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firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 18.27hrs on Tue 18 Aug 15
Can you email them to me, snmartin? Do you have my address?

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 18.35hrs on Tue 18 Aug 15
I'm coming around to the fact that we're really going to struggle to cover every single patch of snow. Whilst I think we're well covered in the southern and central Highlands (including Nevis and Glen Coe), the NW Highlands are going to prove incredibly difficult. There's just so many hills with snow on them that counting every patch will require far more resource than we have.

I've had some fantastic contributions from folk (yet to post: watch this space), and I think we'll get a good stab at covering most areas, but I suspect there's going to be a fair few we'll not get.

Therefore, in the event of not getting full cover I propose to conduct an approximation, based on what we know. This will not be dissimilar to Chionophile's 1-10 size scale where exact measurements are not possible.

It should be possible to say that there is between, say, 75-100 patches in the NW Highlands. This can then be added to the totals of those that we know.

Anyone know someone with a helicopter?!

crouch_potato


Posts: 172
Joined: Dec 2009
Last Visited: 21:27
22nd Feb 2019
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 09.22hrs on Wed 19 Aug 15
^ Firefly, I may have a day pass that would let me get out to do some surveying if you are after volunteers for areas that are unlikely to be covered on survey day.

Not being local to the NW might be a bit of a disadvantage in terms of local knowledge and extent of assistance possible, but if you post a list up of current hills that are likely to be holding snow but ommitted (and assuming a non-extensive survey, that would offer a valuable indication of what is going on more broadly) and I'm sure there must be a few others like me who lurk on these threads that could pick up a few. Any use?

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 17.55hrs on Wed 19 Aug 15
The easternmost hills of Kintail would be very useful. In particular, the North side of Loch Cluanie. Sgùrr nan Conbhairean and surrounding hills will have plenty, and the view from there will - weather permitting - let you see further west.

There will also be snow on A' Chraileag and Mullach Fraoch Choire. Take your pick!

Thanks for the offer. Greatly appreciated.

crouch_potato


Posts: 172
Joined: Dec 2009
Last Visited: 21:27
22nd Feb 2019
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 19.52hrs on Wed 19 Aug 15
Will do my best but can't promise anything. Any particular spots that tend to hold snow that aren't obvious that I might miss?

George_mar_lodge


Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 2015
Last Visited: 21:03
9th Aug 2016
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.07hrs on Fri 21 Aug 15
Got up Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor today. 5 patches on Bhrotain (3 in Caochan Roibidh, 2 in t-Sneachda) with the main t-Sneachda patch (400m long) looking well set for survival to winter.

The east face of Monadh Mor had a total of 21 patches spread out across it's length + one just south of the col with Bhrotain.

Carn Ealar still had two patches just below the summit with 4 on Sgarsoch.

I also got a frustratingly brief glimpse of a patch on the west side of the Eidart, I think at NN912928

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: 08.19hrs on Sat 22 Aug 15
Lochnagar and White Mounth were visited by Glyn Jones and myself on 21st August. Glyn advised that Cuidhe Crom went some time ago, and last year’s 2 big patches in the NE Coire disappeared 3-4 weeks ago. This year, the only visible snow there was in the lower part of Douglas-Gibson Gully with 2 patches, estimated at 1.5m and 1m length respectively plus 2 tiny fragments just below these, only discerned in the zoom photo (image 0290). On Adam’s 10-point scale, this amounts to 1 patch scoring “2” (i.e.“AW2”), and 3 x AW1. Of much more significance was the Coire an Daimh Mhoile patch. This has split into 3 (image "CDM" shows the 2 larger ones): west of burn 60m x 5 max. x 2 max. depth [AW 7]; east of burn 17m x 4 max. x 1.6m max. depth [AW 5], with a fragment 1.75m x 0.5 max width and negligible depth [AW 2]. What was especially interesting was what was happening there. The snow was hard, without the usual 3-5 cm soft surface, and the entire surface pockmarked with peat dust along all the tiny ridges. A warm wind was blowing up the gully, and vapour could sometimes be seen drifting from the upper end of the biggest patch, so perhaps this indicated sublimation direct from hard snow to vapour. Meanwhile the undersides were dripping continuously, creating the grey-white deposit beneath that is often seen on grass where a snowpatch has disappeared recently. One specific drip was leaving a coiled grey-white foam, shaped more like an animal dropping. No other snow was observed on the White Mounth, but over on Cairn Bannoch this year the Black Latch gully NW of the summit carried 4 patches (images 2904, 0326), the 2 largest estimated at 15m max. dimensions [AW 5], plus 2 smaller [AW 4 & 3]. Finally, the cloud lifted sufficiently to view the Coire of Loch nan Eun (image 2911), which had no snow, in contrast to its many patches in 2014. Total number of patches for 21 August 2015, including Cairn Bannoch, was therefore 11.
-- image 0290: D-G Gully zoom (photo by GJ).
-- 2901: Coire an Daimh Mhoile.
-- 2904: Cairn Bannoch.
-- 0326: Cairn Bannoch zoom (photo by GJ).
-- 2911: Coire of Loch nan Eun.

Interesting that although Cairn Bannoch’s NE aspect therefore had more snow in 2015 than last year, Lochnagar’s 2 largest northern coires had virtually none.




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 08.24hrs Sat 22 Aug 15 by Timberline.

Attachments: P1050290 (800x600).jpg (338kB)   CDM 21aug2015 (692x526).jpg (242kB)   IMG_2904 (800x600).jpg (178kB)   P1050326 (800x600).jpg (298kB)   IMG_2911 (800x600).jpg (152kB)  
AlTodd


Posts: 350
Joined: Mar 2006
Last Visited: 07:04
28th Apr 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 09.15hrs on Sat 22 Aug 15
Took a quick drive past Spey dam and up towards the Corrieyairack last night. The two snow patches on Coire a Bheir and on Meall an Chaorainn Mor (both visible from Garva Bridge) are still there although the former has now collapsed down the hill side into a jumble of snow blocks. Further west the huge patch in Min Coire on the North side of the ridge midway between Creag Meagaidh and Carn Liath was still very evident along with a further 2 patches lying lower down and slightly further to the North.


edog2009


Posts: 146
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:15
24th Jul 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 20.09hrs on Sat 22 Aug 15
Managed to see all the main snowpatch areas on Creag Meagaidh (including the hidden ones round the back!), and some other areas, despite the clouds threatening all day to hide the upper parts of the mountain. As expected, more and bigger snowpatches than last year. Full report to follow.

Al, I also went to Melgarve and Garva Bridge early this morning, and I saw that collapsed snowpatch you mention (first pic below) - it does perplex me a bit about whether to count this or not - my gut feeling is not to bother...

I also saw the large patch you mention (second pic below), although it's not actually in the bit on the OS map that is referred to as Min Choire, its further to the west, in the next corrie along which is labelled 'Garbh Choire' on the OS 1:25000 map. I can confirm also that this patch is not visible from the ridge above (I looked for it later in the day when I was up there!) so that means it was probably there last year and I missed it.

Attachments: IMG_0449.JPG (360kB)   IMG_0452.JPG (356kB)  
AlTodd


Posts: 350
Joined: Mar 2006
Last Visited: 07:04
28th Apr 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 21.42hrs on Sat 22 Aug 15
Thats good info Eddie re the patch further west. Your picture looks to have been taken from a higher vantage point than the road permits? My excuse for the roadside pics is I was tired after our day on the Ben ;-) It certainly occupies a well hidden hollow


edog2009


Posts: 146
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:15
24th Jul 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 22.02hrs on Sat 22 Aug 15
Al, I walked up to the hut above Melgarve about 500m beyond the end of the public road to get a better view of that patch!

Iain, I saw above that you mentioned Kintail and Cluanie, I could see these summits from the high points of the Creag Meagaidh range and there are indeed a lot of patches in this area, some large, and further north too in the Mam Sodhail area. Took some photos but even with my zoom lens the distance was too great really for decent pics.

crouch_potato


Posts: 172
Joined: Dec 2009
Last Visited: 21:27
22nd Feb 2019
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 10.34hrs on Sun 23 Aug 15
Just a quick note from Kintail. Had a stroll around Sgurr nan Combhairean yesterday. Starting out from the Cluanie side, onto the tops, east to the bealach beyond Creag Dubh and into the coire, back to Creag a' Chaorainn and over Sgurr nan Combhairean, Sail Chaorainn and Carn Coire Mheadhoin before retracing steps and then descending via Drochaid an Tull Easaich and Coire Lair. Route allowed reasonable views of patches on eastern slopes between A' Chraileag and Mullach Fraoch choire. Fairly confident that I will have missed quite a few patches as visibility was in and out but several patches to report, mostly on East to north eastern aspects. In spells out of the cloud several patches easily seen on hills further afield with patches visible to the eye as well as binoculars. May need help to ID these locations.

Fuller report to follow.

edog2009


Posts: 146
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:15
24th Jul 2017
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 18.19hrs on Sun 23 Aug 15
Here is my full snowpatch photo report from Creag Meagaidh and some surrounding summits.

[www.edwardboyle.com]

Summary:

Creag Meagaidh: 42
Geal Charn, Ardverikie Forest: 7
Beinn Eibhinn: 7
Beinn a'Chaorainn: 3

The enormous number of patches in this one area makes me think that the overall number of snowpatches in the Scottish Highlands must currently be approaching 1000, and I think this year there can only be an estimate of the total number! But hopefully with some detailed counts in a few chosen areas the estimate can be pretty reliable.

crouch_potato


Posts: 172
Joined: Dec 2009
Last Visited: 21:27
22nd Feb 2019
Re: 2015 August snow survey
Date Posted: 13.56hrs on Sat 29 Aug 15
Incase you were wondering what happened to my count in Kintail, it's coming. Have had some big IT problems of late that have prevented me accessing the stuff but rest assured there is a decent tally to add from between the Cluanie and Affric. Noticed Al Todd's spot to the S. of Cluanie, but there are a handful of others (5 total IIRC??) visible in that region too. Will get it to you as soon as possible.

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