A brief history of Benjamin Nevis
The Ben, also known as Benny Boy, Big Ben, Notorious Nev and Neverest (amongst many more), is the mountain with the mostest altitude and attitude in the whole of Great Britain. It is the biggest (at 1344 m high) and badest mountain named Ben in the whole world. Interestingly his official name 'Ben Nevis,' is thought to come from the Gaelic, 'Beinn Nibheis.' meaning 'malicious mountain'. He was first conquered a long time ago, by someone you may never have heard of and probably never will. But since then there has been many commendable gimmicks to be the first to do other stuff on the top.
In 1911 a Model T Ford was driven to the top of the mountain as a publicity stunt by the Ford agents in Edinburgh. To demonstrate that one wheel is just as good as four, in the very same year a man from Fort William pushed a wheelbarrow to the summit.
In September 1980 the kilted Kenneth Campbell of Ardgay, Ross-shire carried a barrel of beer to the top to raise funds for cancer research. This same champion of ground breaking mountaineering research also later carried a piano to the summit and back. Later in 2006 volunteers clearing stones at the summit of Ben Nevis in May 2006 discovered remains of a piano, which makes me question the “and back” part of his claim. And in 1981 a group of Glasgow University medical students pushed a bed to the top - they were accompanied by the former newscaster Reginald Bosanquet (then 48) who collapsed 1000 feet up (so presumably the bed came in useful).
In the spirit of such pointless pursuits please click on THE RACE section to find out how you too can contribute to the rich history of the mountain, by marking the completion of a Haggis triathlon at the summit and toasting to Scotland and the brave adventurers of the past with a highland single malt whiskey.
If you want to learn something actually useful for your future assent there are many websites that are much more informative that this one which will provide you with the knowledge you need to safely succeed in surmounting this summit. Here are just a few helping hands:
And for the lazy and less learned amoungst you: To your left is a picture of of the beautiful behemoth that is Ben Nevis. You want the path starting at the visitor information centre, cross the river then head upward. Like the cycle ride, there is one turn you have to navigate, but this time it is a right turn, to avoid going to the North Face. So practice your lefts and rights before you embark. And remember failing to prepare is preparing to fail, or fall of a mountain or something like that. So I do recommend you take advice from less satirical sources.