The trip finished with a few bruises here and there—painful crossbones from my La Sportiva Boots, strained muscles, slightly frostbitten fingers, a dry face from the wind and snow, red eyes, and a split lip. But it doesn’t matter. What’s most important is what I felt inside—my soul was dancing, and I was filled with happiness!
Difficulties, efforts, pain, fear, passion, excitement, freedom, and in the end, the feeling of accomplishment—it’s an amazing mixture! The power and the attraction of the mountains, adventure, but not only that, the power of living your life to the fullest. And this is my fullest! I’m living my life in harmony with myself…”
Ben Nevis is a former volcano and Britain’s highest mountain, at 1,345m
We reached the summit on the 11th of February 2022 @ 4.30 pm. Here’s a video from our winter ascent in very windy conditions Ben Nevis via CMD Arete. Winter Ascent in windyyyy conditions. 😁
My friend Fryderyk
I’ve got a friend who lives in Perth, Scotland. His name is Fryderyk Dudek and few years ago he set up project called @logout4life_wylogujsiedozycia. He’s incredibly passionate about travel, the outdoors, and extreme experiences. Although we’ve known each other for a few years, our interactions were mostly virtual. Our first in-person adventure together was for New Year’s Eve in December 2021.
At that time, both of us were going through significant changes in our lives and needed to escape into the middle of nowhere to find peace with our thoughts and decisions. We welcomed the New Year in 2021 in the Hidden Booty in the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by other strangers. We sat by the fireplace, shared food and stories, and it turned out to be the best place for a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Trip to Perth
Anyway, in February 2022, I managed to purchase affordable tickets to Scotland. I was thrilled about the upcoming weekend; our plans included climbing Ben Nevis, wild camping, and exploring the Scottish Highlands. On Thursday, the 10th of February, after work, I took a train from London to Edinburgh. From there, I boarded another train to Perth, where I arrived at 10 pm. Fryderyk picked me up from the train station, and we headed home.
Our original plan was to climb Ben Nevis on Saturday, but the weather forecast for the weekend was dismal, with strong winds that could potentially prevent us from going. Our only window of opportunity was on Friday. After arriving home, we quickly packed our bags, prepared food, and so on. Then, we went straight to bed, knowing that we had to wake up at 4 AM. There wasn’t much time for rest, but the mountain with its head in the clouds was calling, right?
Ben Nevis Winter Ascent Via Carn Mor Dearg Arête route
We set off early in the morning for our adventure, both filled with excitement about the hike. While Fryderyk had previously completed this trail during the summer, it was his first winter ascent via the CMD Arete route. We left our car at the North Face Car Park near Torlundy, which served as our starting and ending point.
Initially, the path led us through a forest, and after about 600 meters, we found ourselves on more open hillsides. This marked our first break. I swapped my trekking shoes for my climbing boots, and we also strapped on crampons since the hills were blanketed in snow. I was thrilled because my La Sportiva boots, which I had purchased at the beginning of 2020 just a few weeks before the lockdown was announced, were being used for the first time.
The weather was cold and windy, but visibility was still relatively decent. We had some concerns about the weather, but we decided to climb higher and assess the conditions at the beginning of the CMD traverse. Along the way, we encountered four individuals who had decided to turn back due to the deteriorating weather. It was evident that they were better prepared, they were wearing goggles to protect their faces from the cold wind and snow, something we were lacking. At this stage we should probably turn back, but we didn’t.
… The mountain was very moody and angry …
For a brief moment, the weather improved significantly. The wind died down, and visibility became excellent. At that point, it almost felt like we had been deceived because as soon as we began walking along the Carn Mor Dearg traverse, the weather took a dramatic turn. It’s a sensation I often experience; it’s as if the mountain is communicating with you. Depending on its mood, you can either be graced with beautiful, calm weather or subjected to extreme conditions that will test your abilities. This time, the mountain seemed moody and furious.
The wind howled relentlessly, making it challenging to maintain balance on this exposed and airy ridge traverse. It was reminiscent of Crib Goch in Wales but on a much grander scale. We proceeded slowly, unable to use our sunglasses, as they were ineffective in these conditions, and we didn’t have goggles. Yes, we were unprepared for it! I was struggling to keep my eyes open, my cheeks stinging from the icy wind, and I found myself bent over, desperately trying to maintain balance on the ridge while continuing to walk. But at this stage we couldn’t turn back.
Tip for the ladies
Remember to wear waterproof mascara 😜, especially if you’re like me and enjoy having your eyelashes done 😅, even when venturing into the wilderness. Yes, I know, I’m a lady! But I learned my lesson the hard way. In the middle of that ridge, I couldn’t see a thing because my eyes were watering from the wind, and my mascara had turned me into a panda. To make matters worse, my wet wipes were frozen, as well as the pipe from my camelbak. Cleaning up my face became quite the challenging task!
Now, I can laugh about it, but in the midst of that challenging moment on the ridge, humor was the last thing on my mind.
The summit of Ben Nevis
When we finally descended from the ridge and began ascending toward the summit, visibility had deteriorated so severely that Fryderyk had to constantly refer to the map on his watch to ensure we stayed on the trail. He was only two meters ahead of me, and the steps he created in the snow were immediately covered by a fresh layer of blowing snow. The wind gusts were reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h. At last, by 4:30 pm, we reached the summit of Ben Nevis. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see a thing, a common occurrence for me, as most of my summit experiences have been either in darkness or under very poor visibility.
The descent
After a short break and taking a few photos, we began our descent as it was getting dark quickly. Unfortunately, Fryderyk’s headlamp stopped working, leaving us with only mine to light our way. As we crossed Morlands, the terrain became muddy and wet, and poor Fryderyk found himself sinking into the mud up to his crotch. By this point, exhaustion had set in, and we couldn’t wait to sit down. We still had a river to cross before reaching the car park in total darkness. It had been a long day, almost 11 hours of hiking in very challenging conditions, but we had successfully completed it!
Our original plan was to either wild camp or spend a night at the booty, but when we reached the car, had a meal, and warmed up, we decided to drive back home, get a good night’s rest, and make our travel plans for the next day in the morning.
A Journey From The Summit To The Sea
In just three days we covered an impressive distance of 750 km.We conquered Ben Nevis via the challenging CMD Arête route, we fought with strong weather conditions, with wind gusts reaching up to 90 km /h. We also embarked on a memorable walk along the stunning coastal headland of St Abbs. We had an incredible experience feeding deers in the Scottish Deer Centre in Bow of Fife. We explored an abandoned mansion – Crawford Prior on the outskirts of the quaint village of Springfield, and topped it all by getting our adrenaline pumping with a Scotcarts races… 🤷♀️ Good vibes only!!! Do I feel alive? Hmmm 🤔 Yessssssss
Conclusion
The trip finished with a few bruises here and there—painful crossbones from my La Sportiva Boots, strained muscles, slightly frostbitten fingers, a dry face from the wind and snow, red eyes, and a split lip. But it doesn’t matter. What’s most important is what I felt inside—my soul was dancing, and I was filled with happiness!
Difficulties, efforts, pain, fear, passion, excitement, freedom, and in the end, the feeling of accomplishment—it’s an amazing mixture! The power and the attraction of the mountains, adventure, but not only that, the power of living your life to the fullest. And this is my fullest! I’m living my life in harmony with myself…”
Thank you
This was an amazing experience that I shared with my travel buddy Fryderyk Dudek 🤗 (check out his Project LogOut4Life – wyloguj się do życia), who has a knack for organising fantastic trips and knows many extraordinary places thanks to his passion for travel and exploration. Plus, he’s a doer 💪🏻 I’m lucky to have a friend like you 🤗 I’d get lost without you in this wind and snow blowing into my panda eyes 👀🤣
‘And into the mountains I go to lose my mind and find my soul” – John Muir
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