Ledge Route

A quiet North Face

How to look cool in the mountains!

Jane didn't want to push the stack over

Chilly on top

Today I was back on Ben Nevis and out with Jane.  Jane has never been into the mountains before, never climbed, scrambled or been exposed to heights.  The aim was to summit Ben Nevis but not via the tourist route.  After a bit of humming and hawing, we went for Ledge Route.  Now as we walked in, Jane was nervous, anxious and thought her arms were going to fall off because they were cold..! ;)  Now when we topped out of Ledge Route, there was a 'Is that it?!' from Jane.  Turns out, a true natural at climbing, heights don't phase her and general fitness is far better than she thought.  I have discovered, that in my climbing one of the main things that hold me back from pushing myself is my disbelief in my ability.  The 'head game' of climbing has always been a challenge and is something (most) climbers experience.  Some climbers are blessed with the ability forget about the fear, however alot of us have to work hard to keep it away, that's one of the many characteristics that really draws me to climbing.  I think fear is a healthy trait to have whilst climbing, its what keeps us alive.

Very different weather on the top