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Four people caught up in avalanche in the Cairngorms


By Ali Morrison

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There have been several big avalanches in the local area so far this winter. Picture: SAIS.
There have been several big avalanches in the local area so far this winter. Picture: SAIS.

Four people were swept up in an avalanche near Cairn Gorm but did not sustain any serious injuries.

One of the group was buried waist deep in the debris on Tuesday.

The Glenmore-based Scottish Avalanche Information Service said a 'human triggered avalanche' was reported in Ciste Mhearad to the East of the Ptarmigan.

"A group of five people were involved, three were carried down and one buried to the waist thankfully without injury," said a SAIS spokesperson.

"Ciste Mhearad always accumulates snow in westerly and south-westerly winds due to the ‘fetch’ of the plateau. This makes the location a reliable and snow sure spot for snow holing and winter skills parties, but it also steep.

"There have been two avalanches reported here this season.

"Thanks to both parties for reporting these events, while nobody would want to advertise the fact, events like these provide SAIS with useful confirmation of stability – or instability."

The debris of the latest snow slides have been found by recorders from the SAIS.

There have now been 120 avalanches detailed by the SAIS – including 61 this month and three in the last 48 hours.

Only last week a climber was airlifted to hospital after falling a 'considerable' distance from a Scottish mountain.

Rescuers said he was 'very lucky' to have avoided serious injuries after plunging from around 3000 feet.

The man, in his 20s, was scaling Raeburn's Gully on 3710 feet high Creag Meagaidh with a climbing partner.

A recorder from the SAIS added that the fallen climber had triggered a 'very small avalanche with potentially big consequences' and said: "He was lucky."

A big avalanche in the Scottish Highlands was recently dramatically photographed as it happened by a recorder out to check on the risk of potentially deadly snow slides.

The expert was part of a team from SAIS in the Creag Meagaidh area.

Then before his eyes an avalanche happened in Coire Ardair.

The recorder said the dry slab avalanche in the Inner Coire 'went airborne' down the course of both ‘The Wand’ and ‘Diadem’ .

Last season Scotland's avalanche hazard warnings ended in April with one of the lowest totals of recent years.

It was a season of relatively few snow slides - though tragically there was one death linked to an avalanche.

Last winter 156 avalanches were logged by recorders from the SAIS - compared to 162 the previous year.

The SAIS provides assessments for six mountain areas – Lochaber, Glen Coe, Northern and Southern Cairngorms Creag Meagaidh and Torridon.

Creag Meagaidh and Lochaber were showing a 'considerable' avalanche risk today.

The latest conditions can be found at the SAIS's website or by clicking here.


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