Hiking Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête: Our First Big Scottish Mountain Challenge

On 24 August 2023 we climbed Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK at 1,345 metres. We didn't take the standard Mountain Track. We went for the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête – the CMD Arête – a longer, rougher route with a narrow, exposed ridge between Càrn Mòr Dearg and the Ben.

It was our first big mountain day together in Scotland, and it tested us far more than we'd expected: navigation problems, rain and thick cloud on an exposed ridge, a freezing summit, a lost return route – and a car park we didn't reach until 9.45pm. It's one of the best things we've done. It's also a list of lessons.

The short version

Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête from North Face Car Park, down the Mountain Track. The route in AllTrails is 18 km with 1,469 m of ascent – but with our detours and wrong turns, we walked closer to 21 km, as far as I remember. We set off around 9.15am, reached the summit around 4.45pm and were back at the car around 9.45pm. The ridge was a highlight. Our route-finding, clothing and itinerary were not.

Our first big Scottish mountain hike

We woke up at Coire Glas Guest House in Spean Bridge after a long day of driving via the Barevan Stone and Glenfinnan Viaduct – which itself came the day after lifting the Dinnie Stones.

I'd climbed Chulu Far East in Nepal before, so I felt confident about my own fitness. But high-altitude experience doesn't automatically mean you know how to find your way across an unfamiliar Scottish mountain in cloud. And I wanted Kristine to share this kind of adventure with me – but I hadn't really explained how demanding this route could be. We were enthusiastic and ambitious. We underestimated how much experience, preparation and navigation the CMD Arête asks for.

Starting at North Face Car Park

We drove to North Face Car Park near Torlundy, on the north side of the mountain. We knew where the car park was; we hadn't prepared an offline map of the full route. While we sorted our packs, the weather looked decent, so I left my long-sleeved thermal base layer in the car to save weight. That turned out to be the most memorable mistake of the day.

Leif in a wet hood holding up a bottle of sugar-free Irn-Bru in front of trees — The very first photo of the day: Scottish fuel before the start.

We started walking around 9.15–9.20am. The first part is gentle: forest tracks, rain showers, and views opening up back towards Fort William and Loch Linnhe.

Kristine smiling in a wet rain jacket with two trekking poles on a forest path, with Fort William far below — Kristine in the first rain shower, still smiling.

View from the forest over Fort William, Loch Linnhe and the mountains under rain clouds — Looking back at Fort William and Loch Linnhe.

Then the path follows the Allt a' Mhuilinn into the glen below the huge north face of Ben Nevis, with heather in full bloom.

Kristine on a path through purple heather and ferns, with a rushing stream and the cloud-covered cliffs of the Ben Nevis north face — Into the glen under the north face – the cliffs disappearing into cloud.

Leif in a green beanie eating a sandwich on a rock among heather, with sunlit cliffs behind — A sunny lunch break among the heather. It didn't last.

AllTrails map of the Ben Nevis via Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête loop: 18 km, 1,469 m ascent — The official AllTrails route (not our own recording): up over Càrn Dearg Meadhonach and the arête, down past the lochan.

AllTrails 3D view of the route up the CMD Arête to Ben Nevis, 9.7 km and 1,468 m to the summit — The same route in 3D: 9.7 km and 1,468 m to the summit. Our actual line wandered off it.

Route background: Walk Up Ben Nevis – CMD Arête from North Face Car Park and bennevis.co.uk. Published distances and ascent vary between sources.

The long ascent to Càrn Mòr Dearg

This is where our preparation caught up with us. We were relying mostly on Google Maps and what we'd read online – we didn't yet know how much difference a proper hiking app with a downloaded offline map makes. We drifted off the intended line more than once.

The climb towards Càrn Dearg Meadhonach and Càrn Mòr Dearg is long and tiring: boggy patches, uneven ground, then steep slopes of loose red granite where the best line wasn't obvious. It looked nothing like the clearly marked trails we'd get used to on later hikes. And the cloud started coming in.

Kristine with a trekking pole on a steep path of red granite stones, with cloud filling the glen below — Kristine on the red scree, with the glen filling with cloud.

Scrambling along the CMD Arête

From Càrn Mòr Dearg the ridge curves round towards Ben Nevis, and the character of the day changes completely. The CMD Arête is a narrow, rocky crest of big granite blocks, with steep drops on both sides. You pick your footing carefully and use your hands in places.

Leif with a trekking pole walking down red scree towards the narrow ridge of the CMD Arête, with the cliffs of Ben Nevis in cloud — Heading down towards the arête, with Ben Nevis hidden in cloud.

The rocky crest of the CMD Arête rising towards a peak, with tiny figures of other hikers on the ridge — The arête – look for the tiny people on the crest.

We loved the scrambling. It's a completely different feeling from walking a path, and when the cloud lifted for a moment the views were enormous.

Leif with a blue backpack climbing over large granite boulders on the ridge — Hands on rock along the crest.

Leif using a trekking pole to step up over large boulders on the CMD Arête — Over the boulders.

Kristine in a Haglöfs jacket and cap holding a red trekking pole on the boulder ridge, with a grassy slope behind — Kristine on the arête.

Kristine sitting on a granite boulder on the ridge with a trekking pole — A short rest on the rocks.

But then the weather turned. Rain came in, the cloud closed around the ridge, and visibility dropped. Our thin rain jackets kept the rain off but did nothing for the cold. On an exposed ridge you need to see where you're going, and our limited navigation experience suddenly mattered a lot more.

Leif pulling a face in a selfie with Kristine sitting on the rocks behind him on the ridge — Still laughing – for now.

The CMD Arête is usually described as a scramble rather than a climb – we didn't need ropes – but that doesn't make it easy or suitable for everyone in every condition. The length, the exposure, the height gain and the navigation make it a serious mountain day.

Reaching the summit of Ben Nevis

After the ridge comes a steep climb over loose stones and big boulders to the summit plateau. In the cloud it wasn't always clear where to go next, and it was hard work at the end of an already long day.

Kristine laughing on a boulder field near the top in thick cloud, with a cairn behind — Kristine on the summit boulder field – still laughing.

Kristine in a long rain jacket with a hand on a large stone cairn in thick cloud — One of the cairns marking the way across the plateau.

Kristine wrapped up in a hood and buff climbing a boulder field in thick cloud — The final boulder field, in thick cloud.

Kristine in a long rain jacket with a red trekking pole picking her way down granite slabs in fog — Picking our way through the rocks in the cloud.

We reached the top around 4.45pm. There were quite a few people there, most of whom had come up the Mountain Track. For Kristine it was a big moment: she hadn't been sure beforehand that she'd manage a hike this exposed and this long – and she did.

Leif and Kristine soaked in rain hoods on either side of the Ben Nevis trig pillar, Kristine grinning — On the summit of Ben Nevis, 1,345 m.

Leif in a wet rain jacket holding his backpack next to the trig pillar in thick cloud — Me at the trig point, very cold.

Close-up of the brass plate on top of the Ben Nevis trig pillar, with rocks fading into fog — The trig point plate.

Close-up selfie of Leif soaked in a rain hood, with Kristine behind him masked against the wind and rain — High on the Ben, soaked and cold.

The summit itself was miserable: wind, rain and far colder than we'd expected. In August, I was freezing – and regretting the thermal layer sitting in the car. I ended up pulling spare socks over my hands. That's not a tip; it's what you do when you haven't packed properly. We took a few photos and started down.

View out of the summit shelter door, covered in stickers, towards the trig point cairn in fog with a Scottish flag — Looking out from the summit shelter at the trig point.

Leif and a smiling Kristine leaning on the trig pillar in rain and cloud — A last summit photo before the descent.

The descent – and losing the route again

We came down the Mountain Track, the main tourist path, which was much easier to follow. Our plan was to leave it near the lochan and cut back towards North Face Car Park.

Lower down, the cloud finally broke up and the evening light came through – the views we'd missed all day, all at once.

Leif walking down the stone-paved Mountain Track towards a lochan, with sunlit hills and clouds — Down the Mountain Track towards the lochan, in sunshine at last.

A rushing stream crossing the Mountain Track, with two sheep on the slope and sunbeams over Loch Linnhe — Sheep, a stream and sun over Loch Linnhe.

Green slopes and Glen Nevis below, with Loch Linnhe catching the evening light — Glen Nevis in the evening light.

A waterfall tumbling down a rocky gully into a boulder-filled stream — A waterfall beside the path.

Leif in a green beanie standing on rocks in front of a waterfall — Me by the waterfall – warmer by now.

That's where it went wrong again. Off the main path we couldn't find the right line: boggy ground, a river to cross, and no clear idea where to cross it. We eventually crossed at a different point than intended and worked our way across rough ground until we picked up our earlier route.

Leif bent over his trekking pole on a steep heather slope off the path, with the path in the glen far below — Off-route on the way back: rough heather, with the path we should have been on far below in the glen.

Please don't take that as a technique. River crossings in the mountains can be dangerous, especially after rain. The real lesson is that we should have had a reliable offline map and a clear plan for the return before we set off.

Back at the car after dark

We got back to North Face Car Park around 9.45pm – more than twelve hours after we'd started. Tired, wet and very ready to sit down.

Fort William and Loch Linnhe lit up at dusk under dark blue clouds, seen from the forest track — Fort William lighting up below us on the last stretch.

A bare foot with blisters on the toes, half out of a sock, in the open car door at night — Back at the car: socks off, at last.

That wasn't just slow walking. The route choice, the navigation mistakes, the weather and the time spent finding our way back all added up. Published guides say to allow eight hours or more for this route – our twelve was our day, not a normal time – but either way, a route like this needs plenty of daylight and room for delays.

A late drive to The Luib Hotel

Instead of going back to Coire Glas, we drove on to our next booked hotel, The Luib Hotel near Crianlarich – about an hour and forty minutes away, which felt much longer. Dark, winding roads, and red deer standing at the roadside again and again, their shapes appearing in the headlights. It felt like a horror film. We had to call the hotel because check-in closed at 10pm, and we finally arrived around 12.15–12.30am. We'd paid 863.09 DKK for the night, booked through Hotels.com.

We'd booked The Luib for a reason: the MacGregor Stone, a lifting stone outside the hotel. In hindsight, staying a second night at Coire Glas would have made far more sense. A bonus stone the next morning didn't justify making an exhausting day even longer.

View through an old sash window of The Luib Hotel onto the car park, with our grey rental car and pink flowers — The next morning, from our window at The Luib.

The next morning: the MacGregor Stone

On 25 August we had a full breakfast at the hotel. The owner came over and said I looked like someone who might be able to lift the stone outside – did I want to try? I already knew about it; it was why we'd booked. After the day before I'd almost given up on the idea, and we had to head for Edinburgh Airport. But I gave it a few attempts.

The round MacGregor Stone, dusted with chalk, on the gravel in front of the white Luib Hotel — The MacGregor Stone outside The Luib Hotel.

The round MacGregor Stone resting by the ferns next to the hotel entrance sign — Where the stone normally sits, by the entrance.

The MacGregor Stone is a rounded natural stone, which I've seen listed at around 132–133 kg. I got it up to the middle of my chest but couldn't get it onto my shoulder. It wasn't only strength – I didn't have the technique to roll it into position. I still regret not getting it up. The owner told us that relatively few people have shouldered it.

Leif holding the round MacGregor Stone at chest height in the hotel car park, with hills behind — As far as it went: the MacGregor Stone at chest height.

Leif in a T-shirt chalking his hands on the hotel car park, with hills and the rental car behind — Chalking up for the MacGregor Stone.

What we learned from our Scottish Highlands road trip

Download an offline hiking map of the full route – up and down – before you leave. Google Maps is not a hiking map.
Pack warm layers, a hat and proper gloves, even in August. The summit can be a different world from the car park.
Be honest about the route. The CMD Arête is exposed and long. Make sure everyone knows what they're signing up for.
Plan the return as carefully as the ascent, especially any river crossing.
Leave time. Start early and don't stack a long drive after a big mountain day.

We landed at Edinburgh Airport around midday and flew home with a lot packed into a few days: the Dinnie Stones, the Barevan Stone overhead, Glenfinnan and the Jacobite, Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête, and a serious attempt at the MacGregor Stone. The people we met were friendly and welcoming everywhere. But the itinerary was too ambitious. We'd have needed two or three more days – or a smaller area – and fewer hotel changes.

Scotland is a fantastic place for an active trip. Just give it the time it deserves.

Kristine asleep in a plane seat with a T-shirt pulled over her face — The flight home. Enough said.

Practical information

When	24 August 2023 (MacGregor Stone: 25 August)
Route	North Face Car Park – Càrn Mòr Dearg – CMD Arête – Ben Nevis summit – Mountain Track – back towards North Face Car Park (our return deviated from the planned line)
Distance / ascent	Official AllTrails route: 18 km, 1,469 m up, 1,470 m down. With our detours we walked roughly 21 km (from memory).
Our times	Start ~9.15am, summit ~4.45pm, back ~9.45pm
Stayed	Coire Glas Guest House, Spean Bridge (night before); The Luib Hotel, near Crianlarich (night after, 863.09 DKK incl. breakfast)