Left the portal early morning, successful summit with 19 year old son who was stronger than me on the ascents, faster on the descents, and more adroit on the rock scramble. I am getting old.
About half the climbers I saw used crampons on the snow field up the couloir. We used them and I think they were a distinct advantage. Trekking poles on the way to Iceberg, although disdained by youth, were an absolute Godsend, particularly for stream crossings.
I'm not sure the Esberbacher ledges are all they're cracked up to be, but then, I didn't look down.
We kicked away the last bit of ice on the crux move at the start of the third class above the notch. Don't know whether more may have formed since. The crux move (in the first ten feet) without ice for someone with respectably mediocre scrambling skills takes under a minute, faster if you're 19 or not mediocre.
The usual conventional move - start far left, traverse right about 1/3 of the way up, ascend to the summit from there - was not compromised by ice or water. At least, not on the day we went.
I would not try the "easy traverse" unless God personally was guiding. And roped up to me.
Total blast, and at least my hiking buddy lets me win at golf as a consolation prize.
K
