The Torlundy path follows the Allt a'Mhuilinn to the CIC Hut under the north face of the ben. Photo: John Dyason CC-BY-SA-2.0
Work on the final phase of an improvement to the path leading to Ben Nevis’s north face has begun.
The final 750m section of the Allt a’Mhuilinn track is being upgraded to allow an easier passage for the estimated 10,000 walkers and climbers who use the route each year.
The path leads from Torlundy to the Charles Inglis Clark Hut in the shadow of some of the mountain’s most testing climbing routes on the 600m (1,970ft) high crags on the north side of Britain’s highest mountain.
Construction of the top section of the track will complete the programme of improvements to the climbers’ access track from the car park at Torlundy all the way up to the north river crossing below the north face of Ben Nevis, a total of 5km.
The Nevis Partnership has overseen the work, with funding from, appropriately, The North Face as well as the Scottish Mountaineering Trust and The Scottish Rural Development Programme.
Journalist, broadcaster and chair of the Nevis Partnership Cameron McNeish said: “Work on this final section of the Allt a’Mhuilinn track means that one of the most used and popular footpaths in the country will shortly be brought up to an acceptable standard, allowing climbers to access the fabulous climbing on the ben’s north face and walkers to experience the full grandeur of Scotland’s highest mountain without having to suffer what has been an energy-consuming bog-trot.”
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead added: “This work to upgrade the Allt a’Mhuilinn path is an excellent project, and one that the Scottish Government is proud to support with funding from Rural Priorities, part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.
“Upgrading the path will bring a significant boost to local tourism and the local environment. The project will not only improve access for over 10,000 walkers who visit the unique north face of Ben Nevis each year; it will also help to minimise erosion and damage to fragile vegetation on the mountainside.”
