I'd prefer to go without the rope -- bringing it at the insistence of a couple of folks in the group who've seen photos of the chimney and are nervous (I'm still trying to talk them out of it, but we'll see). Considering making the folks who want it actually haul up the weight, though
You have three months until your Williamson trip. That gives you plenty of time to practice rock climbing until you ALL feel comfortable leaving the rope behind. You can practice scrambling un-roped, you can top-rope outdoors, and you can climb at a local gym. If even one person is still unconfident, bring minimal gear for a belay. And don’t make one guy carry it all.
While you’re there, The North Rib on Tyndall is one of my favorites. I’ve always done Williamson first, but you could use Tyndall as practice/warmup for Williamson.
