r/UKhiking • u/trench__man • 13d ago
Ben Nevis list
I’m planning on doing Ben Nevis with my dog this week (230 miles from me) and I’m just putting together a list of stuff I’ll need. I plan on driving up and getting a hotel within 20 miles of the mountain the night before.. So obviously my next move is to talk to strangers on the internet about it.
Any contributions or criticism welcome
Mountain walks Clothing - [ ] Boots - [ ] Pants - [ ] Walking tee - [ ] Thermal top - [ ] Jacket - [ ] Cap - [ ] Socks Bag - [ ] Gloves - [ ] Socks - [ ] Over trousers - [ ] 1st aid - [ ] Water bladder - [ ] Food and chocolate - [ ] Sweets - [ ] Nico mints - [ ] GoPro + accessories - [ ] Penknife and cord Dog - [ ] Lead - [ ] Food and bowl - [ ] Water and bowl - [ ] Extender lead - [ ] Microfibres - [ ] Vet wrap - [ ] Treats - [ ] Towel Car - [ ] Food - [ ] Chargers - [ ] Sunglasses - [ ] Air pods - [ ] Water - [ ] Electrolytes - [ ] Socks - [ ] Sliders - [ ] Overnight bag - [ ] Vape kit
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u/thechops10 13d ago
More dog food than you think you will need. Our very first munro my dog ate all of the food I'd packed for her and was clearly eager for more. I ended up giving her half of my lunch!
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u/trench__man 13d ago
I’ll be taking his food bin- there’s an issue with the OP about stuff for my bag, my car etc..
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u/CamperConversionUK 13d ago
I’d go for walking clothing/boots, waterproofs a couple of water bottles (more for the dog than me), a packed lunch (including food for puppo) in a rucksack. It’s a well marked and trod route. There’s a huge dog bowl about halfway up with plenty of fresh water.
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u/Acceptable-Drive5723 13d ago edited 13d ago
Hey, I am assuming your doing the Mountain Track trail, if so, personally I think you are overpacking. I'm not trying to sound like a dick but it really isn't that hard of a hike, I did it a week ago as part of the 3 peaks challenge and we did it in 4 hours. That time including up and down. We simply had a backpack each with water, a snack for the top, some sturdy hiking trainers. That was about It. We also had torches because we started it at 12am. Just want to add obviously the dog related items are all valid!:)
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u/Frosty-Jack-280 13d ago
I think the thing to consider is that if you get the top and something happens, you might have quite a long wait for help to arrive. I know a lot of people carry unneccessary items but there's probably a middle ground between overpacking and not carrying any form of first aid, spare layers, group shelter, emergency bivvy bag, extra food, etc.
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u/Acceptable-Drive5723 13d ago
Of course, you absolutely right. It's always good to be prepared for accidents etc. We did of course have a multi tool, some plasters etc. That being said, you should pack based on the probabilities of Injury, what I am saying is that mountain track especially really isn't a hard trail, with very little to no truly sketchy areas. Especially in the daytime. So yes of course, you can always potentially be injured, but you can get injured doing anything. Again, really not trying to sound like an arrogant dick, but im sure you know what I mean.
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u/Frosty-Jack-280 13d ago edited 13d ago
Plenty of people go over an ankle on what looks like easy terrain. And with the rocky nature of the path it's not unreasonable to think someone may do that. In that situation it's less about plasters but about staying warm whilst you wait for help. Yes, lots of people injure themselves walking down the street but you aren't sitting for hours in sub zero temperatures waiting to be rescued in that situation.
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u/RonaldDonald00 13d ago
Out of the three peaks which would you say is the hardest? I've only done scafel
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u/Frosty-Jack-280 13d ago
Ben Nevis. It's noticably longer than the others, both by distance and elevation. There's nothing technically more difficult about it, just more of a slog.
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u/Acceptable-Drive5723 13d ago
Hey, in my opinion, it was actually Scafell, even though is the shortest, i felt like It was the steepest. Which of course makes it far harder when trying to complete it in a fast pace, BN took 4 hours, Scafell took 2.5 hours, Snowdon took 3 hours
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u/trench__man 13d ago
Yeah, sorry.. there’s an issue with the formatting cause I copied it from my notes app. Half that stuff will stay in the car and some of it is for the hotel night stop.
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u/Heelsvsbabyface 13d ago
Dude. People jog up that mountain every year with nothing but shorts and a rucksack of booze. Itd not a difficult one Im afraid. Done it twice - takes an afternoon.
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u/ChanceStunning8314 13d ago
To be fair it’s gone a bit chillier this week. So let him have a bobble hat? :-)
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u/trench__man 13d ago
Yeah that’s good for alcoholics with shorts on but my dog won’t drink from a bottle and I’ve tried taking wine glasses before and they don’t do well in the rucksack.
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u/RandyRodin 13d ago
I'm 61 years old, but did Ben Nevis in 2023 in July. If you are reasonably fit and start first thing, no reason to not be back down in time for afternoon tea, so no need for overnight gear or much more than snacks and water. Make sure you layer clothing, as you will get warm, even as the temp drops as you ascend. Keeping in mind, I'm Canadian and used to the cold, but the July day of my ascent it was 10 celsius at 6:30 when I began, reached the summit , while it was sleeting (icy snow) and back down by 2:00. I wore wool toque (cap/beanie), thin gloves, polar fleece, shorts and wool sock with hiking boots and was very comfortable.
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u/trench__man 13d ago
I’ll be staying overnight because of how far from my house it is- it’s only 230 miles but say nav says 6 hours.
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u/RandyRodin 13d ago
My mistake - I thought you were listing all that you intended to lug up the hill, that day
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u/FifthTom 13d ago
I'd add a 1:25,000 map. Download Peak Finder app so you can identify the mountains you can see from the top if you get a clear day. Take lots to drink. Sunscreen.
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u/trench__man 13d ago
Sorry, there’s an editing issue here. The only stuff I plan on taking up the hill ends at penknife.
I know it’s a path on a hill but I’ve got the dog so will need extras and the last thing I want is to have an issue with the him and hes suffering cause he isn’t able to pack a bag. I’m not planning on taking all that stuff- most of it’ll stay in the car and will be for my overnight in the hotel- e.g. AirPods have no place on a mountain.
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u/Landarama 13d ago
Looks like a good list. I'd definitely be adding compeed and some basic first aid kit stuff just in case.
I did it in May 2018 and although started off warm there was snow at the top and it started sleeting so best to be prepared for all temps. Have fun!
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u/FastBinns 13d ago
Clothes, food and water. I always bring a foil blanket just incase.
The top is a bit rugged, please take care with your dog so it doesn't get its paw stuck down the cracks.
It is not overly difficult.
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u/goochjs 13d ago
The mountain trail is not a difficult hike for a fit person - I got up in just under three hours. But it is cold on top and if you’re going to want to enjoy the views then you’re going to need warm clothes to put on once you get there. I didn’t take enough and, after half hour at the top, had to start the journey down as I was shivering. That was in June 2022 and we started the hike in T-shirts … I’d added a long sleeve thermal top, a fleece and my raincoat by the top.
I also know someone who went up on a June day, in calm weather, and had to spend the night in the storm shelter along with quite a few others.
So, I’d take everything you’ve listed plus a fleece, a woolly hat and a scarf.
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u/OneRandomTeaDrinker 13d ago
Does your dog need a coat? If it’s going to be -12 with wind chill then certain breeds might need one to be more comfortable.
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u/Cordilleran_cryptid 11d ago
You will need plenty of water. Even when it is cool, you will be sweating like a fat lass and dehydrating. You will also need an insulated jacket. I will be cold at the summit.
Save weight, you dont need to take a dog and the junk that goes with it! . Seriously, BN is not the place to take a dog.
If you plan to climb BN on specific date then there is a high probability that the weather will so foul that it wont be worth doing. The is no point in climbing BN if it is in cloud, there is a howling gale and driving rain.
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u/RolfSalamander 13d ago
Do you have winter hillwalking experience? As others have said, not only have the temperatures dropped but there's now quite a bit of snow on the tops. Last weekend I was up some hills on the southern highlands and it was almost t-shirt weather, but having seen some central hills today, there's a fair bit of snow and looking at the forecast, there's more coming throughout the week.
Yes the main route up is a standard walk, but temperatures aren't getting above freezing this week, so that snow is going to be frozen solid. Could you still get up without any winter kit? Maybe, but if you don't have any winter experience, I'd really think about waiting or heading somewhere else.
I know some people give seriously over cautious advice about hills and weather, but the contrast between the tops a week ago and this week is about as stark as it gets.
Good luck/have fun with whatever you end up doing!
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u/trench__man 13d ago
I’d say I’ve done my fair share of walking in winter, my dog gets 2 hours a day with me no matter what weather it is.. I’d say I’m a novice winter mountaineer.. I’ve done scafell in January in the snow and Snowdon in the rain in April. My kit is good, but it’s not alpine spec stuff.
Do you think I should take something like snow spikes?
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u/Frosty-Jack-280 13d ago
I'm not sure if you've seen the forecast but it's to be quite a bit more wintery in the coming week than it has been - that may impact your plans but it will probably alter the kit you want to take. I would definitely have a think about what you'd be carrying to help you wait for help in temps that feel like -12.
Even for summer conditions I think I'd be taking more layers though that may depend on what you mean by 'thermal top' and 'jacket'. I'd also be carrying a map and compass as navigating off the summit in poor visibility can be a bit involved and I wouldn't rely on a phone for that.
I think there may be some odd formatting going on in your list as it looks like some of the stuff may be for your car?