Hill Skills On Ben Nevis

Callum on Meall an t-Suidhe, with Ben Nevis behind

Today I was out on the side on Ben Nevis with First Year Students from UHI WHC - Freya, Alan, Vlada, Chris, Ronald and Callum. I was working alongside Ian Stewart. We started up the Mountain Track on Ben Nevis, but quickly cut off left up a rocky rib on the side on Meall an t-Suidhe, to give the group a little taste of steep ground.

Vlada moving happily up steep ground

Steep ground was new to one or two of the group, but everybody made short work of the scramble and we were soon at the top of the hill - looking over to Ben Nevis. The ground under foot was well frozen and there was a lot of frost heave in the soil. The frost heave ice crystals were 2-3cm long, showing a couple of days of growth, and a prolonged cold spell. 

Chris and Vlada

Callum, Ron and Alan

The air temperature during the day was the coldest it has been this autumn, and on our way up the hill, we got some casual large snow flakes falling. Higher on Ben Nevis we could see that it was getting a dusting of fresh snow - just a little today. The ground is so cold and firm at the moment that what does fall higher up the hill will settle. There was more snow in the East than the West today apparently. 

Watch this space for more snow this weekend!!