Climbing Forecast › Scotland - Highlands — Fort William › Ben Nevis North Face

SCOTLAND - HIGHLANDS — FORT WILLIAM · RHYOLITE

Ben Nevis North Face climbing conditions

Caution — drying out or marginal

Right now

Temp3°C
Wind43 km/h
Gusts52 km/h
Humidity90.58%
Rain 48hdry
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

No recent rain
Windy — 27 km/h, gusts 46 km/h
Cold — excellent friction but watch for damp seeping features
High humidity (90.58%) — rhyolite friction compromised, particularly for bouldering
Humidity 90.58% — potential fog/cloud, rock may be damp from condensation

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Monday 28 September
Caution
Temp3°C
Raindry
Wind27 km/h
Gusts46 km/h
Humidity82%
No recent rainWindy — 27 km/h, gusts 46 km/h
  • Cold mountain conditions — pack warm belay layers
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
15:00 3° dry 27 46 81.52%
18:00 3° dry 43 52 90.58%
21:00 3° dry 41 49 84.04%
Tue Tuesday 29 September
Poor
Temp3°C
Raindry
Wind83 km/h
Gusts112 km/h
Humidity92%
No recent rainWind 83 km/h, gusts 112 km/h — too windyHumidity 92% — potential fog
  • Cold mountain conditions — pack warm belay layers
  • Damp mountain air — upper pitches may stay greasy
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 2° dry 65 79 88.31%
09:00 2° dry 73 91 88.06%
12:00 3° dry 79 99 89.74%
15:00 4° dry 87 112 94.76%
18:00 5° dry 91 116 97.53%
21:00 6° dry 90 113 98.18%
Wed Wednesday 30 September
Poor
Temp6°C
Rain8mm
Wind59 km/h
Gusts82 km/h
Humidity84%
8.1mm rain forecastWind 59 km/h, gusts 82 km/h — too windy
  • Wet rhyolite is slippery; seepage from grass above can linger
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 8° 5mm 73 92 96.63%
09:00 7° 2mm 58 73 95.65%
12:00 6° dry 57 77 86.19%
15:00 6° dry 61 82 82.45%
18:00 5° dry 58 77 91.8%
21:00 4° 0.2mm 50 69 94.34%
Thu Thursday 1 October
Poor
Temp3°C
Rain0.6mm
Wind34 km/h
Gusts54 km/h
Humidity76%
0.6mm rain forecastWindy — 34 km/h, gusts 54 km/h
  • Cold mountain conditions — pack warm belay layers
  • Wet rhyolite is slippery; seepage from grass above can linger
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 2° dry 38 49 95.99%
09:00 2° 0.1mm 39 54 90.75%
12:00 3° dry 35 54 78.51%
15:00 4° 0.3mm 33 52 73.28%
18:00 3° dry 38 51 86.4%
21:00 2° dry 46 60 92.17%
Fri Friday 2 October
Poor
Temp3°C
Rain7mm
Wind41 km/h
Gusts61 km/h
Humidity86%
6.9mm rain forecastWind 41 km/h, gusts 61 km/h — too windyHumidity 86% — potential fog
  • Cold mountain conditions — pack warm belay layers
  • Wet rhyolite is slippery; seepage from grass above can linger
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 2° 1.0mm 42 56 96.31%
09:00 3° dry 41 57 94.19%
12:00 3° 1mm 41 60 85.92%
15:00 3° 2mm 42 61 85.41%
18:00 3° 1mm 43 57 91.71%
21:00 2° 0.7mm 41 54 95.02%
Sat Saturday 3 October
Poor
Temp3°C
Rain0.3mm
Wind36 km/h
Gusts53 km/h
Humidity83%
0.3mm rain forecastWindy — 36 km/h, gusts 53 km/h
  • Cold mountain conditions — pack warm belay layers
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 1° dry 39 48 96.83%
09:00 1° dry 39 51 93.78%
12:00 3° dry 37 53 85.92%
15:00 3° dry 35 51 80.16%
18:00 3° dry 36 47 90.11%
21:00 2° dry 37 46 94.95%
Sun Sunday 4 October
Poor
Temp4°C
Rain3mm
Wind40 km/h
Gusts58 km/h
Humidity88%
3mm rain forecastWind 40 km/h, gusts 58 km/h — too windyHumidity 88% — potential fog
  • Wet rhyolite is slippery; seepage from grass above can linger
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 2° 0.4mm 40 49 97.64%
09:00 3° 0.4mm 40 52 94.71%
12:00 4° 0.4mm 39 56 88.52%
15:00 4° 0.3mm 41 58 87.55%
18:00 4° 0.4mm 44 59 93.47%
21:00 4° 0.4mm 47 61 95.09%
Mon Monday 5 October
Poor
Temp5°C
Rain3mm
Wind42 km/h
Gusts61 km/h
Humidity91%
3.3mm rain forecastWind 42 km/h, gusts 61 km/h — too windyHumidity 91% — potential fog
  • Wet rhyolite is slippery; seepage from grass above can linger
  • Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 4° 0.6mm 48 61 96.36%
09:00 4° 0.6mm 47 61 94.68%
12:00 5° 0.5mm 44 61 91.3%
15:00 5° 0.4mm 40 55 90.71%

About Ben Nevis North Face

Ben Nevis North Face is Scotland's premier high-mountain cliff, featuring vast precipices of fine-grained, high-friction volcanic schist. The rock character varies from compact, immaculate slabs on Carn Dearg to steep, mountain-scale groove systems requiring complex wire and cam placements. Facing north and northeast above 1,000 metres, the face receives virtually no sunlight, meaning snow and ice linger well into summer and routes seep for days after wet weather. The climbing spans classic multi-pitch Severe routes to formidable E-grade testpieces, epitomised by historical benchmark lines such as Centurion and Titan's Wall. The approach demands a sustained, two-hour uphill mountain walk along the North Face trail starting from the North Face car park at Torlundy. Rapid alpine weather shifts, low temperatures, and prolonged dampness are the defining factors for any summer ascent.

Region
Scotland - Highlands — Fort William
Rock type
Rhyolite
Aspect
north-facing
Altitude
1100m
Exposure
high
Seepage
high

Other crags in this region

Glen Nevis (Polldubh Crags)Glen Nevis BouldersGlen Nevis Lower ButtressPinnacle Ridge (Ben Nevis)Skyline Crag (Glen Nevis)