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Ben Nevis Climb

NathanPrior
NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
edited May 2009 in Not Sports Related
I should be partaking in climbing Ben Nevis with a group of friends next year, but me being the McDonalds and KFC loving fat b*stard that I am, this will be quite fun to see me do. If I do make this through I might even decide to climb Snowdon and that other one in Wales.

Training starts end of June, oh how im not looking forward to it.

Any sponsorship would be rather nice :)
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Comments

  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    [cite]Posted By: NathanPrior[/cite]I should be partaking in climbing Ben Nevis with a group of friends next year, but me being the McDonalds and KFC loving fat b*stard that I am, this will be quite fun to see me do. If I do make this through I might even decide to climb Snowdon and that other one in Wales.

    Training starts end of June, oh how im not looking forward to it.

    Any sponsorship would be rather nice :)

    Snowdon is easier than Ben Nevis assuming of course that you simply want to climb by the easiest route.

    If you are a novice at that kind of thing it might be best to kick off with Snowdon.
  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    Ben Nevis looks easier though.

    For training we're gonna walk the Seven Sisters and an extra 5ish miles near Eastbourne twice with only a couple of hours rest, I done it once before so I can cope.

    I wanna do that one in Northern Ireland cos that looks well easy
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    Ben Nevis is about 4 hours whereas Snowdon is about 2 hours.

    The main thing though is to make sure you have decent footwear and wind proof coat like a plastic cagoule. The weather can change very quickly in the mountains.

    I'm no Ranulph Fiennes but I've done a few of the steepest hills in the British Isles over the years.

    It must be because I lived at the top of Shooters Hill for 20 odd years!
  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    I've camped out in most weathers apart from snow, so I have a quite good idea what to expect, I once camped in a really really heavy downpour that lasted all night to wake up to find my tent was flooded, to which I went into a hut and slept on a bench.

    http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/sussex/sussex_images/Seven_Sisters_chalk_cliffs_south_coast_sussex.jpg

    That was quite hard to do

    http://www.abertawe.gov.uk/media/images/5/g/Worms%20Head.JPG

    This was rather scary as you have to walk along the cliff edge with a nice steep drop into the sea, and not to mention I fell into a rock pool
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    Once camped in snow on Ben Lui, best breakfast i ever had with powdered milk porage and tea, snug with the right equipment. Bought new boots in Fort William and climbed Ben Nevis the same day...got away with it on me feet....it is a real stony trudge by the usual route, but on a clear day it is well worth it, the west of Scotland is so so beautiful.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,605
    Never climbed Nevis but i've climbed a few mountains around the world. My first being Snowdon. There are many routes up with differing degrees of difficulty. But i would say that mountaineers don't use Snowdon to train for nothing. It can throw everything at you in one day. Go on Natham, it'll be good practise for you!
  • Shag
    Shag Posts: 4,555
    I've done Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike , was meant to do Snowdon but after the other 2 I could n't even get down the stairs at the B&B that day . Its hard work especially without any sort of training . Dont forget your kendall mint cake , good luck
  • _MrDick
    _MrDick Posts: 13,107
    [cite]Posted By: NathanPrior[/cite]Ben Nevis looks easier though.

    For training we're gonna walk the Seven Sisters and an extra 5ish miles near Eastbourne twice with only a couple of hours rest, I done it once before so I can cope.

    I wanna do that one in Northern Ireland cos that looks well easy

    Mrs McMoist has done Nevis and she said it was harder coming down than going up.
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    [cite]Posted By: seth plum[/cite]it is a real stony trudge by the usual route,
    indeed it is - a very dull walk up I reckon, you'd spend the whole time staring up at a lifeless, dark stony hillside - much better is to go round the north side and up via the CMD arete - takes 6 or 7 hours to get up but is beautiful.

    Some good practice and closer than other mountains is Pen y Fan.
  • WSS
    WSS Posts: 25,070
    [cite]Posted By: Valley McMoist[/cite]Mrs McMoist has done Nevis and she said it was harder coming down than going up.
    I've always found it harder for women to go down.



    Sorry, it's early and I was out last night.
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  • clivey_hero
    clivey_hero Posts: 328
    Ben Nevis , its harder coming down than going up, Snowdon easy really , can go by train , and there's a Cafe on top ..........Scafell Pike is a long hard slog, bit like Parkdale road in Plumstead but better views
    good luck mate , it will seem like a 'good idea at the time' moment afterwards
  • LargeAddick
    LargeAddick Posts: 32,561
    compared to Kilimanjaro both Snowdon and Ben Nevis are a piece of pi$$ imo
  • BlackForestReds
    BlackForestReds Posts: 17,952
    Go to JustGive.org and set up a charity page:

    http://www.justgive.org

    And good luck...
  • ThreadKiller
    ThreadKiller Posts: 8,620
    edited May 2009
    snowdon is just a walk in the park.
  • _MrDick
    _MrDick Posts: 13,107
    [cite]Posted By: LargeAddick[/cite]compared to Kilimanjaro both Snowdon and Ben Nevis are a piece of pi$$ imo

    When did you walk up Kilimanjaro?
  • LargeAddick
    LargeAddick Posts: 32,561
    [cite]Posted By: Valley McMoist[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: LargeAddick[/cite]compared to Kilimanjaro both Snowdon and Ben Nevis are a piece of pi$$ imo

    When did you walk up Kilimanjaro?

    who said I did ?
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,853
    Do you climb Ben Nevis and Snowdon.
    I thought you could just walk up them.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,605
    re Snowdon, depends which way you go Lungy
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,853
    Just dont think much of a mountain if it is one of 3 you can climb in about a day.
    Mountains need crampons,and ice picks to be considered a 'real' mountain.
    Not a walking stick and thermos flask.

    Having said that, I struggle to get to my sit in North Upper.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,605
    Try telling anyone who has climbed Mt Toubcal in the Atlas Mt's it aint a mountain!
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  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    [cite]Posted By: KBslittlesis[/cite]Try telling anyone who has climbed Mt Toubkal in the Atlas Mt's it aint a mountain!
    did that in March :-) ..... needed crampons and ice-axe
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    [cite]Posted By: MrOneLung[/cite]Just dont think much of a mountain if it is one of 3 you can climb in about a day.
    Mountains need crampons,and ice picks to be considered a 'real' mountain.
    can't agree with that - Pen y Fan is a great mountain but you can walk up it in about two hours
  • Oakster
    Oakster Posts: 6,812
    edited May 2009
    My house is another 1000ft higher than the peak of Ben Nevis & I live at the foot of a small mountain!..

    That's why we get snow in May!
  • Nelsenout
    Nelsenout Posts: 661
    [quote][cite]Posted By: NathanPrior[/cite]I should be partaking in climbing Ben Nevis with a group of friends next year, but me being the McDonalds and KFC loving fat b*stard that I am, this will be quite fun to see me do. If I do make this through I might even decide to climb Snowdon and that other one in Wales.

    Training starts end of June, oh how im not looking forward to it.

    Any sponsorship would be rather nice :)[/quote]

    I'll pitch in. But if you want some training tips from a 54 year old , start with some basic Hill walking ,
    maybe even Shooters Hill . Get use to hitting a wall and getting the second wind . You'll do fine.
  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    I've done lots of hill walking, but must get around to doing Shooters Hill.

    I've walked the Seven Sisters (plus more) with all my kit on my back which weighed about 15kg
  • Nelsenout
    Nelsenout Posts: 661
    Sounds you are quite prepared, the \Seven Sisters is no stroll. We did the South Downs Way last year.
    E do Old Wichester Hill and its environs quite a bit certainly toughens the thighs a bit.
  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    Walking up those last few hills past the churchy thing and near the camp site and farm really took it out me. Some of us decided the best way to get down the hills was to roll down them.

    When you hit Beachy Head the wind really hits you, and this almost caused me to fall off the cliff.
  • Nelsenout
    Nelsenout Posts: 661
    I lived a few years close to that area, stunning countryside better in a lot of ways than Hampshire where |I am now.
    I always enjoyed a beer or two at Birling Gap .
  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    It was good that we done it on a sunny day cos you could see all the way to France but I almost over-heated
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,853
    edited June 2009
    quote][cite]Posted By: MrOneLung[/cite]Just dont think much of a mountain if it is one of 3 you can climb in about a day.
    Mountains need crampons,and ice picks to be considered a 'real' mountain.
    Not a walking stick and thermos flask.

    Having said that, I struggle to get to my sit in North Upper.[/quote]


    To reinforce my point - no respectable mountain should have a cafe on its summit

    snowdon cafe