Why make the final ascent during the darkness of night?
Most groups will start for the summit on ascent day at about midnight, depending on the assessed fitness of the group, the weather conditions and the route. The pre-dawn hours, while the coldest, are also normally the calmest and clearest. The best views from the summit are at dawn. Often clouds and high winds develop not long after sunrise making the summit much less attractive and the descent more difficult. It can take 15 hours to reach the summit and descend to the campsite for that day.
