| Coire an t-Sneachda | |
| Translation: | Corrie of the Snow |
| Language: | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation: | in Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic ˈkʰɔɾʲ ən̪ˠ ˈt̪ɾɛ̃xkə/ |
| Location: | Inverness-shire, |
| Range: | Grampian Mountains |
| Coordinates: | 57.1132°N -3.664°W |
Coire an t-Sneachda (sometimes misspelled as Coire an t'Sneachda) is a glacial cirque or corrie landform in the Cairngorm or Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Am Monadh Ruadh mountain range in the Grampian Mountains of the Scottish Highlands.
The summits of Cairn Lochan (1215 m) and Stob Coire an t-Sneachda (1176 m) lie above Coire an t-Sneachda's headwall.
The Scottish Gaelic Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Coire an t-Sneachda translates into English as Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Corrie of the Snow.[1]
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 4frac=2NaNfrac=2 away (approx. 45–60 minutes walking, in fair conditions).
The country rock is the Caledonian granite of the Cairngorm batholith which gives rise to the high plateau from which the corrie was eroded. 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 that brought glaciers and tundra conditions to the Scottish Highlands.[2] [3]
The corrie is home to a number of bird species, including ring ouzel and snow bunting (in the spring and summer) and ptarmigan (also known as rock ptarmigan) (all year round).
The corrie is a popular destination for climbers, primarily because of its easy accessibility from the Cairn Gorm ski centre and the relatively reliable snow and ice conditions throughout the winter season.
A number of climbers have been killed in the corrie, attracting 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 Cairngorms 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] [6] [7]