Answer

By Country Walking magazine

June is the perfect time to tackle our highest peak – lots of daylight and it’s not too hot, or busy. Otherwise September is good, after the summer holiday crowds have left.

Most folk take the Pony Track from Glen Nevis, particularly on their first ascent. The path is generally good and easy to follow, with a steep haul to Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, then long zig-zags to the boulder-strewn summit plateau. The path can get tricky here, though, and you’re relying on a series of cairns to guide you through the rubble to the top – fine on a clear day, but in cloud you need to steer clear of both  the sheer north face on your left and  Five Finger Gully on your right.

Ensure you have map and compass: the Harvey Ben Nevis sheet is excellent, with a magnified map of the summit plus the bearings you need to get down safely (from summit trig pillar walk 150m on 231°, then on 282° to hit the top of the path down). And it’s true you come down the same way you went up, but we reckon those views are good enough to stand a second look.

The only alternative for non-climbers is the narrow ridge of the Carn Mór Dearg Arête. It’s spectacular, but pretty hairy in places, and best for experienced hikers who relish  height. 

As for travel - this one's relatively easy by public transport as the sleeper from London Euston heads up to Fort William, and there's a bus service to Glen Nevis.

And to stay: Fort William has a stack of options, but for convenience, the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel is a winner – you just walk out the door and up the mountain.