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firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 06.59hrs on Thu 16 Jul 15
It's that time of year when I put out the begging letter!

I'm organising an all-Scotland survey as usual on 21/22 August to see how many patches are left. I expect there to be a lot! The cool summer has really prolonged the life of the snow, to the extent that even modest-sized hills are still holding it.

To that end, here is a list of hills/areas that will require a visit. It'd be good if as many volunteers as possible were able to offer their services. It's the time of the year that us chionophiles need to pool our resources!

1. Cairngorms & Lochnagar
2. Glen Coe & Black Mount areas
3. Mamores (particularly Sgurr a' Mhaim and Na Gruagaichean)
4. Grey Corries (Stob Coire Claurigh, An Caisteal)
5. Ben Nevis range (Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag, Carn Mor Dearg)
6. Ben Alder range (Geal-charn, Ben Alder etc)
7. Glenn Affric, Strathfarrar, Mullardoch
8. Creag Meagaidh & Ardverikie hills
9. Possibly Ben Lawers group / Glen Lyon hills / Bridge of Orchy hills / Ben Wyvis

It is always better to have consistency, so to that end if those who did an area last year (Eddie doing Creag Meagaidh, for example) don't mind doing it again this year then that'd be useful. However, if this isn't possible then just getting into the hills would be a help.

Experience has taught us that it should be possible to do multiple hills from one vantage point. Al Todd's venture up Geal Charn (Ardverikie) last year not only caught that hill's snow, but that of Ben Alder, Geal Charn etc. Combining this with Beinn a' Chlachair will also catch the snow that may be present on Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn. Any specifics, post up on here and questions can be answered.

The data for the last surveys are below (the number in parenthesis is the amount of survivals to winter).

22/08/2015 - ??
22/08/2014 - 281 (21)
20/08/2013 - 81 (6)
20/08/2012 - 72 (6)
19/08/2011 - 36 (2)
22/08/2010 - 34 (6)
22/08/2009 - 35 (6)
23/08/2008 - 34 (12)

I've done a poster, which can be distributed to everyone that you think would post it. Perhaps the UKC website? If anyone has any contacts then please do share away! [www.dropbox.com]
Timberline


Posts: 491
Joined: Apr 2010
Last Visited: 20:54
24th Feb 2021
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.17hrs on Thu 16 Jul 15
Happy to visit Lochnagar again.
igloo4you


Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 2009
Last Visited: 16:28
22nd Apr 2021
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 22.13hrs on Thu 16 Jul 15
Happy to do Glencoe and Blackmount again.

andy

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 18.53hrs on Fri 17 Jul 15
Excellent! Thanks, chaps.

Andy, when you say Glen Coe do you mean Meall a' Bhuiridh etc, or do you mean Glen Coe 'proper', as in Bidean and its environs?

Timberline, I suspect the Brudhach Mor on Glas Maol will be there. If memory serves me correctly this is visible from the top of Lochnagar, so perhaps 2 birds with one stone?
Timberline


Posts: 491
Joined: Apr 2010
Last Visited: 20:54
24th Feb 2021
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Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 19.50hrs on Fri 17 Jul 15
Iain

The Brudhach Mor patch is new to me. Can you e-mail me with details (or post on forum, which will also help anyone closer to Glas Maol on the day to check it out), so I will know what to look for if visibility allows? Thanks.
Timberline


Posts: 491
Joined: Apr 2010
Last Visited: 20:54
24th Feb 2021
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Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 19.58hrs on Fri 17 Jul 15
Answering my own question, I've just found the Brudhach Mor named on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map, applied to part of the Monega mounth route where it passes over Glas Maol east of the summit. Here is the URL for the map

[maps.nls.uk]

Wonder what shape the snowpatch tends to adopt as it matures?
igloo4you


Posts: 522
Joined: Oct 2009
Last Visited: 16:28
22nd Apr 2021
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.01hrs on Fri 17 Jul 15
Yes Meall a' Bhuiridh and immediate area, not Glencoe proper as in Bidean etc
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.32hrs on Fri 17 Jul 15
The Brudhach Mor, Timberline, is a bank on Glas Maol that looks over Caenlochan.

Map reference for it is here: [www.streetmap.co.uk]

A good photo of it from a couple of days ago here: [flic.kr]
edog2009


Posts: 146
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:15
24th Jul 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 07.39hrs on Sat 18 Jul 15
I will do Creag Meagaidh again this year Iain! I was surprised at the extent of the snowpatches there last year, looks like there will be even more this year.
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 09.35hrs on Sat 18 Jul 15
Brilliant, Eddie. I can't think of a safer pair of hands. Great news.
Timberline


Posts: 491
Joined: Apr 2010
Last Visited: 20:54
24th Feb 2021
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Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 18.27hrs on Sat 18 Jul 15
Many thanks for photo, Firefly and Mick McKie -- I will look out for the snowpatch on the day. I'll also be looking for the Cairn Bannoch patch, nearer at hand, which was visible in last year's survey.

Incidentally, according to the Gaelic dictionary, "bruach" means bank or edge which suggests that the name Brudhach Mor (the big bank or edge) could perhaps have started life in relation to the topography rather than the Monega path which traverses the gentler slopes above it.
Chionophile


Posts: 692
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 22:07
24th Jan 2016
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.19hrs on Sat 18 Jul 15
Timberline asked where the longest-lying part of the snow at Brudhach Mor is situated. if you look at firefly's map, you will see a turn or kink in the hollow beside the letter d.That is the site.
Brudhach Mor undoubtedly means big bank or big brae, Craigie Doubs nearby is OS error for Scots Dowp, meaning one's bottom but also means a hollow, often where snow lies, as in Snaa dowps or Craigie (little crag) Dowps.



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 20.21hrs Sat 18 Jul 15 by Chionophile.
Timberline


Posts: 491
Joined: Apr 2010
Last Visited: 20:54
24th Feb 2021
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 19.35hrs on Sun 19 Jul 15
Thankyou for pinpointing the snowpatch location, Chionophile. Interesting to find, on looking at Firefly's map, that the OS has moved the place-name Brudhach Mor so that it clearly relates to the appropriate terrain and no longer to the Monega path where the 1st and 2nd editions had placed it.
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 07.03hrs on Mon 20 Jul 15
Just appeared on Radio Scotland talking about the snow survey. Hopefully it will drum up more interest!

[www.bbc.co.uk]
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 09.56hrs on Mon 20 Jul 15
I am happy to do Strath Farrar Iain.
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