My son Andrew took a group of my friends (all adults) up the Mountaineers route on Tuesday August 5th.
The ordeal turned into a 17 hour trip (2 am to 9 pm). With delay, caused mostly by fatigue issues and altitude sucking air, they arrived at the summit just in time for the Afternoon Thunderstorm activity.
It was raining and hailing and Andrew saw someones hair go from flat to sticking straight up with electrical discharge on the summit. Shortly thereafter they were taking refuge in the summit hut and Andrew took our group off the summit.
They headed back down the Staircase with Lighting and Thunderstorm activity all around. It was very icy and dangerous getting down the top of the Mountaineers route, due to the new hail and rain making the rocks slippery.
A little down the Mountaineers route Colour a lighting bolt hit somewhere above them up by the notch. The whole canyon lite up with bright light and the resulting thunder clap rolled all the way down the Mountaineers Route. They heard the thunder and saw the light at the same time...with a woosh as the lighting bolt hit and a boom which traveled over them.
It was a long hard trip down to the car, with on and off rain and hail.
I am glad to have everyone home safe. It goes to show the Mountain can be a rough and dangerous place even in the middle of the summer.
It has been asked on another post why they continued toward the summit, when they knew the clouds were building. Andrew said it didn't start raining until they got to the summit ridge, followed by the hair standing up and the hail. Within 10-15 minutes it changed from light rain to hail and then to thunder that started far away and got closer. That is when they decided they needed to get off the summit.
Some pictures at
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/565180088YayWYR
