Ben Nevis-ing is like Everesting, only you climb the height of the UK’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, on your own chosen hill. I invented the idea during Covid lockdown to entertain myself and friends. I also wrote about it in The Scots Magazine. If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy another Scots Magazine, or a subscription?
Ben Nevis-ing on Dumgoyne Hill
The first time we reached the summit of a local hill, Dumgoyne, it seemed easily achievable. Walking to the 427m (1401ft) top in the Campsie Fells, Stirlingshire, for a second time my legs started to complain.
By the time, my friend Nic Dawson and I were on our third non-stop ascent, the already steep hill path seemed more precipitous and far longer.
By now, the sun had also disappeared behind thickening clouds and the wind was so strong at the top we had to push hard to touch the summit pillar.
Descending again, we checked our sports watches and calculated we would need to do at least one more full climb, as well as another partial ascent, to reach our target total elevation of a virtual Ben Nevis.
The fourth – and then the final extra half climb – tested both our physical strength and mental resolve. Our calf muscles felt strained and our quadriceps ached.
At one point we discussed changing the goal to an accumulative hight of 1000m. We also wondered if four full Dumgoynes would surely be enough?
But the 1345m (4413ft) top of the UK’s tallest mountain had been our plan at the start of the day – and neither of us could let that go.
While I had previously walked and run to Dumgoyne’s top once on countless occasions – and managed a triple a few years before – I’d never completed four summits in one outing.
I can’t even offer a reason why reaching the virtual height of Ben Nevis had so appealed. But I do know that I relish a challenge and, during a year when Scotland’s mountains had been out of bounds to me due to Covid travel restrictions, such local goals became important for staying hill fit.
What is Ben Nevis-ing?
The aim of Ben Nevis-ing, as I nicknamed the achievement, is similar to Everesting, which is a more widely known activity.
Everesting, or virtually reaching the same height ad the world’s highest summit, was first coined by Australian cyclist Andy van Bergen.
In 2014, he rode the same hill on Mount Buller in Victoria non-stop to reach a height of 8849m (29,029ft).
Around the world, other cyclists were inspired to try the same on their chosen hills with many thousands of Everesting finishes now recorded at www.eversting.cc.
Next it was runners and walkers who also took on the same tough virtual target.
Everesting in the purist sense is meant to be one activity, on one incline, with no sleep and no time limit.
Other interpretations see walkers, runners and cyclists accumulating an Everest height gain over a week or a month.
In the same way, my Ben Nevis-ing offered a goal that would be testing but achievable on a winter’s morning locally.
After four summits the total climb was 1212m. The final ascent, climbing part way back up Dumgoyne, was painful. As we walked, Nicola and I closely tracked our watches.
Finally we pushed past the 1345m goal – and we stopped then, having completed almost 10km in distance.
The reward was a self-imposed challenge finished – and an iconic mountain climbed, if only in our heads.
Try a virtual hill climb
Everesting on Ben Nevis: Ascend Ben Nevis more than 6.5 times to achieve Everesting status.
Ben Nevising on North Berwick Law: Climb the East Lothian hill almost nine times.
Goatfelling on Arthur’s Seat: Hike almost four times up the Edinburgh hill to reach the height of the the Isle of Arran’s highest peak of Goatfell.