The summit plateau is the dangerous part, not the climb

The walking is straightforward. The navigation at the top is not, and this is where people die.

The summit is a vast, flat, featureless stony plateau of around 40 hectares. On its northern side are enormous cliffs and three gullies: Five Finger Gully, Tower Gully and Gardyloo Gully. In cloud, which is most days, you cannot see them until you are on them. Walkers have fallen to their deaths in all three.

Published guidance for descending in poor visibility is to leave the summit trig point on a bearing of 231 degrees for 150 m, which takes you safely past Gardyloo Gully, then follow 282 degrees down to the zigzags. Check these against Mountaineering Scotland or Walkhighlands before you go, carry a paper map and compass, and know how to use them. A phone is not a substitute.

A line of cairns marks the way across the plateau. In heavy cloud you often can't see the next cairn from the one you're standing at. That's the moment to decide honestly whether to continue.

In snow, cornices overhang those cliff edges. Stay well back. Any ascent with snow on the path is a winter mountaineering day requiring axe, crampons and the skills to use them.

The two routes

The Mountain Path. The standard route, built in the late 1800s to service the summit observatory. Around 17 km return, over 1,300 m of ascent, 7 to 9 hours for most people. From the visitor centre it climbs to a lochan, then zigzags relentlessly up the western flank. The lower half is a good track; above the zigzags it becomes shale, loose rock and boulders. Around 75,000 people a year go up this way.

The Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête. A grade 1 scramble along a curving ridge, far more spectacular and much more serious. Achievable for fit hillwalkers in good conditions, and there's a section below Càrn Mòr Dearg with no clear path where you have to navigate for yourself.

We chose the Mountain Path because summit gusts were forecast around 50 km/h. I'd have loved the arête. You do not want to be on an exposed ridge in that wind, and being disappointed at the car park is better than being committed on the ridge. Pick the route for the day you've got, not the day you wanted.

Weather, and picking your window

Ben Nevis has two Gaelic readings, one of which is often given as "mountain with its head in the clouds". That's the accurate one. The summit is in cloud most of the year.

The two days before we climbed had amber rain warnings and parts of Scotland flooded. We met Scots who'd attempted the summit and turned back because water on the path was nearly impassable. Two days later it was clear enough to see for miles, and everyone had told us we'd see nothing.

Check the mountain forecast, not the town forecast. The summit is dramatically colder, wetter and windier than Fort William, in every season. Take warm layers and full waterproofs even if you start in a t-shirt.

Start early. We left at 9:30 rather than the 8:00 we'd planned, and spent the day making time back. On an 8-hour route with Scottish daylight, an early start is the cheapest safety margin there is.

Practical notes

• Parking: the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre car park charged £6 for 24 hours when I visited, with an extra £2 for paying by card. Bring coins. Prices change, so check.

• Water crossings on the lower path can be significant after heavy rain.

• The summit has a trig point on a large cairn, a war memorial, an emergency shelter and the ruins of the meteorological observatory that operated there from 1883 to 1904.

• The rock at the top looks completely different to the rest of the mountain, pale and lunar. Ben Nevis was an active volcano that exploded and collapsed in on itself.

• There's a bus service to Glen Nevis between roughly May and September.

Why I came, and something worth saying

In Fort William before the climb I met a local called Ryan, who told me his community had been hit very hard by mental health issues, and that five people he knew of had taken their own lives. His view was that it came down to people not reaching out and not getting help in time.

Ryan and a lot of other locals climb Ben Nevis to raise awareness and get people talking about it. That's why this one mattered more to me than the height.

I started this project during a stretch of depression and anxiety, and it's a big part of why I'm doing it at all. So: it's okay to not be okay. Check in with yourself and with the people around you, and reach out when you need to.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans are free to call on 116 123, 24 hours a day. If you're elsewhere, your local equivalent will be a search away.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest mountain in Scotland?

Ben Nevis, at 1,345 m, near Fort William in Lochaber. It's also the highest in the UK and the British Isles.

How long does it take to climb Ben Nevis?

Typically 7 to 9 hours return on the Mountain Path, covering around 17 km with over 1,300 m of ascent. Fit walkers moving steadily can do it faster; our moving time was 5.5 hours.

Do you need experience to climb Ben Nevis?

Not for the Mountain Path in good summer conditions, but it's long and sustained. You do need navigation skills for the summit plateau in poor visibility, and full winter skills and equipment if there's snow.

Is Ben Nevis dangerous?

The path itself isn't technical. The danger is the summit plateau, which is large, flat and featureless, with cliffs and three gullies on its north side where people have fallen and died in cloud.

What's the easiest route up Ben Nevis?

The Mountain Path, sometimes called the Pony Track or Tourist Track, from Glen Nevis.

What is the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête?

A grade 1 scramble along a ridge, and the more adventurous route to the summit. Suitable for fit, experienced hillwalkers in good weather. Not an option in high wind.

Do you need a permit?

No. Access is free. Parking is charged.

How much is parking at Ben Nevis?

The Glen Nevis Visitor Centre car park was £6 for 24 hours when I visited, plus £2 if paying by card. Rates vary by car park and change over time.

Is Ben Nevis a volcano?

It was. Ben Nevis is the remains of an ancient volcano that erupted and collapsed in on itself, which is why the summit rock looks so different from the lower slopes.

Can you see anything from the top?

On a clear day the view covers much of the Highlands, and looking down the north face is the most dramatic part. But the summit is in cloud far more often than not.

What's at the summit of Ben Nevis?

A trig point on a cairn, a war memorial, an emergency shelter, and the ruins of the 19th-century observatory.

Is Ben Nevis part of the Three Peaks Challenge?

Yes. It's the highest of the three, along with Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales.

Peak 16 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.