Iain Cameron – The Vanishing Ice
Vertebrate Publishing
Anyone who regularly walks in Britain’s mountains will no
doubt have observed the odd, occasional snow patch lingering high up on some of
our highest peaks, even in the height of summer. These relics of the winter may
well go unseen by many as some are tucked away on steep ground or in obscure
corries and away from paths. They are
definitely not unnoticed by one man in particular. Iain Cameron’s new book, The
Vanishing Ice, is an insight into his fascination and recording of snow that persists
and survives throughout the year on British mountains. Experienced winter mountain enthusiasts are certainly
more observant of snow accumulating in the winter months for their anticipated walking,
climbing and skiing activities. The Vanishing Ice reveals another side of snow,
the snow that survives well into summer and beyond.
I first became acquainted with Iain Cameron in the Autumn of
2011. A few weeks before meeting him he had been in contact with me via social
media channels and was keen to see if I had more detailed photographs of
mountains with snow patches on them. At the time I thought this was an unusual
request considering it was summer. He informed me of what he does in his spare
time and as a hobby, which was a study of Scotland’s remaining snow patches
post winter. Before I knew it, he had me hooked on joining him for a day out on
Braeriach with fellow chionophile, Mark. Iain was up in Scotland from London (where
he lived at that time). He’d dedicated his weekend off work to measure the size
of one of the few remaining snow patches which was lying in a high, remote
corrie on Britain’s third highest mountain. It was on the car journey from my
home in Fort William to the Cairngorms that I first realised how enthusiastic
this guy was about patches of snow as Iain chatted constantly about anything
and everything snow. We set off up Glen Einich by bike, I remember vividly
trying to keep up with Iain and Mark as they raced up the glen as fast as lightning
on that drizzly October day. I thought to myself, ‘surely this snow patch isn’t
going to melt within hours, so what’s the hurry’? Iain was equally as fast walking
as he stomped up the mountainside, a man on a mission. We quickly gained
Braeriach’s high and wild plateau at over 1200 metres. Eventually we arrived at
the cliff edge of the huge Garbh Choire Mor. The cloud and mist drifted up from
the abyss and Iain commented, ‘I don’t really like heights.’ Before I had
chance to contemplate the route down, Iain was scrambling into the void,
descending steeply to the snow patch, somewhere out of sight, far below.
The Vanishing Ice is a compelling read into Iain’s
commitment, enthusiasm and passion for the study and recording of the remaining
snow patches on Britain’s mountains. Of course, Iain is not the first or only
person with this fascination on the subject. The book is excellently researched
and chronicles the first recorded observations dating back to the 18th
century right up to present times. Over recent decades there has been far more detailed
data recorded by many experts in the field. An entire chapter in his book is
dedicated to the late and great Dr. Adam Watson. It was the well respected and
extremely knowledgeable Adam Watson who hugely inspired Iain over the years. This
overwhelmingly comes across in the writing of The Vanishing Ice.
Cameron has undoubtedly raised the awareness of snow
lingering in the mountains to a much bigger and broader audience than anyone
else in the last 15 years or so. Social media, television and the general public’s
growing interest in weather, snow and ‘climate change’ has certainly assisted
this. For those who already follow Iain on his social media channels this book
gives a much more in-depth and detailed account of the work he carries out and
what that work entails.
You may well feel a book about patches of snow will be very
dry and a bit ‘geeky’. This is definitely not so. It is a fascinating
perspective into the effort, time and commitment required to measure, record and
monitor these relics from winter. The Vanishing Ice will, I am sure, engage the
public whose interest may range from the avid mountain enthusiast to the
armchair reader. He does a terrific job of reaching out to all without too much
technical jargon.
What brings the book alive for me are the various trips into
the mountains which he makes on a regular basis. These accounts are described
brilliantly and gives you a taste of the effort and commitment involved to
reach these snow patches and doing so in all kinds of weather. Many of the mini
expeditions he embarks on he does alone. The effort to reach the snow are in areas
where most hillwalkers would never venture and are full days out, many of which
are in difficult to access locations. Cameron quite rightly points out that he
doesn’t get any remuneration for any of his research and documenting. The enormous
amount of data he obtains throughout the year are compiled into the annual snow
report that he produces for The Royal Meteorological Society. It is a labour of
love, just like the book.
The Vanishing Ice includes many amusing tales that Iain has
experienced over the years. Just one of these is with comedian Ed Byrne who
accompanied him to the Garbh Choire Mor snow patch. There are also instances of more stressful
days out with other groups of people who have tagged along with Iain in his forays
into the hills. These stories confirm the serious undertakings which are
required to reach the snow patches located in the Scottish mountains.
I certainly look at summer snow in a whole new light since following
Iain Cameron on his social media posts. Over the last few years, I have become
intrigued with snow tunnels especially. These are some of the most beautiful, extraordinary
and amazing creations of snow that survive in the summer. Some of these
magnificent snow and ice structures he has explored over the years are
wonderfully photographed in the book.
The Vanishing Ice will certainly give the reader a very
different perspective on snow.
Every time I now see a patch of snow whilst out on the hill,
I say to myself: ‘Iain Cameron would like a photo of that one’.
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