I hope others will give you their input, but answering the difficulty of descending:
If you successfully go UP the MR, you will not have any trouble finding your way back down. There are only a few key places that you need to pay attention, and once you have found your way, getting home is easy.
Maybe some people find descending the "Final 400" above the Notch intimidating, so if you have trouble descending, maybe the "Easy Walkoff" route would feel safer.
