My Nevis: Lena Hunter

As part of our celebration of 21 years of caring for Nevis, Lena Hunter, Head of Learning and Adventure at the Outward Bound Trust’s Loch Eil Centre near Fort William, talks about a special relationship with the area that goes back many years.

We work with young people from all over the UK from our base on the shores of Loch Eil. Many of them come from deprived backgrounds who often have very limited or even no access to green outdoor spaces at home, so to be able to take them to a resource like Glen Nevis, just 25 minutes away, is fantastic.

A big part of what we do is giving young people bigger adventures and experiences - if they’re ready for it. We work a lot on helping young people to appreciate their skills and visiting Nevis does wonders for their confidence and personal growth. Partly it’s the scale of the challenge (that’s certainly the case when climbing the Ben) and the fact that it feels wild.

The bulk of our work is with teenagers; a group of young people who have often lost touch with the natural environment. Going somewhere wild like the Glen and having no phone signal is a new and sometimes daunting experience for many of them, but it also presents a good learning opportunity. We can reflect and be mindful and reconnect with nature, all of that is so easy to do in Glen Nevis.

The Glen is one of our most used venues. The influence of that environment on the people we work with is incredible. However, we are also aware of our impact and don’t want to be a part of a problem. We have worked with the Nevis Landscape Partnership doing path maintenance, bracken bashing and litter picking to give something back to a very special place.

Find out more and get in touch

• Find out more about the Outward Bound Trust's Loch Eil Centre.
• Read about our Nevis 21 appeal and Nevis 21 celebrations.
• Inspired to submit your own Ben Nevis story? Email us.
• Find out more about our work at Nevis.