18th May 2013 - Ben Nevis in high winds!

Dave Anderson - cool, calm and collected in his natural environment

Looking crowded at the Red Burn - I've seen it busier though!

Ken, Kate and Dave making good head way

Ken and Kate - almost there. Note Ken's stylish headwear, much slagged by Kate!!

Team photo above Corner 8 on the way back down. Far windier than it looks!

This morning I was heading up Ben nevis as one of three guides leading a group of 23. I met Dave and Willie at the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre at 9am shortly before meeting the group who were raring to go. After a brief safety chat and a description of the route ahead, we headed off. Willia took the lead, Dave hovered in the middle and I brought up the rear.

It was a nice temperature for walking on the Ben, not too hot and not too cold, and it was interesting chatting to the clients and learning their backgrounds and previous experiences. Before long it was apparent that some members of the group were moving slower than others, and we began to form seperate groups. My guys at the back did well to keep motivated and press on even though the track was extremely busy. Before long we were at the Red Burn where the rest of the team had waited for us. We decided that I would form my own little group at the back, working semi-independently of the others, and this allowed me to really focus my attention on encouraging Ken and his wife Kate to keep going. Ken was ex-army, but had suffered a heart attack in 2008 and was lacking confidence in his ability coming into the day, and at times in the first half of the ascent seemed to almost give up. From Corner 4 onwards the wind started to pick up alarmingly, but Ken, Kate and Dave kept pressing on, determined to give it their best shot. By corner 6 the gusts were getting quite serious, and a number of other guides heading down were telling tales of summits unreachable. By now, however, Ken was unstoppable - such was his determination that he was now the one cajolling Kate and Dave on to success.

The last of the reasonable visibility evaporated by the final corner, and after Dave had a fumble with his trouser arrangement (!?) we set off on the final, arduous, stage of our journey. The guys fought on bravely, overcoming their fears through good team moral and management, and we were within a stones throw of the summit when the rest of the group honed into sight on their way back down; only three had made the summit as the wind at the top of Gardyloo Gully proved too much for most of them. At this we turned back also - but it was a tremendous achievement for Ken who was physically and mentally boosted by his performance - beaten back only by the weather and not his fitness - well done Ken and to everyone else in the team who worked so hard to make it so far! The mountain remains a challenge for another day!

The trip back down was rather uneventful, but overall the group did well for time, finishing just after 5pm. Back home for some Mediterranean chicken and a well earned beer :)

Today I was working for Seren Ventures.