Editing Ben Nevis (section)

=== Safety ===
{{see also|Mountains and hills of Scotland#Injuries and deaths|Buachaille Etive Mòr#Injuries and deaths}}
Ben Nevis's popularity, climate and complex [[topography]] contribute to a high number of [[mountain rescue]] incidents resulting in several deaths annually on Ben Nevis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arnette |first=Alan |title=About Ben Nevis |url=http://www.alanarnette.com/climbs/bennevisfaq.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703044922/http://www.alanarnette.com/climbs/bennevisfaq.php |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> There have been over 100 fatalities recorded on the mountain since record keeping began in 1849.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ben Nevis Deaths - Ben Nevis |url=https://bennevis.co.uk/deaths/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=bennevis.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Fatalities on the mountain occur most regularly due to avalanches and climbing accidents on more difficult routes. In March 2025, a 22-year-old climber died after falling in the Moonlight Gully in challenging weather conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-31 |title=Climber, 22, dies after falling from Ben Nevis |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5weeglq3jo |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Avalanches occur regularly in the winter season. In December 1998, an avalanche resulted in the deaths of four climbers on Aonach Mor. Three climbers survived after being trapped under snow for 16 hours. Another climber was killed days later after slipping on the ice.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Seenan |first=Gerard |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |date=1999-01-02 |title=1,500ft fall on Ben Nevis brings death toll to five |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/02/gerardseenan |access-date=2025-04-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Two [[avalanche]]s occurred on Ben Nevis in 2009<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/30/ben-nevis-avalanche-kills-climbers|title=Ben Nevis avalanche kills two climbers|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=30 December 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703054600/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/30/ben-nevis-avalanche-kills-climbers|archive-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> and 2016,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14381209.missing-ben-nevis-couple-hit-massive-avalanche/|title=Missing Ben Nevis couple were hit by 'massive avalanche'|date=24 March 2016|work=The Herald (Glasgow)|access-date=4 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704031625/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14381209.missing-ben-nevis-couple-hit-massive-avalanche/|archive-date=4 July 2022}}</ref> causing the deaths of two people on each occasion. In another two avalanches that occurred in 1970<ref name="scotsman 25 Jan 2009">{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/rescuer-tells-of-horror-as-glencoe-avalanche-kills-three-climbers-there-were-hundreds-of-tons-of-snow-1-1303498 |title=Rescuer tells of horror as Glencoe avalanche kills three climbers: "There were hundreds of tons of snow" |work=The Scotsman |date=25 Jan 2009 |access-date=23 December 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224103057/http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/rescuer-tells-of-horror-as-glencoe-avalanche-kills-three-climbers-there-were-hundreds-of-tons-of-snow-1-1303498 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 2019,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/12/ben-nevis-avalanche-climbers-police-scotland|title=Ben Nevis avalanche kills three people|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=12 March 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703055612/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/12/ben-nevis-avalanche-climbers-police-scotland|archive-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> three people died on each occasion. A climber died in an avalanche on the north face of the mountain in 2022,<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 January 2023 |title=Bristol teacher killed in Ben Nevis avalanche |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-64169190 |access-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105153101/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-64169190 |archive-date=5 January 2023}}</ref> and an experienced Ben Nevis mountain guide was killed in an avalanche in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Driscoll |first=Alex |date=2024-04-13 |title=Thousands raised in memory of Bristol teacher killed in avalanche |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-teacher-killed-ben-nevis-9211557 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Bristol Live |language=en}}</ref>

==== Navigation ====
[[File:Ben Nevis cornice.jpg|thumb|right|View south-west from the summit in early April. When the cliff edges are [[cornice (climbing)|corniced]], accurate navigation is critical.]]
Some incidents arise over difficulties in [[navigation|navigating]] to or from the summit,<ref name="MCofS Newsletter"/> especially in poor visibility. The problem stems from the fact that the summit plateau is roughly [[kidney]]-shaped and surrounded by cliffs on three sides; the danger is particularly accentuated when the main path is obscured by snow. Two precise [[compass]] [[bearing (navigation)|bearings]] taken in succession are necessary to navigate from the summit cairn to the west flank, from where a descent can be made on the Pony Track in relative safety.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcofs.org.uk/ben-nevis-navigation.asp |title=Navigation on Ben Nevis  |publisher=[[Mountaineering Scotland]] |website=www.mcofs.org.uk |access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>

In the late 1990s, Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team erected two posts on the summit plateau to assist walkers attempting the descent in [[fog]]gy conditions. These posts were subsequently cut down by climbers, sparking controversy in mountaineering circles on the ethics of such additions.<ref name="MCofS Newsletter">{{cite journal |author=The Mountaineering Council of Scotland |year=1997 |title=Ben Nevis—The Future |journal=Newsletter |volume=33 |url=http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/nl/33b.html}}</ref><ref name="Cairns debate">{{cite web |url= http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/bendebate/index.html|title= Summit Safety and Ben Nevis Cairns: The MCofS seeks a resolution |access-date= 26 October 2006 |author= The Mountaineering Council of Scotland |format=also see sub-pages| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060927152330/http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/bendebate/index.html| archive-date= 27 September 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> Critics argued that cairns and posts are an unnecessary man-made intrusion into the natural landscape, which create a false sense of security and could lessen mountaineers' sense of responsibility for their own safety.<ref name="Cairns debate"/>

In 2009, the Nevis Partnership moved and erected a number of {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=on}}-tall [[cairn]]s on the summit plateau to aid navigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/10/ben_nevis_navigation_-_cairns_moved-49797|title=Ben Nevis Navigation - Cairns Moved|author=Nevis Partnership|publisher=UK Climbing|date=14 October 2009}}</ref> Subsequently, the John Muir Trust cleared a number of smaller informal cairns in 2016 which had been erected by visitors, which were seen as dangerous as they could confuse walkers using them for navigation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shute |first1=Joe |title=The deadly secret of Ben Nevis's man-made cairns |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/12182557/The-deadly-secret-of-Ben-Neviss-man-made-cairns.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/12182557/The-deadly-secret-of-Ben-Neviss-man-made-cairns.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=6 March 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>