I'm planning to climb Mt. Ritter in the second weekend of October. This will be my first time up Mt Ritter (or any other mountain in the Ansel Adams wilderness).
I was hoping I could get some tips/info on this, here.
1) What is the recommended route for a first timer, on this mountain ? Relatively, the least technical of all the routes.
2) Is there a route map/way point file, for this recommended route ?
3) Do I require any permits/advance reservations to climb the mountain, besides the permit for an overnight stay ?
4) Is there a recommended spot for camping, the previous night, to get an early start in the morning (if doing a day hike)? If doing a overnight stay, where would you recommend, I camp along the trail ?
5) Are crampons/ice-axes necessary in mid october ? (I've climbed Mt Shasta & Mt Whitney using crampons & iceaxes before, but just checking if they will be necessary, in mid october.)
Also, are there quite a bunch of hikers on this trail, usually ?
Thanks