Hi John Sims,
1. Does the day use permit or overnight permit work on the mountaineers route as well?
2. I noticed the final 400 of MR looks steep. Does one need rope and harness? or is simply ice axe and clampon are fine? I am not a mountaineer, but I done pretty much all the hikes in Yosemite and Half Dome, etc. I have never used rope and harness to climb anything in my life. The 6 miles vs. 11 miles is tempting, but I want to make sure I am not going beyond my capabilities and tools.
Hi Sam
1. Day use permit does work for Mountaineers Route. Overnight is different. "May" be a bit easier to get.
2. Final 400 is very steep. In the summer, without snow or ice on the route, most people do not use rope/harness. However, the guide services often do use this equipment in order to insure the safety of their clients. It really depends on how comfortable you are with "exposure". The "moves" needed to climb the final 400 are not extreme, and without the exposure I doubt you would think twice about any of the moves. A fall might well be fatal, so hard to ignore the exposure. In winter conditions, crampons, ice axe, rope and harness would be wise.
Check out the trip reports. Many reports on both the main trail and the mountaineers route during all seasons, in all weather conditions. Normally there are pictures as well that will give you a good idea as to what to expect.
