In reply to UKC News: For interest, I've just sent the following email to Mike Daniels at the John Muir Trust:
Hi Mike, I understand that the #4 Gully Marker Pole has now been removed and replaced with a cairn.
Following a heated debate on UKC in November 2011, ‘Rory@JohnMuirTrust’, announced that the JMT had ‘opened up the consultation to general views’ and directed people to the specific proposal on the JMT website which invited ‘... members of the public to comment on proposals to remove an abseil pole above Coire Leis... and to retain the Number 4 Gully marker’. (JMT website Nov ‘11).
The consultation closed on 30th April, and I suspect I was not alone in emailing you (on 14th Nov ‘11) with my support of the JMT proposal.
I may have missed it on your website, but I can’t seem to find anything (either on your website or elsewhere) which shows the outcome of this consultation.
As someone who took the time to get involved, and to take up your invitation to comment on your proposal, I feel it is only polite if you could share the detail of the outcomes of the consultation, specifically in relation to the Number 4 Gully Marker issue. Therefore, could you let me know:
• the rational for the JMT’s proposal not being accepted.
• an idea of who was consulted.
• an indication of the number of comments ‘for and against’ which you received.
I also understand (though have not seen it with my own eyes yet) that the Number 4 Gully marker post is currently in the snow patch at the bottom of Number 5 Gully. Can you confirm if this is true if so, any ideas on how it go there and any plans to dispose of it properly?
Look forward to your reply.