A four-year-old girl has become one of the youngest people to conquer Britain's tallest mountain. Millie Hart and her mum Rachel Woodhouse spent 10.5 hours on Sunday October 11 making their way up and down Ben Nevis, which stands at 4,413ft above sea level.
A monthly climbing challenge
The little mountaineer, who started primary school in August in Glasgow where the pair live, has been climbing one hill with her mum each month in 2026. Rachel, 29, said: "It was such an amazing day. Ben Nevis completed at four years old. It took 10.5 hours from start to finish."
Rachel, who is studying veterinary medicine, added Millie is among the youngest to complete the climb. She said: "From what I've seen there's maybe been a couple of four and five year olds that have done it. But not many at all."
An achievement for a little superstar
"We walked 18km (11.1miles) or 30,000 steps — but who knows how many steps her little legs took? What an achievement for this little superstar. The determination, the little legs and the biggest adventure. We passed some others on the climb who said, 'well done, keep going', Millie had her own fan club."
"It was Baltic at the summit. I thought Millie would be more tired but she picked up at the top and nearly ran back down. She's such a superstar — she's an icon. I'm honestly so proud of her."
What's next for the pair
Rachel said she and Millie will continue their hill walks but that they will be on smaller mountains for the time being. Ben Nevis typically attracts between 130,000 and 160,000 visitors each year. Most use the well-trodden Mountain Track, though the high volume of foot traffic means it requires significant maintenance to keep safe for visitors.
Some tourists have complained the mountain is "far too steep" and does not have any "toilets or shops" for people wanting to take a break on their way to the summit. In a one-star review on travel website TripAdvisor, they made a series of complaints that went from it being "far too steep" to it being "very slippery". In a post on June 14, they wrote: "This is far too steep! The paths are uneven and could do with resurfacing and being levelled out. There are no toilets or shops on the route to/from the summit so nowhere to get a sandwich or some pop."
