UKC

I'm having a dilemma and welcome thoughts...

I've booked a last minute Airbnb for my wife and I for this wknd.  Plan is a quick hit up Ben Nevis via the donkey track on Saturday - current forecast looks kind - lightish winds, cold, minimal precipitation.

I can't decide on footwear.  I'd like to walk up and run down.  Ideally waterproof socks, trail shoes, micro spikes, and walking poles.  Id really rather not have to do full boots proper crampons and axe if we can avoid it!

It's been years since I was last up there and can't quite remember the terrain.  Is this a daft idea or perfectly fine for competent fell running types?

For context and to put people mind at rest - we are both competent in the hills in winter and have all kit and nav etc - recent Spine races, etc.  I just can't really remember the terrain!

Thanks all.

Should be fine as long as you're happy to turn back if it's not fine.

Competent experienced winter walkers wouldn't be asking such an obvious question. 

Some of the group I'm up in Fort William with went up on Monday. The snow wasn't very deep but they were glad of their crampons coming down because of ice on the steps.

I guess only you know what you'll be happy on in micro spikes. Have you got a lightweight touring axe you can shove on your bag? That way if you end up carrying on when you should have turned back then you can at least make sure you don't slide down the hill even if you repeatedly fall over!

If someone has spine race fitness, then a few hundred extra grams carrying the right equipment for scottish winters shouldn't be a concern. Scottish winter even on tourist tracks isn't the place to cut corners. 

Perfect, thanks.

I am aware of the Pony track, which way do the donkeys go to get up?

I'd walk up in boots and take crampons.  It is after all a reasonably easy ascent for you if you are an experienced runner or winter hillwalker.   
I'd then run down in my boots - good exercise for you too.  If you needed to put your crampons on going down, then its no big deal. 

The pony track is generally runnable on the way down. That said, hard ice patches are almost guaranteed higher up. Only you can say what you are comfortable with, but personally I would take the crampons and a light axe.

Just back from a great weekend - woke up on Saturday morning to an inch of snow at Achintee valley level!  Light winds for the lower half then got wind blasted on the final km or so to the summit, clouds lifted just as we started to descend and had a stunning view - felt like a proper mountain day. 

Hoka Mafate Speed 4s and Kahootla Microspikes were perfect - put the spikes on from halfway up the zig zags.  Used poles, carried a lightweight walking axe just in case but that stayed on my pack the whole time. 

Glad you had a good trip up. I'd be cautious of advising anybody about anything in the hills with snow on the ground as I have been caught out myself with no crampons and hard neve in a few occasions.

Thanks, it was a great day.  I'm not advising anyone of anything, just sharing my own experience - I was pleased with my choices, it worked well for me.

I spoke to the avalanche forecaster on Saturday. The snow was completely unexpected! 

Glad you had a good day, the ben looked wild from a distance.

I love the picture.

I'll have to stop trying to finish the Munros, and go up "The Ben" again, preferably by the CIC, and something in condition, at the time, such as Green Gully. 

Micro spikes are perfect - until they are not!

Rather than suggest 'perfect' I'd say you got away with it. Without proper crampons you had no means of scaling things up if conditions were worse, or say your micro spikes weren't sufficient. You'll say you can turn around, but often people go further in hindsight than they should before giving up. You're playing the odds in winter for no reason other than to save a few grams, good luck. 

I'd say the op is best placed to judge whether their choices were right or not.

Everyone thinks they are properly equipped until they aren't. 

Had 2 people winched off CMD Arete claiming to be crampon less, or they just hid them in their bags because the walk in the pretty snow was actually a serious game. Plenty similar jobs on icy paths into Lost Valley and Lochain that catch people out by surprise when water below zero degree temps turns to ice on the paths, going up is always much easier so people over commit what they can't reverse.

A few thoughts on what I think is a false dichotomy.

'Microspikes' can mean a few things, but some are quite versatile.

Microspikes are not dumbed down crampons they are a different tool.

On a rocky path with patches of ice (esp at dusk) I'd much rather be wearing microspikes than crampons (and will sometimes carry both). I think this is easier and safer. I've certainly had times when I've had crampons and wished I had micospikes, but not the other way round (perhaps lucky with my kit choices). (I have two pairs...one for shoes / running and a larger pair which go on boots). Crampons are quite dangerous, especially if we are pushing them on people who are less experienced. It would be equally easy to say that someone with crampons 'got away with it'.

I suspect the dry cold winter we have had makes microspikes for walking (which I'd include the Pony Track) a better option in more situations (subject to a bit of thought).

Now, about poles....

Oh my. This discussion again.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2025/02/microspikes_vs_crampons_-_safety_ad...

Yes, both have their uses. Even on Ben Nevis. Yet the discussion about their uses, limitations (pretty real) and advantages (pretty real) is always getting stupid. The perennial debate, I guess...