Diary of a human icicle

This week I'm Assessing candidates at Glenmore Lodge for the Mountain Instructors Certificate, the National Governing Body award for teaching all aspects of the skills involved in winter walking, mountaineering and climbing in the UK. This means I get to meet lots of people who have been on a very long journey through the Mountain Training awards spending years building up the necessary personal and teaching/working experience to present for assessment. It also means I spend much of the week standing on snowy ledges watching other people work.
Today I was at Creagan Coire Cha No. I was wearing 7 layers, I consumed a litre of warm blackcurrant cordial. After 4 hours in a warm room I can feel my toes again. It was cold and snowy and rather lovely once the visibility cleared.

 Only 4 layers on at this point

 Looking for a belay

 Abseiling down the line

 Today's 'mug on the move' shot

 Anvil gully

 Under the anvil

 Top of pitch 1

 3rd man up

 Looking across Recovery Gully

 3 happy climbers

 Andy over near the top of Duke's Rib

 Pitch 2

 Swing it like you mean it!

 That was quite snowy!

 Andy's team coming up to join him

Cold but pretty good really!