Two Sides to the Ben - Jack Spowart Original

Last year I took an opportunity to be guided up Ben Nevis’ notorious north face, specifically Tower Ridge, one of the UKs classic mountaineering ridge routes. It was classic west coast weather, low cloud, smirr rain that soaks through the best of kit. We’d already committed to the long drive and the trudge to the CIC hut. The route was absolutely stunning. It was my first big mountain route. The variation of climbing and it’s rock architecture kept the experience exciting from start to finish. The highlight was the infamous Tower Gap, a one metre wide ridge walk with vertical drops on either side. A few weeks later, I walked the Pony Track to the summit on an epically clear day. Both experiences were unique and both with their own positives. This work is a reflection of those experiences. The stark contrast between the two sides of the Ben.