In reply to Wee Davie:
On the contrary, the article exclaims prudence throughout but prudence gained through knowledge rather than blinkered caution. Every route I have approached since my North Gully fall has been planned meticulously and with logic. I have no interest in "near-death" experiences but simply managing high-stress situations in a calm and rational manner, although I understand that some people may interpret these situations as extreme.
Soloists (and I refer only to those who solo regularly) often receive a bad press, mostly and ashamedly so from other climbers, as being foolhardy and reckless. The reality is quite the opposite and I personally take a quiet pride in having had many years of rich experiences and survived them without so much as a scratch, a pattern I intend sticking to.
Over the last few winters there have been a number of fatal and very serious accidents in the Scottish mountains, some of which could maybe have been avoided if those involved hadn't leapfrogged grades or had a broader base of experience from which to assess and handle variable conditions correctly. I am not criticising and I am not playing guardian, I am simply offering a few tales from my past and some advice which has stood me in good stead and continues to do so.
Patrick