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TRIPADVISOR COMMENT
"A group of 36 of us stayed in this hostel
before we did the 3 Peaks Challenge
the next day. We were in
need of a good night's sleep and that's just we got. The
hostel was really well run, very clean and comfy bunk beds
that were squeak free unlike a lot of other hostels we've
stayed in. There were lots of bathrooms with hot and powerful
showers so no queuing and the sinks in the bedrooms were
great to have.
The staff were very friendly
and the kitchen and communal rooms were spacious and well
organised. Continental breakfast in the morning was laid out for us
to help ourselves and was very nice. The price of the rooms and
breakfast were very reasonable.
All in all Chase the Wild
Goose is a
great hostel in a great location - very near Fort William,
Ben Nevis which makes a spectacular backdrop to the hostel. I
would definately recommend staying here!"
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Page reproduced by kind permission. Take
part in an organised Three Peaks
Challenge 
Ben
Nevis from Corpach
Situated in the
Highlands region of Scotland, Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Britain. The
coastal town of Fort
William is at the foot of
the Ben, and has many outdoor sports and climbing shops, good
accommodation and places to eat. It is at the end of the West
Highland Way, and popular with tourists in the summer, and
with skiers and winter climbers during the winter, so arrange
accommodation before you
arrive.
The start of the Tourist Path is only two minutes
drive from the centre of the town and the railway
station.
The original path (now named the
'Mountain Track') was constructed in the 1880's to service the
observatory which was being built on the summit plateau. This is
now no more than a badly derelict building, however the path
remains. The path on the summit plateau is not distinct, and should
be treated with upmost care in poor visibility. Large cornices will
sometimes remain well into the summer months, disguising the top of
many gullies. Footprints onto the cornices are from
climbers.
The
'Mountain Track' Route.
From the
car park at Glen Nevis Visitor
Centre cross the
footbridge and walk beside the river a short while, then left
beside a wall up to the start of the main path. Climb
steadily and soon the path from Glen Nevis joins from the right. Continue
upward, crossing two Alpine style footbridges, then more
steeply to Lochan Meall an t-Siudhe, where a second path
joins. Please note any erosion diversions in
force.
Bear right at the
junction and head up the zig-zagging trail. After the
zig-zags, the path eases onto the summit plateau, which
should be treated with caution, especially in poor
visibiliy.
Descending from the
summit.
This advice comes
from Lochaber
Mountain Rescue Team, and is printed on the summit area map
which they produce.
Warning
:these
bearings and distances are only likely to be of any
assistance if you are already a competent navigator. Even
very experienced mountaineers can have great difficulty
navigating accurately in severe wind or white-out conditions,
such as occur frequently on the Ben Nevis
plateau.
1. From the summit trig.
pillar walk 150m on a grid bearing of 231` to near the top of
Gardyloo Gully (first marker pole*).
2. Then follow the grid bearing of
282` to clear the plateau (a second marker pole is situated 300m
along this second bearing, at the top of McLean's
Steep*)
Marker poles are removed
regularly by people who disagree with their placement, so do not
count on them being in situ
Walking
on BEN NEVIS
information leaflet/webpage from the
Mountaineering Council of Scotland. Lots of good information
- take a look.
Walking
times
As a rough guide, you should
be aiming to achieve
these times at least on the
mountain
From the Visitor
Centre:
2.5 - 3 hours
climb,
2 - 2.5 hours
descend.
Remember that as Fort William is at sea level,
you will have to climb almost the full 1344m to the top. The start
to Scafell and Snowdon both allow you to gain some height in your
vehicle first. This is one good reason to start your challenge in
Scotland rather than Wales !!
The path to the top is steep or very
steep for it's entire length, but is well maintained. Good
navigational skills are required for the summit in poor
visibility
Image produced
from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-mapservice. Image
reproduced with permission ofOrdnance
Surveyand Multi Media
Mapping
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