Coire an t-Sneachda
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2008) |
| Coire an t-Sneachda | |
|---|---|
 Coire an t-Sneachda |
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| Elevation | |
| Location | Invernesshire,  Scotland |
| Range | Grampian Mountains |
| Translation | Corrie of the snow (Gaelic) |
| Pronunciation | [ˈkʰɔɾʲ ən̪ˠ ˈt̪ɾɛ̃xkə] |
Coire an t-Sneachda or Coire an t'Sneachda is an example of a glacial Cirque or corrie landform. Coire an t-Sneachda can be found in the Cairngorm or Am Monadh Ruadh mountain range which is part of Grampian Mountains in the Scottish Highlands.
The summits of Cairn Lochan (1215m) and Stob Coire an t-Sneachda (1176m) can be found above Coire an t-Sneachda's headwall.
The Gaelic Coire an t-Sneachda roughly translates to the English language as "Corrie of the Snow"[1]
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[edit] Location and Access
Coire an t-Sneachda is located in Invernesshire, Northern Scotland. The nearest major town is Aviemore. The nearest road access point is the Cairn Gorm ski centre which is located approximately 4km away (approx. 45-60 minutes walking).
[edit] Geography
Coire an-Sneachda is located in the Cairngorm range and thus part of the Grampian Mountains range in the Scottish Highlands.
[edit] Geology
The last glacier occupied this corrie or Cirque approximately 10,000 to 11,000 years before present during the Younger Dryas stadial. This cold period which is also known as the Loch Lomond stadial was the last mini ice-age which brought back glaciers and tundra conditions to the SW Scottish Highlands. [2] [3]
[edit] Mountaineering
The corrie is an extremely popular destination for mountaineers primarily due to its easy accessibility from the Cairn Gorm ski centre and relatively reliable snow conditions throughout the winter season.
A number of climbers have been killed in the corrie which has attracted some media attention.
Most notoriously in the winter of 2007 five climbers died after falls or from exposure in adverse conditions during a two month period. A member of the Cairngorm mountain MRT (Mountain Rescue Team) was quoted by BBC Scotland as stating "..it may [be] down to a combination of factors such as how easily accessible the corrie is - it is about an hour's walk from the ski centre car park - people not having adequate equipment and poor climbing conditions" [4][5]
[edit] External Links
- Geological information
- Database of Winter climbs from UKclimbing.org
- Guardian Newspaper Article entitled "Death in the snow: why have five climbers been killed on one peak"
- Journal article from Nature entitled Loch Lomond Stadial
[edit] References
- ^ Cairngorm Landscapes: Coire an t-Sneachda. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Scotland's Glaciers. Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
- ^ Cairngorm Landscapes: Coire an t-Sneachda. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ "Fifth climber dies in the Cairngorms", BBC Scotland, 19 Jan 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
- ^ "Police name Cairngorms climbers", BBC Scotland. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
