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Gearing up for June turns on CairnGorm.
Skinning back up through crevasse territory!
Jim in the lunchtime snow hole.
Nearing the top of the snow field for another run.
Helen coming back up the snow field.
Putting in a turn.
Looking up the Ciste Mhearaidh. Uplift was a bit primitive, a dirt track!
In the snow hole, second large chamber off to the left, both with raised sleeping platform.
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A small selection of photos from the mid-summer slide at the Ciste Mhearaidh on CairnGorm Mountain, a short distance over from the top of the Ptarmigan Ski Tow.
The numerous craters in the snow of old collapsed snow holes lie along the lower edge of the snow field, below the lowest tip, a trail of night light candles shows where there were snow holes! If you are snow holing please take your litter out of the snowhole!
Higher up the bank, we had a spot of lunch in a substantial double chambered snow hole. Being further up the slope and further back than most, this must have been an earlier season snow hole that lay concealed till recently. It's entrance wasn't visible on Tuesday of last week.
Complete with two rooms both with a raised sleeping platform and enough height to stand up in at the highest point, this is the higher end of snow hole real estate. The snow roof is bomb proof ice and this substantial snow hole was still very functional for a spot of summer snow holing!
For the sliding there was a short route down the steeper face of the upper snow field, or a longer but shallower gradient with more vertical overall down the full remaining length. Over 50m of vertical recorded top to bottom with a GPS.
Skiers: Alan, Jim and Helen. A few people were unable to make it on the day or went mountain biking due to the low cloud and drizzle, but for once the forecast was spot on. Dry with some good sunny spells. Excellent crunchy spring snow, now just need a portable rope tow and some park features built.
