mrchad9 wrote:Avalanche Gulch will have many other people on the route that weekend. Unless there is a whiteout, you will NOT get lost. Sure!
. . .
This is not entirely true.
My body and I were the last ones on the summit in one of that beautiful day. Well, I like to sleep longer and my body had some altitude issues. Anyway, while climbing down, about half way between Red Banks and Helen Lake the helicopter flit above us searching for a reported missing person (as we learned later). As we were close to Helen Lake a crazily screaming guy, having issues with a color of my jacket, quickly approached us. He behaved furiously but I still was able to retrieve some information from him. He climbed Avalanche Gulch with his sister/girlfriend but got weak/sick and decided to stay and wait for her on Misery Hill. But he did not! The girl summited but on the way down took the wrong turn and descended the different side of the mountain. She was found the next morning with minor injuries (very lucky being unprepared).
Yes! People get confused and get lost in unimaginable situations and places. The weather was completely clear and the climbers were still on that route (including myself) mapping the way down. To me getting lost is a mystery but I witnessed similar situations more than once.
As
mrchad9 mentioned, there are usually other people on the popular routes and it is easy to follow them. If for whatever the reason they go back (or not go at all), you do the same. On the way up look down frequently enough to memorize notable navigation points; especially starting from Red Banks, The way up never looks the same as the way down!
If money is not the problem, I would definitely recommend taking a guide; otherwise, there are many other alternatives. Make sure, however, that there is at least one in the team who is enough experienced, knowledgeable and capable of making proper decisions if something goes wrong.