[QUOTE 3071207, member: 30090"]It's superb, I went up the tourist path last year and taking away from the fact that it is the main path up Ben Nevis then it is utter dire. The numerous steps which feel like 1000 staircases take it out of your legs and my knees took such a pounding on the way down I had trouble walking for a couple of weeks after.
There are some parts of the Arete that are a bit hairy and you need a head for heights imo but overall it's fine for a bit of scrambling. And the parts where you have mahoosive rocks that you have to scramble over there are some well worn paths that bypass these. Just make sure you take an ice axe if you are going before June and some walking poles for getting up the slope to CMD summit to make it a bit easier on the legs.[/QUOTE]
I haven't got a head for heights, and I managed it without too much problem.
I do remember having an 'Oh, s**t' moment on the top of Carn Mor Dearg when I saw the arete - it looked really narrow and scary, but what you can't see until you are onto it is that the side away from you has a relatively shallow slope (for an arete, that is!).
When I did it, though, I started up the tourist path as far as the lochan, dropped down into the valley beyond and then up the very steep side of Carn Dearg. If I ever do it again I will use the more sensible car park described in the OP!