I have just been out on an overnight trip in the Ubaye region of the French Alps.
Ubaye feb18 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr

Ubaye trench feb18 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr

Ubaye trench1 feb18 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr

Ubaye trench2 feb18 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr

When I went to bed it was -7°C outside, but inside it never went below +3°C. Enough space inside for two, so I was very comfortable.

Love this. Saw your pic on an earlier post and wondered what the shovel was. All clear now.

Looks cool (literally)

How long did it take to dig out?

On a related note:-
http://meagaidhblog.sais.gov.uk/2018/02 ... portunity/

Brilliant. I'd love to try something like that. Definitely a first for This Place? Only had half an inch of snow here today though which I suspect would severely limit the possibilities .

A basic trench with a tarp roof can be made in 1/2 an hour.
But the nights are long and cold. So I make them big and comfortable, with a thick snow roof for insulation. 2 hours ish. Any faster and you will sweat too much.

If there isn't much snow, then you can build them from the ground up. A cross between a coffin and an igloo.

I can't believe I've never tried this!!!

Rest assured that I'll be giving it a go as soon as I find as nice little window in the busy schedule.

Going out on the fatty in the morning and forecast says it'll be -18°c where I'll be riding so I might wait until the weather improves a sniff.....

Looks great. Do you fill it in after or indicate there's a big hole? I'd like to do done snow holing

gairym wrote:I can't believe I've never tried this!!!

Gairym, you might even get a good night's sleep, .

If it was -18°C outside, then in a tent it would be -16°C. A well made snow hole will be above 0°C.
Gairym I made one around the corner from you in Cirque du Fer a Cheval. A top place for this.

I usually make them in remote places, so I don't fill them in, but I do mark them with branches. If there was any chance that kids may find them, then yes.

Mostly I make quinzhees, but these take a long time as you need to wait for the snow to set.

Next time I may set up a hammock in one, just for fun. I would just need to bury a log at either end.

Quinzhee Dec17 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr


This is the quinzhee that I built in December. The one I went to check on, in my 1st post "Hello!".

Old Quinzhee feb18 by Hola Siesta, on Flickr


This is what it looked like 2 months later. Last week. The roof is still solid but the whole thing had sunk down about 1 1/2 metres. It would still be possible (and safe) to sleep in.

Great stuff

built this igloo in my back garden,filled up the yellow tubs then cut blocks with a saw

Looks ace!
RIP and I were just in the Black Lion discussing this as a possible theme for the 2018 Chilterns SE Winter Bivi, which may be held in Aviemore.


Or Calais.

MuddyPete wrote:Looks ace!
RIP and I were just in the Black Lion discussing this as a possible theme for the 2018 Chilterns SE Winter Bivi, which may be held in Aviemore.
Or Calais.

feck that. We're off to the Seychelles

Could probably buy a ticket cheaper than a Chilterns dinner :)

I can't believe it!
I have a lot of experience in the mountains and yesterday I got my first ever frostbite injury.
I was stuck on a mountain - high altitude and extreme conditions of course - and the car wouldn't start. So I used cold start spray (ether?) in the air intake. I could feel my finger getting cold but that was it. A day later and I have a big (3mm) white frozen blister.

WARNING - mountains are dangerous!