Joanna Chitty - 171898

This is the second day of my bothy outing in the Lairig Ghru. I've included it as a QMD, although a summit wasn't reached. This is because it was a day of significantly challenging conditions which at the time I undertook it significantly tested and extended my skills and experience. I got up to around the 1050-1100 metre contour - so was definitely at mountain height, if not on a mountain summit.
The objective for the day had been the East ridge of Cairn Toul, a Grade one route onto the plateau. We reached the ridge from Coire an t-Saighdeir over steep but well consolidated ground, requiring a range of axe and crampon techniques. Visibility was very poor from the Coire onwards and the already windy weather descended into snow with significant winds. Once on the ridge this was sufficient to impede progress. I called time on this plan over growing concerns about likely wind conditions on the plateau and the risk we would be prevented from making a safe descent, as planned, into Coire Odhar where the aspect presented a avalanche concern. I had to stand up against a fairly stubborn partner to do this (who had already raised concerns on the previous day by ploughing ahead and getting us 'lost' on the Ben Macdui plateau in very poor visibility, a situation that I as the allegedly less experienced party had to take over and get us out of).
As we descended the worsening weather followed us and by the time we ere down around the 600meter mark the snow was heavy with significant winds and spindrift making me quite certain that I had been right that being on an exposed ridge 500metres above here in what is a very isolated location was a bad idea.