Coughing my way up Spiral left hand

No I'm not dead. I've had a few emails asking if I'd passed on since it was so long since my last blog. I did however feel like death on a several occasions and spent a week in bed with the flu. Still have a hacking cough but this week I'm back at Glenmore Lodge working on an MIC Assessment. Today I was watching a candidate taking 2 students on one of their first winter routes. We had a good time on Spiral Gully taking its icey Grade III left hand finish. Windier and misty compared to the last 2 lovely days but plenty of icey snow around.
Unfortunately there has been plenty of tragedy about in the last week or so too. My sympathy to the family and friends of those who died. My thanks to those who have worked so hard in challenging circumstances involved in the rescues. My distaste for much of the ill informed media commentary but a few beacons of common sense continue to stand tall above it all (Heavy Whalley's informed comment is great and there is good advice (amongst the dross) from George Mc and Young Fox on the UKC post on whether we should all be carrying transceivers, probes and shovels as climbers in the UK).