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Revision as of 16:43, 16 August 2004
| Ben Nevis | |
|---|---|
 Ben Nevis | |
| Elevation: | 1,344 metres (4,409 feet) |
| Latitude: | 56° 48′ N |
| Longitude: | 4° 59′ W |
| OS Grid Reference: | NN166713 |
| Location: | Scottish Highlands |
| Range: | Grampians |
| Easiest route: | hike |
| Listing: | Munro, Marilyn (hill) |
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is situated in the west of Scotland, close to the coastal town of Fort William. This imposing colossus is one of 284 Munros (mountains in Scotland that reach an elevation of 3,000 feet or more).
There is a relatively simple route to the summit known as the 'Tourist Route' that begins at the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre about one mile from Fort William town centre. The mountain is notorious for fickle weather, and considered dangerous; hikers have been killed as a result. Controversy continues to rage about the placing of navigation poles near the summit. These navigation poles were placed upon the advice on Lochaber Mountain Rescue, as an aid for climbers/walkers in bad weather - the descent from summit plateaux having proven deadly in foggy conditions. Currently they have been cut by environmentally conscious climbers who object to the aesthetic intrusion.
The origins of the name of the mountain are unclear. The word ben is certainly the Gaelic for peak, and Ben Nevis is sometimes referred to as 'the ben'. However several possibilities for the meaning of nevis have been suggested. This include 'venomous','burst' or 'flow' (from neb) and 'brow of keen air' (from neamh meaning 'keeness of air' and bhathais meaning 'brow'). Finally a locally popular suggestion is that the name derives from naomh meaning 'heaven'. However this etymology is rejected by linguists. Ben Nevis is also a brand name of whisky distillery down in the nearby town of Fort William.
Ben Nevis is one of three British mountains climbed as part of the (National) Three Peaks Challenge.
There once was an observatory on the summit. It was while working here that CTR Wilson made his famous observations of clouds leading to his invention of the cloud chamber.
Ben Nevis consists of igneous rock dating from the Devonian period of geological history.
The 300 m high north face is the largest cliff in the United Kingdom and has many famous mountaineering routes, from Tower Ridge (grade II) to Centurion (grade VIII.8).