My target for 2016 is to climb at least 3 munro’s (Scottish mountain above 3,000ft) and by that I mean entirely on foot and not using mechanical aid such as chair lifts etc.

At 5am Wednesday (13th) morning, I scraped the frost off my car and set off for Aonach Mor, located roughly 7 miles N of Fort William. Part of the Nevis Range with neighbouring Carn Mor Dearg and mighty Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor rises to 4,006 feet making this the UK’s 8th highest and home to the Nevis Range ski centre also boasting the UK’s highest ski run and chair lift.

This was by far the most challenging of all 5 munro’s achieved so far simply because of the knee deep snow drifts and steep incline. Despite an air temperature of -6C, the lack of wind made it feel not too cold and even on top I was able to remove my face mask and gloves. I’m no skier but snow conditions looked good from mid mountain up. The 360 degree views from the summit were nothing short of stunning, especially when looking over to snow covered Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis.

At the moment I am choosing munro’s which have weather significance.

Like with Cairn Gorm which I climbed back in November 2015, Aonach Mor is a mountain which has recorded significant wind gusts and has a still, fully functional met office weather station on top. This station recorded the strongest gust of 142 mph during Cyclone Xaver back in 2011 (above chart).

It’s also among an elite group of Scottish mountains which support year round snow patches. Aonach Mor’s Coire an Lochain, located on the steep, rugged NW face is known to maintain patches of snow from one year to the next.

Yesterday I scaled my 5th munro and 8th highest in the UK. Like Cairngorm, Aonach Mor has weather significance with an official high altitude Met Office recording station.

View from the car park where I started off. A long walk through woods which made up the world championship mountain bike course before then the gruelling trek through the snow field of the mid and upper mountain.

Beyond the tree line and half way up I reached the thin snow line. Snow cover gradually increased from here on.

In the upper reaches and mid way up chair lift 2, well beyond the Gondola top station (650m), the combination of increased gradient and snow depth made for very difficult, exhausting forward progression towards the top.

I ploughed through knee deep drifts and I must admit, I was struggling to continue. This was a very different world to what I left 150m below.

Well beyond the top of the ‘ice encrusted’ chair lift 2 and within the colder, bleaker upper reaches, spectacular views of Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis were unveiled.

Finally made it to the weather station.

Heading back down and yes I hitched a lift on the gondola, thank you Nevis Range!

Below are the temperature and wind conditions recorded by the very weather station I was standing beside, looking across Carn Mor Dearg to Ben Nevis.

Air temp   Wind speed         Windchill

12.00pm          -6.5C             11 mph

1.00pm             -6.4C            14 mph               -14C

I have my sights on Ben Nevis sometime in spring or summer.

From Nevis Range Ski Resort

History of Nevis Range

Skiing has been enjoyed on Aonach Mor since the 1930’s, predominately by local skiers. However it was not until 1968, that the area’s full economic potential was recognised. In 1974 a planning report was produced, sponsored by the Scottish Tourist Board, concerning the prospect of a winter sports development in Fort William, and essentially developing the area as an all year round tourist destination.

Numerous further feasibility studies were commissioned concerning the engineering, ecology and viability of a development on Aonach Mor and finally in August 1986 the project won approval from the Highland Region’s Planning Committee. The following three years required considerable effort to secure both public and private funding for the development, however the support and backing was successful when construction finally began in December 1988.

On the 19th December 1989 Ian Sykes and his team opened Nevis Range to the public

During the construction, considerable effort was made to create an environmentally acceptable area, all work carried out was in compliance with planning controls and restrictions were put in place to protect the environment. Buildings were designed to blend with surrounding vegetation, helicopters were used for all construction work (at high cost!) and no bulldozing was permitted throughout the process of piste creation. Nevis Range has been hailed as the model of a well-managed, low impact development.

Despite the severe controversy that surrounded the development for many years, the considerable effort and hard work (blood, sweat and tears on many individuals parts!) was finally proven worthwhile, when on the 19th December 1989 Ian Sykes and his team opened Nevis Range to the public.

The installation of the skiing facilities at Aonach Mor were implemented as a multi-phase project, with one of the latter developments; the Braveheart Chair, being constructed during 1997, eight years after the ski centre first opened.

The centre continues to evolve in response to competitive and environmental factors, it is no longer just a winter ski area; the gondola is a highly acclaimed year round visitor attraction in its own right. Nevis Range is now also an internationally acclaimed venue for mountain biking; having hosted numerous international and national competitions it is hailed as one of the best Mountain Biking destinations worldwide.

The downhill mountain bike track was first developed on the lower slopes of Aonach Mor in 1994, being regularly used by bikers and hill walkers. Over the years with the increased demand and growing number of events being hosted the track gradually started to creep further up the hill. In 1998 discussions began to extend the track to the top station and provide gondola access for riders and their bikes, the completed track was opened to the public in September 2000.

Nevis Range has, in conjunction with the Forestry Commission, since developed the mountain biking facilities available onsite to include both a X-Country and 4-Cross track, consequently becoming the first venue to host all three World Cup disciplines. Fort William has now played host to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 11 times and will return for a 12th year in 2013.

The downhill mountain bike track was first developed on the lower slopes of Aonach Mor in 1994, being regularly used by bikers and hill walkers.

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Tags: Aonach Mor, highlands, mountain weather, nevis range