Descent from Ben Nevis

Dr. Benjamin Erlandson: 

During a long trip through different parts of Europe, on September 27, 2019, I rose quite early and hiked to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland, the highest peak in the United Kingdom, walking all the way from town.

I carried nearly fifty pounds of camera gear with me, hoping to spend some time at the summit, with some luck having a clear view. As I reached the scree near the end of the ascent, I realized I would not be so lucky.

The black and white image is a phone snapshot I got at the top, showing the only other hiker arriving before me that morning climbing up to investigate the emergency hut at the summit.

After wolfing down as much food as I could with shaking hands (it was quite cold at the summit), I quickly began my descent, camera at the ready. The remaining images I captured with my Canon as I descended the trail, which is one of the nicer trails I’ve ever had the chance to walk on.

BIO: Dr. Benjamin Erlandson is a skeptic, longitudinal thinker, brewer, gardener, photographer, designer, and writer. Shooting for more than twenty-five years and writing for more than thirty, he spends quite a bit of time switching gears between fiction, nonfiction, and photography. Ben currently resides in Glade Valley, North Carolina.