In my opinion, the difficulty of the 99 switchbacks is VASTLY overstated. I personally think the most difficult part of the hike is the portion between Mirror Lake and Trail Camp. That section is FAR steeper than the 99 switchbacks. And the many TALL steps (ie 12+ inches) make it all the more difficult. The 99 switchbacks are far less steep, and don’t have so many steps. It’s mostly just walking up a trail. The way I see things, once you get to Trail Camp, the hardest part of the hike is over.
Agreed. In addition to what you mentioned, the section between Mirror Lake and Trail Camp is the only part on the hike where it can be difficult to find the trail at times. The trail is really obvious everywhere else*.
*edit: Now that I think about it, you can get lost on your way down from the summit if there's a large group gathering at the JMT junction that blocks your view of the direction signs, and you end up taking the wrong turn as a result. But I don't think that's a common occurrence.
