It is steep.It is the bowl that borders the infamous 97 switchbacks often refered to as the Mother F'en ball busting *&%$#ing switchbacks that take a heavy toll om MWMT summiters.So it is the same elevation change from 12K to 13.6K except straight up instead of the switchbacks.
My altimeter consistently shows Trail Camp at 12,300' after being reset to 11,500' at Trailside Meadow. The climb up the chute is about 1,000'...or a little more, from where you actually start. With that said, it's that 1,000' is a heck of a lot of work. Personally, I found the westside more difficult because you have get in out of your fangs a bunch of times.
I found the closest thing to puck moment on the icy side slope on Mt. Whitney...a fall without a quick self arrest would result to a visit to The Tarns at 11,700'.
