Ben Nevis North Face – When Plan B Turns Into an Mountain Biking Adventure

Do you ever sit in the van before a ride and think to yourself, "Why do I do this?"

That was exactly how I felt as I pulled into Nevis Range on Saturday morning, when the nice Scottish summer had disappeared to be replaced by heavy rain.

The plan had been simple: buy

a gondola ticket and spend the day lapping Top Chief and the World Cup DH. Instead, the wind had other ideas. Top Chief was closed due to wind, and my courage didn’t extend to the DH track straight away.

So... Plan B.

For a while I'd wanted to ride the trail towards the Charles Inglis Clark (C.I.C) Mountain Hut beneath the North Face of Ben Nevis. It's a route more familiar to mountaineers and climbers than mountain bikers, and with the forecast looking mixed, it seemed like as good a time as any.

After loading my rucksack with the essentials, I rolled away from the Nevis Range car park in the rain, following the well-signposted route.

Fortunately, the weather soon began to play nicely. The rain eased and was replaced by spells of sunshine filtering through the trees. It was one of those climbs where you're happy to be under the canopy, cool air replacing the humidity of the morning.

Before long, the forest opened up to a small bench overlooking Fort William and Loch Linnhe. It's worth stopping for a minute here. Even though you're still on the forest track, the view is spectacular.

A little higher up, you pass through a deer gate, and that's where the forest road is replaced by singletrack and the real ride begins.

The singletrack heads towards the mountain through increasingly rocky terrain. Some sections are perfectly rideable, while others demand a bit of pushing and the occasional hike-a-bike. I didn't mind though—I was already looking forward to riding it all back down.

Then Ben Nevis appeared, your never really far away from it in Fort William, however the

scale of it is awesome and standing beneath the highest mountain in the UK never really gets old.

I rode Ben Nevis (If you can call it riding) in 2023 following the traditional walkers

route, I’d definitely be able to right a chapter of a book from that experience, however in a word I’d say Brutal!

So back to today......

In the sunshine, the sheer scale of the North Face is difficult to describe. It's one of those places that makes you feel very small.

As I climbed higher, the atmosphere changed completely. The sunshine disappeared into swirling cloud, with mist drifting around the corries and cliffs. One minute I could see the mountain clearly,

the next it had vanished into grey. It gave the whole place an eerie feeling that somehow suited the landscape perfectly.

The climb took around an hour and a half. There were only a couple of short sections where the bike needed to go on my back, probably no more than 50 metres of climbing in total, but the terrain definitely became more rugged the closer I got.

Eventually, I crested a rocky rise and there it was, the C.I.C Mountain Hut, tucked beneath the towering North Face. I continued as far as I felt comfortable with the bike before scrambling up a heavily eroded section of path. Looking ahead, the exposure and damage to the trail from the river made me stop and think.

Sometimes it's easy to become fixated on reaching the destination. But when you're riding alone, there's always a balance between getting to your goal and knowing when enough is enough.

I didn't quite make it to the hut, but honestly, I wasn't disappointed. I'd had a brilliant day, the views had been unforgettable, and turning back felt like the right decision.

So... the descent. I'd love to tell you it was one long ribbon of flowing singletrack. It wasn't.

There were some fantastic sections, but there were quite a number of large water troughs and large stepping-stone stream crossings and technical moves that had me stopping more often than I'd hoped. Let's just say my bunny-hop skills are still a long way behind Danny MacAskill's.

Halfway down the sunshine returned and stopped to take my waterproof off as the sunshine returned... and forgot about our Scottish overfriendly flies (the midgie) was immediately attacked by what felt like every midge in the Highlands.

Lesson learned: never forget the Smidge.

Back at the Nevis Range, I followed the higher forest trail home and couldn't help noticing what looked suspiciously like the beginnings of some new trails. It'll be interesting to see what appears there over the coming months.

My verdict

Ride: 6/10

Not quite enough flowing riding for the amount of effort needed, at least for my riding ability.

Scenery: 10/10

Absolutely breathtaking. Standing beneath Ben Nevis is an experience every mountain biker should have.

Effort: 6/10

Expect a good mix of riding, pushing and the occasional hike-a-bike.

Overall: 7/10

Would I do it again? For the riding... maybe not. For the scenery and the experience? Absolutely. Sometimes the

best days on a bike aren't measured by how much singletrack you ride, but by the places your bike takes you.

Safety Disclaimer

The Scottish hills are an incredible place to ride, but they demand respect. Weather conditions can change rapidly, even in the middle of summer, and remote mountain routes can quickly become serious if something goes wrong.

The route described in this blog is not suitable for inexperienced riders and should not be underestimated. Before attempting rides like this, ensure you have the appropriate mountain biking skills, navigation ability, fitness, clothing, equipment, and emergency supplies. Whenever possible, avoid riding remote routes alone and always let someone know your planned route and expected return time.

If you're new to mountain biking in remote terrain or lack experience in the Scottish mountains, I strongly recommend riding with a British Cycling qualified Mountain Bike Leader or another suitably qualified local guide who has the knowledge, experience, and skills to manage both the route and the changing mountain environment.

The information in this blog reflects my own experience on the day and is provided for general information only. Trail conditions, weather, access, and hazards can change at any time. Anyone choosing to ride this route does so entirely at their own risk. MTB Scot Adventures ltd. accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, injury, damage, or accident arising from the use of the information contained in this blog or from attempting this route.

Your safety should always come before the ride

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