The heavy overnight rain was due to stop by 6am and the forecast was for a dry but cloudy day, so we didn’t see any reason to rush. We arrived at the parking lot just after 8am and it is a large parking lot indeed. But although there was plenty of space then, we were puzzled as to why so many vehicles seemed to be parked parallel to the curb, instead of perpendicular (like in a car park) - the paved area is very wide so parking perpendicular seemed to be a more obvious and considerate option.
The conditions were great: cool, admittedly in low but not claustrophobic cloud for 2/3 of the way, light winds, no dust whatsoever and even the top scree section was quite compacted down by the rain, so that we only broke out the poles for the last 150m vertical or so. At the rim we were above the clouds. Most people stopped just after reaching the rim. We followed the undulating rim trail left, towards the “true summit” until a steep, narrow and very loose descent section just before re-ascent to the summit. There was lots of rockfall evidence so we decided to stop there (it didn’t seem worth the risk continuing) and enjoyed our lunch savouring the views.
Tips and kit: as others have said, look out for a trail on the western side of the ridge (left in ascent), it is c.30-50ft below the true ridge with the white poles, and saves having to do any scrambling except in the higher parts of the ridge and a lot of time and energy. Dust gaiters made the descent more fun (scree skiing) but only one of us wore them, as it wasn’t that loose. It wasn’t going to be hot so we brought 2.5l of water each (incl. 500ml mixed with electrolytes) and didn't drink it all (having stared out well hydrated).
Overall it was a 7.5h roundtrip including a half-hour stop for lunch at the top and a couple of shorter breaks (we are both experienced hikers and mountaineers). Absolutely spectacular hike and definitely worth seeking out!
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