Igloo at Mechta Glacier, North Chuyskie Belki Range, Altay

We built two side-by-side four-person igloos with a connecting tunnel for the first above-timberline camp of our February 1985 ski crossing of Altay Mountains. The igloos were roomy and quite comfy inside. They looked especially fantastic at night, with the candlelight seeping through the snow-block joints, but my camera was not good enough to capture the sight. In the morning, the structure was so firm that we hopped on its dome in crampons and it held without a stir.