Thanks Steve. I'll definitely take a look at the guided tours along the Mountaineer's Route. Although I must admit that it was one of your posts about MR that made me skeptical about my ability to do it!
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/2358"I cannot say it more clearly than this: The MR in winter is a prime example of something that only experienced mountaineers, who are skilled in technical winter mountaineering, should undertake. You need both the background to know what to do and how to do it, and the breadth and depth of experience with ice ax, crampons, and snow and ice rope work, to be able to do it safely. You must have practiced self-arrests repetitively, and you need to have the maturity, wisdom, and foresight to back off or change your plan if the conditions or weather dictate. Most often the situation is not this severe, but you always need to be ready for it. Climbing the MR in summer will not prepare you, nor will winter hiking with the occasional use of crampons and ice ax under benign conditions."
Reading that I feel like I'm not ready for it yet given my limited technical experience.
In any case, I will continue training and monitor the weather situation as it goes.
