Winter Skills Day 4 and rescues

A very busy day for team Lodge today. Our winter skills group had headed up the steep frozen slope to the left of the Mess of Pottage (Hidden Chimney reported in good nick) when first words of an incident came over the radio.We weren't in a position to assist but the large Winter Mountain Leader Training Course and various Glenmore Lodge employees and ex-employees (Instructors, domestic staff and ex-nightwatch) and an RAF MR Team were all on the scene. An unfortunate climber had fallen from near the top of Aladdin's Mirror Direct breaking a leg. Glenmore staff above him radioed in the incident and descended to help (nice work Dave), first aid was applied and the casualty was lowered (great work by the Winter ML Trainees and the Ski Patrol from Cairngorm Mountain who brought a stretcher in on a skidoo- the rescue box is still buried deep). A helicopter from Prestwick then flew into the Coire in very poor visibility to complete the rescue. Meanwhile we navigated our way to a heavily rimed weather station atop Cairngorm and onwards down to the Ptarmigan (picking up a 'navigationally challenged' walker near point 1141 on the way). After a break for hot chocolate at the restaurant we continued on and the team navigated me back down windy ridge to the car park.