Nivation hollows are erosional landforms formed due to snow patch erosion. This erosion occurs due to the freeze-thaw cycle that occurs in the shallow upper zone of the regolith ground under the snow patches, and is named the nivation process. The nivation process develops under the control of climate, geomorphology, texture, and structural properties of the ground as well as vegetation characteristics. The snow patch plays an important role in the duration and severity of the erosion throughout the year, both by providing thermal protection for the temperature to change during the freezing and thawing cycle during the day, and by contributing to the supply of water necessary for the nivation process to work. This study aims to explain the formation and development of the nivation hollows at an altitude of 2000-2200 m in the upstream of Yanbolu river, which takes its source from the Kalkanlı Mountains (Trabzon, Gümüşhane). A 1 m spatial resolution topographic database was produced from drone data for surface analysis. To evaluate the nivation conditions of the study area, the climate data of the Torul/Zigana Ski Center (station no: 17696) meteorology station, situated at an altitude of 2050 m, were used, and obtained from the General Directorate of Meteorology. ArcMap 10.7 software was preferred for surface analysis. In the field study, the nivation hollows were examined, and the measurements were taken with a Garmin Etrex 10 Handheld GPS. Google Earth images were also used. The findings of previous studies on the formation and development of nivation hollows were evaluated in comparison with examples in the research area. Since the development of the nivation is a current geomorphological process, it has been evaluated in the perspective of the nivation process, taking into account the current climatic characteristics of the region. It was seen that the climate data supported the active nivation process. Findings from fieldwork on the geomorphological features of the region, texture and structural features of the ground, and the alpine meadow zone without forest cover indicate that the snow patch erosion continues at the altitude of 2000-2200 m. The transverse, longitudinal, and circular types of the nivation hollows were identified during the fieldwork and these were classified as the initiation, youth, and maturity developmental stages, according to their characteristic features. It is understood that the nivation hollows observed in the region are generally in the beginning and youth development stages. The circular nivation hollow in the maturity stage seen in the region is the Dipsizgöl nivation cirque lake. Analysis of sediments recovered from the bottom of Dipsizgöl lake confirm that the nivation cirque lakes are an ideal proxy trap and preserve the geographical archive of the past. In addition to this scientific importance, it should be accepted that nivation cirque lakes are a natural heritage that should be protected.