UKC

Hi
I started a thread on this a while back asking for advice on tackling Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis in April, but the thread has been archived so I can't reply to the answers that people gave me then. I just wanted to thank folk for their advice as I took it on board, I was planning to do the route in April and was generally advised against it and did it a few days ago instead. It was worth the wait for good weather as folk advised, so I kinda wanted to say thanks!
On the other hand, I did Castle Ridge two days later (which I never asked for advice on) and just didn't enjoy it. I think I messed up on the route on to it and off it, so I'm just curious to know, what's the best route off and on? I'm pretty sure I made it far harder work than it needed to be?

In reply to Lobsbelow:

Have a look at this:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jjjeSCz7NMMC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&am...

I went up Castle Ridge last weekend and we stuck to the path nearly to the CIC hut before crossing the burn and going straight up a grassy gully. We then moved up right onto some slabs before reaching the foot of the ridge itself.

In reply to aldo56:

Hi aldo56, I read that guide but then had a series of mishaps:
left it in the car, walked up to CIC because I wanted more water, then went too high up from there above the rock terrace, leading me to miss out the first section of the ridge. Bit of a bugger crossing the scree higher up which didn't add any pleasure to the route.
Then descending, all I could remember from the guide was to 'head up and across', which was pretty vague at that point, I then didn't head up far enough (I think) and had to wade up and across/ traverse a boulder gully, then over a steep patch of snow - sans ice axe or crampons, just kicking steps as it started to hail. Went over the brow of Carn Dearg between the far crags and hit another wide patch of steeper snow, stupidly crossing it rather than going further up another boulder field... and feeling stupidly bumbly.
I'd like to know where I went wrong, apart from leaving the guide book! Should I have gone further up to Carn Dearg to the summit? Should I have clambered up the boulder field higher after that towards the walkers path rather than walk across the snow packed slope? Sorry if these are daft questions but I'm trying to learn from my mistakes!
I still think Castle Ridge was harder than Tower Ridge, everything about Tower Ridge was the right side of exhilarating!

In reply to Lobsbelow:

I'm certainly not an authority on routes on the Ben but here are my thoughts, others may well correct:

No real need to go up to the CIC to start with; sounds like you might have traversed in above the Organ Pipes? I don't think the lower slabs you missed out are actually part of Castle Ridge but they are likely more pleasant than the way you came.

After the ridge petered out, we went straight up a large, steep snow field (no crampons or axes either). After the snow ran out there was a small boulder field before we turned a crest and were able to see the red burn / tourist path.

In reply to aldo56:

Ok thanks. I knew we didn't need to go to CIC, but as I said, I wanted water from the pipe, so that made it a little more jaunty!
Your descent route makes me feel a bit more reassured. Thanks for answering.
Since then I found out I fractured my fibula in my leg ... I tumbled on a stone on the walkers path on the descent from Tower Ridge ... on a flat bit too! What a numpty! No wonder I was finding Castle Ridge so hard 2 days later... it's only a small hairline fracture but it kinda 'pinged' all the time

In reply to Lobsbelow:

Good to hear you enjoyed Tower. I find this time of year on the Ben there's meltwater streams pretty much everywhere, so finding water is rarely an issue. Bad luck with the fracture!

In reply to Lobsbelow:

When I did Castle ridge I found the guidebook (which I had with me!) of limited use. It was early summer and the route had no snow on it but started to heavily snow as we got to the top of the route. route finding on the lower section seemed easy, but higher up it got a bit vague and we followed masses of 'wear/polish' out left and we seemed to be left of the ridge for ages and it didn't seem to fit the description, but the alternative looked dirty/steep and untravelled! And I remember when the scrambling/climbing finished we headed up quite a bit more before traversing a steepish boulder field and the tourist track was further than I thought, but we were in a summer blizzard at this point! Strange route