On 22 August 2026, I climbed Ben Nevis with my two boys, my dad and my sister. Grayson was 11, Felix was eight, and Dad was celebrating his 70th birthday.
Standing at the top with his grandsons was something Dad had really wanted to do.
Watching him get a little tearful when we finally arrived is a moment I’ll remember for a long time.
He then did 70 press-ups to mark his 70 years. As you do.
I don’t have a photograph of that bit, unfortunately. But it probably tells you quite a lot about the man who first got me interested in fitness.
A birthday wish to return to Ben Nevis
We’d been talking through different ways to celebrate Dad’s birthday. Five or six years earlier, we’d done a skydive together, ticking off one of his bucket-list ambitions. Wing walking had also come up in conversation.
Then he said what he’d really love was to go back to the top of Ben Nevis with his grandsons and any other family members who could make it.
Dad and I had climbed it together around six years before.
This time, sharing it with the boys would give the trip a different meaning. So we started planning.
Millie stayed at home with Mummy for this one.
Our climbing party was me, Grayson, Felix, Dad and my sister: three generations heading up the highest mountain in the UK.
An early start, midges and plenty of snacks
We got up at around 4.30am and made our way to the visitor centre in Glen Nevis.
From there, we crossed the bridge and joined the main Mountain Track, following the same route up and down.
The boys already had a mountain adventure behind them. Two years earlier, we’d climbed Snowdon as a family, with Millie in a hiking carrier on my back. Grayson and Felix were nine and six then.
It was lovely to be setting off on another challenge together.
The weather was calm, although the midges made sure we didn’t get too comfortable for the first hour and a half or so.
They eventually disappeared as we climbed higher, much to everyone’s relief.
We took roughly five hours to reach the summit, with plenty of stops for snacks, chatting and a breather.
The boys had chosen their supplies at the supermarket the evening before.
There was a mixture of healthy food and what we call “fun foods”, including sweets they were particularly pleased with.
Having a mountain to climb was exciting. Having personally selected the snacks was clearly an important part of the expedition too.
The example my dad set long before this climb
Dad had put a lot of preparation into the trip.
He’d been doing long walks and hill walking because he wanted to feel ready and give himself the best chance of enjoying the day with his grandsons.
Seeing that effort at 70 was inspiring. But being active has always been part of his life.
When I was little, he had a small gym in a spare room at home. I remember him going in there, putting his music on and lifting weights.
I’d try to get in to see what he was doing. There were fitness magazines on the floor, and I was curious about all of it.
He’d been a jockey and boxed when he was younger, and he worked with horses for much of his life. Sometimes I’d go with him in the evening to help check on them.
He could hop over a fence with both feet together, seemingly without much thought. I couldn’t do it. To me, he was just incredibly strong and fit.
He later helped me get my own first little home gym. Looking back, I can see how much started there.
Years later, I’ve been fortunate enough to contribute to national fitness and health magazines myself.
That feels quite special when I think back to those magazines on the floor at home.
He still trains now. And on this trip, the boys got to spend a whole day seeing their grandad take on something he’d worked towards.
Reaching the summit together
Grayson and Felix took the climb on brilliantly. They’re active boys who enjoy jujitsu and kickboxing, and they were focused on the task in front of them.
They knew where we were heading and seemed to enjoy making their way there.
I was surprised by how well they managed the ascent. There was effort involved, of course, but they settled into it and kept going.
By the time we reached the top, cloud had covered much of the view. We didn’t get a sweeping panorama, but that didn’t take away from the moment.
The boys wanted their summit photographs, and we took pictures together as a family.
You could see how pleased they were with themselves. They understood that they’d done something significant.
For Dad, having his grandsons beside him was the point of the whole trip. He got emotional, and I understood why.
It was a special thing to be part of, both as his son and as their dad.
Then came those 70 press-ups. Getting to the summit was apparently only part of his birthday plan.
The way down was the harder part
It took us roughly another five hours to get down, again with lots of stops. For the boys, this was the tougher stretch.
On the way up, they had the summit to look forward to. Once they’d reached it and taken the photographs, I think they’d have quite happily clicked their fingers and appeared back at the hotel.
Unfortunately, Ben Nevis doesn’t offer that service.
Our legs were tired, and stepping down over and over felt harder as the day went on.
My sister had been very busy with work and hadn’t had as much time to prepare as she’d hoped. She felt particularly stiff, but she completed it with us.
Near the bottom, the boys had a few moments when they’d simply had enough. It had been a long day. We kept taking our time, stopping when we needed to and making our way down together.
I was really proud of them. They’d handled the climb well, and then stayed with the less exciting business of getting home.
Our experience is a family story, rather than a recommendation that every family should attempt the same walk.
Ben Nevis is a serious mountain day. Anyone considering it should read the route and preparation guidance, check mountain conditions and plan around the least experienced person in the group. Turning back when needed is a sensible decision.
What I hope stays with the boys
I hope this becomes something they keep in their locker.
When something feels difficult in the future, perhaps they’ll remember being eight and 11 and walking to the top of the highest mountain in the UK.
They’ll remember the effort, the long descent and the fact that they did it together.
That doesn’t mean every difficult situation can be solved by pushing harder.
But I hope it gives them a little confidence in their ability to work through a challenge and accept support along the way.
We’ve now done Snowdon and Ben Nevis. Our plan is to climb Scafell Pike in 2027, completing the highest peaks in Wales, Scotland and England across our family adventures.
I’m looking forward to that, although I suspect the boys will want a say in the snack arrangements again.
The little things people notice
The more I think about this trip, the more I come back to the example Dad set when I was growing up.
He was working out in the spare room. Going to check on the horses. Jumping a fence.
Getting on with activities he enjoyed. I noticed those things long before I could have explained why they mattered.
Now I hope my boys notice the same sort of things in me. And I’m glad they get to see their grandad still enjoying being active too.
Fitness has never needed to be my whole life. I enjoy feeling strong, I enjoy feeling fit, and I like being able to say yes to days like this with my family. It’s a part of life that I value and want to keep.
You don’t need a mountain or a milestone birthday to set that example.
It might be going for a walk, getting back into a sport you used to enjoy or making a little space for strength training during the week.
Whether you have children or not, people around you may notice more than you realise.
I can’t tell you exactly what anyone else will take from seeing you be active. I can tell you that watching my dad made a lasting difference to me.
What would you like your fitness to help you do?
Perhaps there’s a walk you’d like to feel ready for, a sport you miss or a family day out you want to enjoy with more confidence. That’s a useful place to start.
I help people get back into exercise consistently and find a way of training that works for their lives.
I offer private personal training at home across the Henley area and nearby communities, alongside online and hybrid coaching for those who live further away.
If you’d like help building the strength and fitness for something that matters to you,get in touch and tell me what you have in mind.
We can talk through a realistic starting point, with no pressure to commit.
Joseph Webb
Expert coaching. Entirely personal.
Chartered Personal Trainer | FRSPH | FCIMSPA
