Ben Nevis in Winter
Are you up for a challenge? Do you want to stand on the top of the highest mountain in the UK in winter? Do you want to try using crampons and ice axes for the first time? Do you want to see one of the best views in Scotland?
Whether you are a seasoned mountaineer looking for a guide to tell you about the amazing climbing history and landscape, or you have never climbed a mountain in winter before, we can help you get to the summit. At Omega Guiding our friendly and experienced leaders know the mountain like no-one else!
Below are some of our most popular courses, but as with everything we do at Omega it is all customisable to you. If you don't see the exact adventure you've been dreaming of then please get in contact and we can make it happen.
Also check out our Skills and Summit courses!
Ben Nevis stands 1344m tall and our ascent starts close to sea level, it is certainly a day not to be underestimated - most parties in winter will take between 6-9 hours depending on conditions. Usually there is consistent snow cover from halfway and if we are up there before many people have been up then we could be making the tracks up the mountain; this is an incredibly rewarding but tiring task.
A good level of fitness is desirable, however winter skills we can teach you and equipment we can help you to hire. We have excellent relations with the local hire shops around Fort William, Cotswold Outdoor and Ellis Brigham are good places to start.
We believe that one of the best ways to enjoy climbing Ben Nevis is to be well prepared, our guides have lots of experience looking after people on the mountain and we always have spare warm clothes, waterproofs, hats and gloves that our customers can use if they need to.
One of the most popular options is our 2 day Skills and Summit Course. This allows you to learn all the skills (and more) needed to be out in winter on day 1 and then pick a mountain to climb on the second day of the course. We find this makes the summit day much more enjoyable as you are more confident and know what to expect.