TEAM ELBRUS SNOW HOLE

Scott & Mitch working up a sweat

Jim breaking slabs

Mel tunneling through

Jim dressing up

Everyone making beds

The Team on Cairn Gorm

For Team Elbrus's final two days with me we had an overnight snow hole trip up at Ciste Mhearad near Cairn Gorm. Yesterday (Saturday) it was a very pleasant day with light winds and feeling a touch milder in the southerly airflow but still with some stubborn cloud spoiling the views. Within a few hours we had our spacious snow shelter done, this one being a long tunnel variety, plenty of headroom to walk about and with head to toe sleeping platforms. This morning we woke to a stiff breeze and virtual white out conditions along with a light snowfall. We headed up t the summit of Cairngorm and then had a 'soft' breakfast of rolls, coffee and hot chocolate down at the Ptarmigan cafe. It was quite surreal as I was walking on a bearing  up and down to the Cairn Gorm summit in a white out to find a cafe. The Ptarmigan caf was choc a bloc and walking down the ski area there were some hardy souls out skiing. Back at the lower car park the winds had increased and it was horizontal snow getting into the car. Well done Team Elbrus, good character building four days with plenty of skills for Elbrus in August.