Ben Nevis - Northeast Face

Despite its low altitude, a mere 1345m, Ben Nevis is still the highest mountain in the British Isles and one of the most feared and loved climbing venues in the world. Scottish winter climbing is truly unique in style, mostly due to the extreme and unpredictable weather that comes straight from the Atlantic and the strong British ground up, no bolting ethics. A good weather day on the Ben is one where the snow isn't falling upside down from the wind...

 

This poster shows 217 routes visible from the CMD arete, only missing a few walls hidden from this perspective (West Face of Tower Ridge, Indicator Wall and a few), and shows both summer and winter routes.

 

Huge thanks to Simon Richardson, guidebook author, first ascentionist and Scottish climbing historian, for his generous help with this poster (and many others!).

Route List

1: CMD Arete, I

2: Final Buttress, III, 4, Rannoch School Party, 1973

3: Bob Run, II, Clough, Fisher, Jones, Pipes, Porter, Small, 1959

4: Moonwalk, IV,4, Hughes, Mothersele, 1973

5: Moonwalk Direct, IV,4

6: Cresta Direct, IV,4, Harper, Lockie, Mackenzie, Wilson, 1987

7: Cresta, III, Lovat, Nicol, Patey, 1957

8: Slalom, III, Alexander, Clough, Flegg, Pipes, Shaw, 1959

9: Frost Bite, IV,5, Alexander, Bucke, Clough, Hannon, Pipes, 1958

10: Isandhlwana, V,5, Clothier, Males, Perroux, Touvet, 1999

11: Route Major, V,4, Clough, MacInnes, 1969

12: Northeast Buttress, IV,5, Brunskill, Kennedy, King, Naismith, Squance, 1896

        A: First Platform

       B: Second Platform

       C: Mantrap

       D: 40ft Corner

13: The Lime Green Gaiter, VI,6, Clothier, Pibarot, 1994

14: Orient Express, IX,8/E2, Hughes, MacLeod, 2014/Grant, Hawthorn, 1984

15: Steam Train, VI,7/HVS, Hudson, MacLeod, 2007/Hawthorn, Williams, 1984

16: Right Hand Var, V,6, Lang, Stead, 1996

17: Newbigging’s 80 Minute Route, IV,4, Campbell, Marshall, 1967

18: Far Right Variation, IV,4/VDiff, Campbell, Carrington, Marshall, 1972/Forsyth, Ridyard, Smith, Smith, 1938

19: Right Hand Wall Route, IV,5, Ferguson, Higham, 1972

20: Platforms Rib, IV,4, Clough, MacInnes, Sullivan, White, 1959

21: Minus Three Gully, IV,5, Marshall, Smith, 7 Feb 1960

22: Left Hand Route, VI,6, Docherty, Muir, 1972

23: Minus Two Gully, V,5, Haston, Marshall, Stenhouse, 1959

24: Orion Direct, V,5, Marshall, Smith, 13 Feb 1960

        A: Second Slab Rib

25: Orion Directissima, VI,5, Richardson, Webb, 1994

26: Slav Route, VI,5, Lang, Quinn, 1974

27: Zero Gully, V,4, MacInnes, Nicol, Patey, 1957

28: East Face, IV,5, Dunn, Higgins, 1974

29: Observatory Ridge, V,4, Goggs, Mounsey, Raeburn, 1920

30: Point Five Gully, V,5, Alexander, Clough, Pipes, Shaw, 1959/(2nd ascent: Marshall, Smith, 10 Feb 1960)

31: Point Blank, VII,6, Duff, Nowack, 1988

32: Left Edge Route, V,5, Lang, Quinn, 1974

33: Match Point, VI,5, Hart, Richardson, 1986

34: Rubicon Wall, V,5, Muir, Paul, 1977

35: Observatory Buttress Direct, V,4/VDiff, Foster, Stewart, 1952/Hargreaves, Hughes, MacPhee, 1931

36: Atlantis, VI,6, Cartwright, Richardson, 2001

37: Never Never Land, VI,6, Richardson, Takeda, 1999

38: Direct Finish of the Buttress, V,5

39: Observatory Buttress Original, V,4, Marshall, Smith, 9 Feb 1960

40: Gardyloo Gully, II, Haskett-Smith, Hastings, 1896

41: Augean Alley, VI,6, Leinster, Paul, Reilly, 1980

42: Smith’s Route Original, V,5, Marshall, Smith, 8 Feb 1960

43: Icicle Variation, V,5, Crocket, Gilmore, 1975

44: The Great Glen, VI,5, Braithwaite, Moores, 1978

45: Right Edge, IV,4, von Gement, Milward, 1977

46: Tower Gully, I, Haskett-Smith, Haskett-Smith, Hastings, 1897

47: Upper Tower Cascade Left, IV,4

48: Upper Tower Cascade Right, IV,4

49: Eastern Traverse, III, Raeburn, Rennie, Wigner, 1904

50: Tower Scoop, IV,4, Clough, Grandison, 1961

51: Robin’s Scoop, IV,4, Clothier, Perroux et al., 1990s

52: Tower Cleft, III,4, Francis, Pratt, 1949

53: Clefthanger, HVS, Hawthorn, Paul, 1984

54: Tower Gap Gullies, II,4

55: Frosty’s Vigil, VIII,8, Boswell, Robertson, Russell, 2017

56: Rolling Stones, HVS, Cunningham, Higgins, 1965

57: East Wall Route, III, Marshall, Marshall, 1966

58: Wet Spring Start, V,6, Perroux et al., 1983

59: Echo Traverse, III, Marshall, Marshall, 1966

60: The Edge of Beyond, VI,6, Lang, Stead, 1994

61: Going Round the Bend, IV,5, Brett, Jenkin, 2001

62: Echo Wall, E-hard, MacLeod, 2008

63: The Brass Monkey, VII,8, Marsh, Davies, 2008

64: The Urchin, E1, Hawthorn, Paul, 1984

65: The Great Chimney, IV,5, Marshall, Smith, 6 Feb 1960

66: Chimney Groove, IV,6, Lang, Stead, 1993

67: Lower East Wall Route, III, Crocket, Gilmore, 1974

68: Tower Ridge, IV,3, Collie, Collier, Sollie, 1894

        A: Eastern Traverse

        B: Tower Gap

69: East Ridge, IV,5, Pearson, Richardson, 2014

70: Direct Route I, IV,4/VDiff, Marshall et al., 1958/Brown, Douglas, Hinxman, Raeburn, 1896

71: Down to the Wire, V,6, Goodlad, Turner, 1993

72: Direct Route II, Sev, Browning, Small, 1967

73: Number Two Gully, II, Collier, Hastings, Slingsby, 1896

74: Comb Gully Buttress Icefalls, IV,4/V,6

75: Annick Exit, IV,5, Perroux et al., 1990s

76: Comb Gully Buttress, IV,5, Alexander, Clough, 1960

77: Icicle Finish, V,5, Perroux et al., 1990s

78: Clough’s Chimney, VI,6, Barber, Lowe, 1976

79: Roaring Forties, V,5, Lang, Stead, 1988

80: Big Bad Ben, VII,7, Clothier, Richardson, 1998

81: Comb Gully, IV,4, Morsley, Small, Stangle, 1938

82: Tower Finish, IV,4, Perroux et al., 2000

83: The Comb Left Flank, IV,4, Little, Richardson, 1981

84: The Good Groove, VII,7, Everett, Richardson, 1993

85: Hesperides Ledge, III, Haston, Marshall, Stenhouse, 1959

86: Quisling Wall, VI,6, Clothier, Richardson, 2001

87: Lost Souls, VI,6, Edwards, Tresidder, 2001

88: Tower Face of the Comb, VI,6, Holt, Smith, 1959

89: Tower Face Direct, VI,6, Clarke, Main, 1993

90: Long Lost Chimney, V,5, Everett, Richardson, 1996

91: Don’t Die of Ignorance, XI,11, Cave, Yates, 1987/French, MacLeod, 2008

92: The Flying Groove, VI,6 A2, Dale, Nisbet, 2001

93: Anubis, XII,12, MacLeod, 2010

94: Pigott’s Route, V,6, Marshall, Smith, 12 Feb 1960

95: Green Gully, IV,4, Phildius, Raeburn, 1906

96: Vulture, V,5, Edwards, McGimpsey, Nisbet, 2002

97: Quickstep, V,5, Bray, Townsend, 1983

98: Boston Two Step, VI,5, Edwards, McGimpsey, Nisbet, 2002

99: Left Hand Finish, V,5, Forsyth, Harper, 2002

100: Two Step Corner, V,5, Kirtley, Montgomery, 1975

101: Number Three Gully Buttress, III,4, Bennet, Lovat, 1957

102: Arthur, VIII,8, Boll, Shepherd, 2004

103: The Knuckleduster Direct, VIII,9, Boswell, Robertson, 2012

104: Last Stand, HVS, Hawthorn, Paul, 1984

105: Number Three Gully, I, Collie, Travers, 1895

106: Cornucopia, VII,8, Cartwright, Richardson, 1996

107: Darth Vader, VII,7, Cartwright, Richardson, 1997

108: Avenging Angel Direct, VIII,8, Adams, Higgins, 2013

109: South Sea Bubble, VII,7, Cartwright, Richardson, 1997

110: South Gully, III, Macphee, 1936

111: Direct Start, V,5, Cartwright, Richardson, 2001

112: Lost the Place, V,6, Cartwright, Clothier, 1988

113: Cloudwalker, VI,6, Clothier, Richardson, 2000

114: Une Journée Ordinaire dans un Enfer Quotidien, V,6, Bossier, Douay, Perroux, 1993

115: Levitation, VI,6, Cuthberson, George, 1993

116: Central Gully, III,4, Alexander, Clough, 1959

117: Central Gully Right Hand, IV,4, Knight, MacEacharan

118: Central Rib, IV,4, Campbell, Marshall, 1970

119: Wendigo, IV,4, Brown, Patey, 1963

120: Tinkerbell, IV,5, Cartwright, Richardson, 1997

121: Tick Tock Croc, IV,5, Ashbridge, Clothier, Richardson, 1999

122: Place Your Bets, VI,6, Blyth, Breil, Colin, Perroux, 1994

123: Left Fork, IV,5, Bathgate, Knight, McKeith, 1964

124: North Gully, II, MacDonald, Turnbull, 1934

125: The Gift, III,4, Ferguson, Sutcliffe, 2000

126: Forearm, IV,4, Clarke, Cuthberson, Other, Robinson, 1999

127: Four Play, IV,4, Gibson, Raitt, 1993

128: Fore‘n Daft, IV,4, Frazer, Lyall, Twomey, 2003

129: Jive Turkey, V,6, Henley, Livesey, 2019

130: Number Four Gully, Left Fork, III

131: Number Four Gully, I, Maylard, Naismith, Squance, 1895

132: The Groove Climb, V,6/VDiff, Clarke, Main, 1992/Kellett, 1943

133: Strident Edge, VI,7, Brunskill, Hughes, 2005

134: Devastation, E1, Moody, Nelson, 1995

135: The Clanger, V,5, Campbell, Marshall, Marshall, 1967

136: Pinnacle Arete, IV,5, Sellars, Smith, 1959

137: 1936 Route, Sev, Bell, McClymont, 1936

138: Rien Ne Va Plus, V,5, Blyth, Perroux, 1994

139: 1934 Route, VDiff, MacPhee, Williams, 1934

140: Eastern Block, VI,6, Charlton, Livingston, 1987

141: 1944 Route, Sev, Kellett, 1944

142: The Minge, VS, McAuley, Muir, 1981

143: Joyful Chimneys, IV,4, Campbell, Marshall, 1971

144: Central Gully, III, Inglis Clark, Inglis Clark, Raeburn, 1904

145: Nasturtium, IV,4, Cuthberson et al., 2002

146: Morton’s Neuroma, V,5, Foubister, Gregory, 2000

147: Jubilation, IV,4, Marshall, Marshall, Stenhouse, 1963

148: Gutbuster, HVS, Campbell, Palmer, 1972

149: Mega Reve, VI,6, Destercke, Deu, Domanget, Gratadour, Perroux, 1994

150: Jubilee Climb, II, Henderson, Macphee, Williams, 1935

151: Feeding Frenzy, VI,7, Gresham, Smith, 1999

152: Mega Route X, VI,6, Cain, Murphy, 1982

153: Heidbanger, E1, Muir, Nicholson, 1970

154: Cranium Direct Start, E1 5b, Muir, Paul, 1977

155: Metamorphosis, E2, Docherty, Gardner, 1971

156: Geotactic, VS 4b, Abbot, Williams, 1993

157: Nereid Gully, III, Lang, Stead, 1994

158: Softball, Sev, Jeffrey, Williams, 2001

159: Tuff Nut, HVS 5a, Abbot, Jeffrey, Williams, 1993

160: Left Hand Ridge, IV,6, Lang, Stead, 1994

161: Neptune Gully, III, Bennet, Clarkson, 1956

162: North Trident Buttress, III, MacLay, Raeburn, Walker, Walker, 1904

163: Moonlight Gully, II, Gibson, Inglis Clark, 1898

164: Fifties Revival, IV,6, Lang, Stead, 1994

165: Diagonal Route, III, Hawthorn, MacLean, Paul, 1983

166: Right Hand Chimney, IV,4, Hawthorn, MacLean, Paul, 1983

167: Gaslight, VDiff, Adam, Muir, 1984

168: Moonlight Arete, IV,5, Jones, Ravey, 1998

169: Number Five Gully, I, Collie et al., 1895

170: Lysystrata, HVS, Braithwaite, Nunn, 1971

171: Antigone, HVS, Braithwaite, Nunn, 1971

172: Agamemnon, E1, Braithwaite, Nunn, 1971

173: Fives Wall, Sev, Donaldson, Marshall, 1953

174: The Slant, VS, Collingham, Sullivan, 1959

175: Slanting Slit, VI,6, Duff, Greenhaugh, 1994

176: Free Range, VII,7, Bass, Higgins, Yearsley, 2011

177: Nevermore, VIII,8, MacLeod, Small, 2020

178: Ledge Route, II, SMC party, 1897

179: The Curtain Rail, IV,4, Lang, Richardson, Stead, 1988

180: The Curtain, IV,5, Bathgate, Knight, 1965

181: Mourning Slab, VS, Clough, Sutcliffe, 1961

182: Route I Summer Start, Sev, Hargreaves, Hughes, Macphee, 1931

183: Route I Summer Direct Start, Sev, Campbell, Plackett, 1941

184: Route I Winter Direct Start, VI,6, Cuthberson, Sylvester, 1984

185: Route I, VI,6, Knowles, Wilson, 1972

186: Sod’s Law, V,6/VS, Duff, Tinker, 1985/Clough, Farquhar, 1966

187: Route II Direct, VI,6, Smith, Sykes, 1978

188: Dissection, HVS, Cundy, Nunn, 1971

189: The Shadow, VII,6/VS, Braithwaite, Pearce, 1979/Collingham, Sullivan, 1959

190: Ring the Alarm, VI,5, Duff, Tinker, 1986

191: The Bullroar, HVS, Marshall, Stenhouse, 1961

192: Adrenalin Rush, E3, Johnstone, Todd, 1978

193: Cowslip, E2, Carrington, Nicolson, 1970

194: Torro, E2, Gordon, McLean, Smith, 1962/Fulton, Nicolson, 1970

195: Red Rag, E2, Muhlemann, Richardson, 1991

196: Centurion, VIII,8/HVS, Milward, 1975/Downes, Whillans, 1956

197: French Connection, VII,6, Damilano, Lewale, 1995

198: King Kong, E2, Graham, Harper, Robertson, 1964/Grigg, Johnstone, 1977

199: The Wicked, E6, Campbell, Latter, 2001

200: The Bat, E2, Haston, Smith, 1959

201: Sassenach, IX,9/E1, Stone, Turner, 2009/Brown, Whillans, 1954

202: CIC Icefall, V,6

203: Waterfall Gully True Finish, VI,6, Cuthberson, Fraser, 1984

204: Waterfall Gully, IV,4, Alexander, Clough, Flegg, Pipes, Shaw, 1959

205: Wray’s Rib, IV,4, Powell, Wray, 1994

206: Staircase Climb Direct, VI,7, Cartwright, Richardson, 1999

207: Staircase Climb, IV,5/VDiff, Haston, Stenhouse, 1957/Bell, Maclay, Naismith, 1898

208: Raeburn’s Buttress, IV,5, Ashley, Macphee, Oates, 1938

209: The Crack, VIII,8/HVS, Cartwright, Richardson, 2000/Carsten, McGuinness, 1946

210: Compression Crack, V,5, Hind, Rice, 1985

211: South Castle Gully, II, Brunskill, King, Naismith, 1896

212: Godspell, VII,7, Cordes, Richardson, 2006

213: The Castle, III/VDiff, Brown, MacLay, Naismith, Thomson, 1896/1898

214: The Castle Direct, IV,4, Powell, Wray, 1994

215: The Keep, Sev, Alexander, Clough, 1958

216: North Castle Gully, II, Bell, Napier, 1896

217: Castle Ridge, III, Collie, Naismith, Thomson, Travers, 1895

 

Updates

Jul 5, 2023: Added winter grade of Sassenach, thanks to Tony Stone.

May 15, 2024: Graphic design update