Have we written about Ben Nevis in Trail before? Many times. Have the majority of people reading this article already climbed it? Most probably. Do we ever get tired of talking about Britain’s highest mountain and the many awesome routes up it? Absolutely not.
And that’s because Ben Nevis isn’t just a big mountain, it’s also a great one. Like many people, I first walked up Ben Nevis via the fairly pedestrian Mountain Track many years ago, back before I knew anything about the mountain’s famous North Face and the spiderweb of fearsome routes that crawl all over it. I’ve since been back many times, most memorably via the Ledge Route and Tower Ridge, and I’ll be there again in July to introduce my 8-year-old son to The Ben.
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So I’ve climbed it from almost every angle and seen just about every view it has to offer, but then I see images like the ones taken by Tom Bailey (above) in this issue and I fall in love with this 1345m colossus all over again.
And therein lies the beauty of climbing mountains, and indeed of creating this magazine. The mountains themselves change very little, but the people we climb them with and the conditions we find them in make every new experience just as thrilling as the last. I was as excited to read Tom’s account of his CMD Arête adventure as I was when I plotted my very first route on the mountain.
We hope you enjoy all of the pages we’ve dedicated to Ben Nevis in this issue, and that they inspire you to head up there and climb it (again). Of course there are many other highlights in another action-packed issue of Trail, so scroll down to see what our team have cooked up this month.
Oli Reed, Trail editor
Ben Nevis at its best
Just in case I haven't already rambled on enough about it above, here's another cracker from Tom's Ben Nevis adventure, with sunlight catching the North Face and the CMD Arete just visible in the centre of the photo. His article also includes details on planning your ascent of The Ben this summer, with alternative route suggestions, safety advice, and answers to frequently asked questions about Britain's highest mountain.
Ignorance is Blisco
Everyone knows the Lake District's Great Langdale Valley, and almost everyone who visits it climbs the same old usual suspects. So our gear editor Ben Weeks headed up there for an off-road gill-scrambling adventure on the often-overlooked Pike of Blisco. And guess what? He absolutely loved it
Is this Snowdonia's most beautiful valley?
Our resident North Wales experts are Ellie Clewlow and Matt Jones, who are based right in the heart of Eryri, so when they tell us a place is worth visiting we usually take notice. This month they took us for a walk around a Cwm Pennant and the quieter side of the Nantlle Ridge, and it was every bit as spectacular as they made out.
Mountain Ridge Guide: Fleetwith Edge, Lake District
If you've ever walked in around Buttermere you'll have seen Fleetwith Edge – it's the impressive north-west nose of Fleetwith Pike that drops down towards the edge of the lake at the head of the valley. What you may not have done is climb it, so allow us to take you on a journey up one of the best hillwalking ridges that Lakeland has to offer.
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Every issue of Trail is packed with award-winning writing and photography, mapped mountain routes, expert reviews of all the latest outdoor gear, interviews with the biggest names in outdoor adventure, and expert advice from mountain pros on how to improve your hill skills.