thanks Abbie You're the fist person to look for as you gave the information or know where to go to get said information thanks as I always say neither 1 to put on to do list heres hopeing 2020 is better for all and time to start planning some trips ps have you down the mendip hills.... regards Andy x

Your a true inspiration. Stay cool xx

I would love to tackle Ben Nevis but I know I'm not ready. I'd rather wait till I'm confident I'll be ok than risk it due to me being impatient... Remember - it'll be there for many years after you've long gone, there's no rush. 👍

Thank you great advice.

Lovely and super informative video Abbie. I'm planning my first Ben Nevis climb next summer and as always this has been very useful. Have a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year . Stay Wild :)

Good sound advice and worth listening to.

Merry Christmas Abbie hope you have a great time. Already looking forward to many more video’s next year.

Hey Abbie I've stumbled upon your channel through watching Mt Everest vids which I'm fascinated over atm. I must say I'm hooked watching your vids and I'm not even a Walker. So guess what my new years resolution is going g to be? No not to climb Mt Everest lol but just get up in the morning make my bed and get out there walking. Thanks to you.

Thanks for the great video abs...stumbled across your channel recently, quality content thank you for sharing your travels ,subbed 👍👍👍

Thanks for that, Merry Xmas to you and your family, see you next year :)

Good advice. Thanks! Synthetic? Abbie, what do you think "Baaaaaaa!" means? The sheeps are trying to tell us something important, wool, not plastic (and beef not mutton....) I dug deep in my wallet and bought merino wool. It's warmer and cooler, and doesn't stink. But yeah, if you'll be home with a washing machine in a day or two then synthetic will do. And your advice of bringing extra layers, that you can share? Great advice and true outdoor spirit. re: waterproof gloves. The vast majority of waterproof gloves that I've purchased were not in the least waterproof. (I actually avoid anything that says Northface because of all the fakes in China. Really not fare to them.) I get really cold fingers and feet, so I test items for both of these before I head out. My preference is mittens that flip off to become fingerless gloves--but I have cold fingers and feet, most people do a lot better than me. For hiking though, I prefer mittens. I always bring a wool scarf. Handy even in mid summer. Best thermostat. Walking sticks. You've got the right ones. I've got two pairs of the old style long ones. They're just always in the way when not being used. So I bought compact ones like yours. When they're not needed they disappear into the rucksack. And change the lengths! If you're climbing, they probably need to be shortened, if your descending they probably need to be lengthened. When I was in Japan no one was changing the length. It was mind boggling. Here I was a total git (and American) and I was clearly getting better balance and support, and having no problems quickly changing the length--and no one caught on. (In China if you do something no one's ever considered, just about everyone will at least give it a go. I did a thing with my Nikon to take panoramic photos to stitch later. The next day people all over town were doing it. But like Japan they still knew I was a git and American....) A good item that weighs nothing for a first aid kit is a sling. Just a triangle of lightweight fabric. A common injury for people falling forward is to crack a clavicle bone. It's really really uncomfortable without a sling and it'll be the worst part of even a series of injuries (I know). A sling is easy to use, very helpful and makes that long walk back down much much better. Anything else, like unbuttoning a shirt, half zip jacket....better than nothing but a sling and your Doc Martin--but with a smile. Variations on the emergency shelter: Those inexpensive emergency bivies. The more likely use will be for someone who gets injured to keep their body heat until mountain rescue arrives, but they're good for an unplanned overnight. Another variation that everyone should have: a couple of large heavy duty trash can liners. Also heavy plastic bags for your feet. We used to carefully slide our feet in plastic bags into our shoes on cold wet days. Keeps your feet warm and dry. Not to be thought of as a regular solution. I've camped in a bivy sack and sleeping bag at 10000 feet in Japan in a blowing rain storm. Best night of my life. You don't need a tent, to be cozy you need a sleeping bag you can keep dry. To survive a big trash bag--won't be the best night of your life, but it also won't be your last. I memorized: From the peak cairn on Ben Nevis: compass 150 degrees, 100 meters, then head 230 degrees until you pick up the trail down (the pony/tourist path). Any doubts--stop. It's easy to walk off Ben. I love kayaking in the fog, but after 14 years I have yet to be able to follow a compass setting in the fog without staring at the compass-- and I know a lot of tricks. I remember going up Ben Nevis, cairn, cairn, cairn, oh that's the big one at the peak, but there's another cairn just ahead, what's over there.... That was part of the cliff face, not a cairn. In the fog it looked like one. I made a joke about 'cornices'. I was halfway back down when I realized, duh--of course there would be snow cornices on the peak. And girls (and some of us guys) do not use loose tissue as panty liners. I was being a good nature lover picking these up until someone told me what they were. They fall out, they will always fall out. No sticky patch? It's the same as throwing them on the ground. Food. I'm a keto person now. But keep in mind, when you hit the wall and you think 'I need something to eat.' You really don't, but you'll feel a boost from a snack. But if you run out of snacks and you're lost and hours over due and you think you might starve to death? Not even close. When a little kid 'hits the wall' they get all 'I'm gonna die....' After you hit the wall, which is depleting all the sugar in your muscles and liver, your body just starts burning fat. You slow down a bit and initially you feel desperate for carbs, but you can keep going for days if need be. Sure bring snacks, but when you run out, you're not at risk of anything. (every pound of body fat is 3500 calories, almost two days, or 1 day of hiking. If you're 10% fat everyone calls you skinny. If you weigh 120 lbs, that means you have 12 pounds of fat you can burn. That's at least 12 days of wandering lost around beautiful wilderness. ) If your knee(s) hurt, before you go: look into illial-tibial-band syndrome. I was amazed that what I thought was a serious knee injury (I hobbled by the end of my Nevis hike) is actually just knots in your hip, butt or thigh. I went from barely being able to walk to fixing this problem with my coffee thermos mug. Sorry to go on so much.

Thanks......Merry Christmas to you and yours from Me and mine =-)

Thank you, that was very helpful!

Great!

Sound advice abbie..merry Christmas n God bless..

Great tips! you should also do a small vid on how you shoot your footage....it's very good quality! Bravo!

Good onya Abbie. Happy Christmas.

Well done, Abbie. 😉Merry Christmas. 🎄🙂

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ABBIE GOD BLESS AND TAKE CARE.

Thanks

Want to climb this one. You are beautiful..remember you see som thing amazing each tomorrow.

Abbie, this is a brilliant video. Thank you for making it. What sort of physical prep do you think is needed? If someone is generally reasonably fit but not massively sporty, what would you advise?

Superb 👌

Merry Christmas!

Love your leather hat. Can I assume that it did not come with that peak, and you pinched and folded it over time?

Great video! I will be there in April, so this was very helpful. One question: what would you say is the average time spent on the mountain? Knowing the potential length of the hike would be valuable info for me.

Hahaha yea take pictures in the mist, my summit picture is 3 misty unrecognizable figures at the curn.

Hi great vid, just out of interest What is the size of your ruck sac to pack all your n gear in plz ?

Just watched your video on the CMD arete Abbie, don't you think climbing it via the tourist route you don't get to see the true mountain ? 1st time i'd went up i'd went up the tourist route, i'd thought it just like a stone staircase on the side of the mountain, then took a walk up the North side to the CIC hut and was like Whal how intimidating, went up into number five gully that day before hitting 2 metres of snow in the gully wasn't equiped no axe or crampons so about turned,a mountain i cant get enough of tbh, Abbie if you enjoyed the arete you got to try the ledge route up through number five gully onto the peak,,,your route up CMD was probably tougher than the ledge route

How do you go on for accommodation do you use YHA?

I wish I could join in on this and go climbing but I feel so uncomfortable up high, I climbed a fairly big mountain in Scotland called Suilven a couple years ago but I just could not appreciate the view at the top, just wanted to get down asap. Can you get over a fear of heights or am I always gonna feel like that when up high? I love the outdoors and going for big walks but I just can't seem to get my head around heights, it makes me sad to be honest.

Is there anywhere to view the full gear list?

Merry Turkey Day Abbie.

Thousands of people seem to be on a dedicated mission to plant banana skins on our mountains. Why is this?

i have been to the summit 50+ times in the past 40 years and never had a clear summit...atb

Going up mid May, will we need microspikes?

Have you ever attempted Blencathra's Sharp Edge or Snowdon's Crib Goch Abbie? The CMD Arete route that you took on Nevis looks like a milder less nerve racking version of those two climbs.

Hi Abbey I’m from the south coast also, and am planning a Ben Nevis hike, did you drive all the way up the country or did you use public transport ?

Do we need oxygen tanks? Asking for a friend...

Put on a T shirt and some shorts, take a sandwich and a flask of coffee and go...

:-)

I climbed ben nevis with just a pair of walking shoes, so if u just want to climb it but dont want to buy all of the gear u can still do it