The CIC Hut

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The CIC Hut is in a spectacular location below the 2,000' high cliffs which form the north face of Ben Nevis.  It was built during the summer of 1928 and opened on the 1st April, 1929.  However the day before two climbers who had fallen down Gardyloo Gully burst in.  After they had rested and eaten they continued down the mountain.  The full name of the hut is the 'Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut'. Charles Inglis Clark was a young member of the SMC who (along with many others) died during the First World War.  It has an inner wooden hut inside an outer stone one, with an air space between the two.  The original heating was by coal which was carried up by pony, but now propane gas provides both lighting and hearing, and is delivered by helicopter.  The sleeping accommodation has been altered to increase the capacity from 8 to 18, and it also has a Mountain Rescue Post, a wind-powered generator and a phone directly linked to Fort William police station.

The opening of this hut made the north face of the Ben far more accessible to climbers.  Previously climbs were done as day trips from Fort William which required a Alpine start - only for the very tough!  During the 1930's many new routes were pioneered on the Ben, aided both by the new hut and by changes in the equipment used (longer lighter ropes, and plimsolls on harder routes on dry rock).

On my first trip to Fort William I felt I needed a nice easy day on the hills, so I decided to walk up to the CIC hut.  I didn't look at the map very well - until I got back.  Then I realised that with 2,200' of ascent and about 5 miles of walking in each direction that I had underestimated the walk!

I parked near the then shut distillery and found my way to the obvious zigzags which entered the hanging valley of the Allt a' Mhuilinn.  I carried on over tussocky ground following some marker posts (and wondering why I was finding it so damn hard!) until eventually I joined the path leading over from Achintee.  The cliffs loomed over me as I followed this path deeper into the corrie.  The hut was hard to spot until I was almost on top of it - a problem many other climbers have had in far worse weather.  Once I had arrived there I spent some time admiring the situation until finally hunger made me stir.  I went back down the main path to the (now gone) yellow crane, then back down the zigzags to my car.

It was a splendid walk - yet I was left with a feeling that I had not been truly in the right place to appreciate the full scale of the setting.  When I later walked the round of Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis I realised that this feeling was entirely accurate!  However, I doubt there is a hut in the UK with a setting to compare with the CIC hut.

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