Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis from the West, watercolour, 25 x 36 cm

Ben Nevis has two distinct characters, making it seem very different depending on which way it is approached. The southern side has a rounded profile with steep slopes. Most visitors climb the mountain from this side by a zigzag path called the Pony Track. It was made at the end of the Nineteenth Century when a weather observatory was built at the summit. For a number of years men were stationed there permanently to make recordings. It must have been a tough assignment in bad weather. The building even had to be made taller so that it wasn't buried under the snow in winter.

Although the Pony Track is steep in some places, it is a fairly easy route and makes the mountain seem deceptively benign. However the approach from the north reveals a different prospect. A glacier, like a gigantic ice-cream scoop, has carved away the side of the mountain, leaving 600 metre high cliffs. They are popular with climbers and in the winter they provide some challenging ice-climbing routes. However there is also the risk of avalanches from the snow cornices which form at the top of the cliffs. The only walking route from the north is by a narrow, precipitous ridge. Such dramatic conditions are fitting for the highest mountain in Britain.

Location - https://goo.gl/maps/gWrfdDaXiHt