Snaps and narrative activating Ben Nevis, the UK's highest

If interested in a few snaps and narrative of my recent jaunt up GM/WS-001 then click away at UK’s Highest, Ben Nevis – Paul Gacek

Paul
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Great report Paul! Lovely images too. Lools like a great day for you.

As for the geology, I recently read that the collapsed volcano theory has gone out of favour due to various reasons I can’t recall. Current thinking is the mountain was formed by lava flows from further north and then eroded. Bloody geologists eh?

73, Fraser MM0EFI

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Great write up Paul and photos.
Ian vk5cz …

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Well, if you were setting out to make readers want to replicate your trip, you succeeded with this reader. Great story and beautiful photos.

Thanks & 73

Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA

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I’m not sure if Paul realises how lucky he was to pick that day. On average there are 40 dry days/year in Fort William. Which means 325 wet days. So not only did he pick a dry day but he picked a sunny dry day with good views. There are many fewer than 40 of those a year :slight_smile:

I lived in Scotland for 9 years before I was near or had a view to Ben Nevis and it wasn’t raining or in cloud!

As soon as you set out Paul and you saw the weather you should have bought a stack of lottery tickets as it was obviously your lucky day.

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Well done Paul. A great achievement and some excellent photos as well which have encouraged me to give this one a try sometime. I’ll never manage your ascent time, but there’s an itinerary on my file based on a 5 hour ascent and that will be good enough for me. Anything quicker will be a bonus! :grinning:

I well recall driving past the Ben back in 2014 after a week activating with Paul G4MD from a base in Inverness. We noted that the mist was lying very low and it remained so as we drove south. It was somewhat less wet when we reached our goal, one of the then two remaining unactivated GM/SS summits, but I still had the umbrella out. :grinning:

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Here is the Aussie Ben Nevis. Also my operating position outside the refuge hut.
Gets wet enough, not much snow, more tiger snakes than icesheets.


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I ran into a friend in town today that had been up Ben Nevis in June.

She said she enjoyed my blog but that was not the Ben Nevis she went up. Her’s had snow on the peak and ice on the trail (in June).

I am a lucky man!!

I just need to take some colder Scottish Borders weather back to California next week.

Paul

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Thanks Gerald @G4OIG and I think I went up too fast which is why I arrived feeling I was wrapped in wet bandages.

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I took my parent’s motorhome on a trip to conquer Ben Nevis in May. The day before my scheduled attempt was quite nice weather wise and Ben Nevis’ summit was clear of cloud.

On the day of my ascent, the weather was rather different!

I enjoyed reading about your conquering of Ben Nevis, seems like it was an awesome day!

73, Colin

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