West Coast Mountain Guides

West Coast Mountain Guides is run by Ken Applegate (Winter Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor / International Mountain Leader); offering Scottish and overseas mountaineering instruction and guiding.

West Coast Mountain Guides is based in the Scottish Highland town of Fort William. The company was established in 1988 by IFMGA & British Mountain Guide, Alan Kimber. Since then West Coast Mountain Guides have been delivering friendly and professional hillwalking, mountaineering and climbing courses and instruction throughout the year on Ben Nevis, in Glencoe, across the Highlands and overseas.

Our instructors and guides have the highest levels of mountaineering qualifications recognised throughout the UK (AMI) and abroad (IFMGA). Not only are they all fully qualified, they are also great company in the mountains and keen to share their passion, experience and knowledge throughout your course.

West Coast Mountain Guides specialise in private mountain guiding and guiding walkers up Ben Nevis as well as Scottish mixed and ice climbing at introductory and advanced levels, winter mountaineering and winter skills and hillwalking courses for all abilities.

Our winter mountain courses are based out of Fort William, with great access to Ben Nevis, Creag Meagaidh and Glen Coe.

For the rest of the year, our instructors and guides deliver hillwalking holidays, scrambling and rock climbing intruction in and around the local mountains of Lochaber. We are also proud to provide professional scrambling guides on the Isle of Skye where we guide aspiring mountaineers along the traverse the formidable Cuillin Ridge and ascend its challenging summits and Munros inluding the In Pinn.

Whether you’re looking for a walking guide for Ben Nevis, a mountaineering course to learn about efficient ropework, instruction in introductory winter skills to be able to safely head out hillwalking in the snow and ice, a guide to tackle a two day traverse of The Skye Cuillin Ridge or be guided up a number of classic grade V ice climbs on Ben Nevis on our CIC Hut Week, we are here to help you fulfil your ambitions and reach your goals.