Terrific effort, snowpatch! Was the Pro Talus patch all that remained at Aonach Mor? There’s a patch slightly higher up than that and it sits in against the cliff-face.

Well done on going down to the Aonach Beag patch. The traverse down to it is, as you say, treacherous. Try doing it when it’s wet! How long do you estimate it is? From the view taken from above I’d say it’s in the order of 50m long. When I visited it last year on the 30th September it was 53m long, so there’s not a huge difference. Seeing your picture of it I’m a bit more optimistic it’ll last the year, though I’m not as confident as you are! Interesting your observation that it’s rock-hard, too. Were there any signs of rapid melting?

This patch constantly amazes me. It sits around 3100ft above sea level and was the largest by far (in terms of volume) last year. I’m sure this patch has survived much more than has been recorded in the past.

cannae log in Wrote:
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> so (excuse my ignorance) is the Aonach Beag patch
> still retaining some of the snow from the 2007
> winter?

Yes. Since all snow vanished in Scotland in 2006, the bottom layers of this patch will undoubtedly date from the first snowfalls of that year. That makes it (along with Garbh Choire Mor on Braeriach and Observatory Gully on Ben Nevis) the “oldest” snow in Scotland (almost 2-years continuous survival). This is, of course, small beer compared to the historical records of Garbh Choire Mhor which has seen periods in excess of a decade unbroken survival.

As DaKishman has stated, surprisingly little loss of overall size at Aonach Beag since coaster's visit on the 8th September. As has been noticed by someone else, look at the shade that the Aonach Beag patch sits in. I wonder when it last saw any direct sunlight.

Looks like October visits could be in order!

Just been looking at the photos of the remaining snow patches.
Someone has been busy - ha ha

Interesing to note that the classic snow patches on Aonach Beag / Aonach Mor / Ben Nevis & Braerich all share the following the charecterisitics

1) On E to NE facing slopes - so will accumulate's snow on the prevalent westerly winds from the Atlantic.

2) Located on avalanche paths

3) Situated lower down in deep sided corries - therefore shaded from sun most of the day




[www.haggistrap.co.uk]



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 12.15hrs Tue 23 Sep 08 by Doug_Bryce.

Firefly. There was a very small patch in roughly the same area as Pro Tallus, The Aonach Beag patch was - as you said - about 50m long. It is truly amazing how this patch is so large as there are no other patches at all anywhere near it.

Attachments: a.beag.patch1.jpg (968kB)  

Just found a pic showing 2 very small patches near the Pro Tallus

Attachments: 22092008173.jpg (404kB)  

What is interesting about Aonach Beag is that it seems to be less affected by the conditions that affect the other patches in the area. Aonach Mor has really suffered in the recent conditions, being reduced to virtually nothing in a few weeks whilst Aonach Beag has shrunk only very little.

What is also interesting is that in the picture in this post [www.winterhighland.info], the patch is almost identical to when I visited it on the 30th September 2007 (see picture at bottom of post). If anything, there's slightly more in your picture! Look at the large rock on the right of the photographs and use it as a guide. Also, if you look at the small cliff at the back of the photographs you can see slightly deeper snow in your photograph. I estimate that the patch is approximately 55 metres long.



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 20.24hrs Tue 23 Sep 08 by firefly.

Attachments: DSCN0861.JPG (892kB)  

snowpatch95 Wrote:
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> Just found a pic showing 2 very small patches near
> the Pro Tallus

Aha! These two patches are the ones that lasted last year. The snow you see at these patches would have fallen in 2006.

Edited 4 times. Last edit at 16.00hrs Wed 24 Sep 08 by snowpatch95.

snowpatch95 Wrote:
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> >
>
>
>
>
> Edited 4 times. Last edit at 17.00hrs Wed 24 Sep
> 08 by snowpatch95.


This is an interesting post snowpatch.............!

Well, there's a day on the hill I'll not forget in a long time. My first visit to Garbh Choire Mhor and I had to pick the day of terrible weather!

Thanks, again, go to coaster, who was my companion on this trip. His enthusiasm for snow-patches makes me feel less of an anorak than I gave myself credit for.

The day started well at Auchlean in Glen Feshie, where we decided that we would leave from. The weather was overcast but fair, and we were optimistic we wouldn't see much rain. Indeed, for a while the optimism was well founded. The path was excellent and the cloud was lifting. In an hour-and-a-quarter we were past 3000ft and heading for the shoulder of Carn Mor Ban at NN892 968. After that, instead of sticking to the path (and take a slightly longer route), we decided to strike across the lunar landscape which sits above Coire Odhar at the head of Glen Einich and head straight for Carn na Criche on Braeriach.

So far, so good. Got to around 3400ft and into the mist. Managed to pick our way (thanks to Garmin GPS) to the edge of Garbh Choire Mor and tried to peak over into it. Nothing visible! Hardly surprising: the mist was thick and the wind was blowing steadily at around 25-30mph. Couple this with an air temperature on the plateau of 5.6 celcius and it made for very unpleasant walking.

A search for an easy descent into GCM was on. Initially we walked towards Sgor an Lochain Uaine, but doubled back after 10-minutes when we realised we were going nowhere, fast. There was nothing else for it but to go round past the Wells of Dee and descend into Garbh Choire Dhaidh and round to GCM.

All the while whilst skirting round the edge towards our drop-in point I was peering optimistically into the abyss(!), hoping to see a gently sloping descent, wishing to cut-out the long and arduous walk round. coaster's vertigo is even worse than mine , so there was little chance of us taking any direct route.

We eventually descended into the corrie and made for GCM. The boulder fields made the progress very slow, but we eventually got to our destination and were rewarded with 4-patches of snow.

So, here's the nitty-gritty:

1) Sphinx - 12m long x 22m wide x 4.5m deep.
2) Pinnacles - 20m long x 41m wide x 3m deep.
3) (Not sure of the name, possibly Michaelmas Fayre?: sits south of Sphinx) - 7m long x 10m wide x 2m deep
4) (Not sure of name: sits north of Pinnacles) - 6m long x 1m wide x 1m deep. Not much life left in this one, I fancy.

Not many photographs today I'm afraid (camera was soaked): [www.flickr.com]

Sphinx and Pinnacles were absolutely rock-hard. Temperature at the patches was around 7 celcius with heavy rain. I'm surprised these patches didn't show many signs of melting. Possibly the recent cold weather has consolidated them.

As it stands, three of the four have a very decent prospect of survival if a cold snap were to appear in October and give a good covering.

After we did the business and had some lunch it was time to get back. Luckily, I persuaded coaster to scramble up a grassy slope in GCM and onto the summit plateau. Once there we got lost a couple of times, but made it down from the hill in time to see the sun come out. Still, was a nice run home.

Thanks again to coaster for coming along. Not a place to go on your own in foul weather.

good effort guys! sounds like a s**t day weather wise but you got some good photos - was planning a trip there on mon/tues as i've never been into the coire (other than in winter) - will probably still go,just for the craic! Might try and get to the GUB patch too - unless you have word that it's gone!

p.s. just had a look at Mike-W's photo of 15/09 - that's quite a reduction these patches have seen in 12 days!



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 23.31hrs Sat 27 Sep 08 by Da kishman.

Da kishman,

If you do go, make sure it's in good weather! It's a very bleak place when the mist's down.

Also, if you want to drop down from the summit plateau of Braeriach then you can do so (albeit steeply) from grid reference NN941 983 (NN94160 98316, if you want it more properly!). You drop from 4085 ft right down into GCM. From there it's only a 5-10 min walk to the patches.

The patches may have diminished of late, but I'm confident that at least 2 of them will persist: possibly 3.

I believe that Garbh Uisge Beag would be a more useful visit at this time.

There is still a sizeable snow patch at Garbh Uisge Mhor,visible from Cairngorm today. It is in a very sheltered spot beneath a steep crag

Thanks cremrow, we've been watching that one. Still in good nick by all accounts. Being pedantic, it's actually at Garbh Uisge Beag.

Another picture of the GCM patches from yesterday is attached, courtesy of coaster.

Oh, and apparently Point 5 gully on Ben Nevis is still there: almost identical to 2007.

Attachments: CIMG1218.JPG (612kB)