On the lower part of the glacier there is much gravel on top of the ice. The normal route on the south side probably has more loose gravel. Higher up it was just ice so it was ice axe and crampons (metal spikes on boots).
At high camp around 19, 600 ft we got pinned in our tents for one day by high wind and cold temperature, 60 mph/-25F. On summit day we started at 3 a.m. with headlamps, reached the summit at 4 p.m. and got back to high camp at 11 p.m. I lost 25 lbs on this climb. Setting up each camp was two load carries of about 75 lbs. We took a rest day between every load carry.
I forgot to add that the air was so thin that you had to regulate your pace so as to not consume all oxygen. When you go too fast you get tunnel vision as a warning that you are about to pass out. Going to base camp at 14,000 ft was a pretty normal pace with mules carrying 150 lbs each. On load carries to set up higher camps we counted breaths per step with the heavy loads with 75 lb loads and two trips to set up each higher camp. Lower down it was two breaths per step and up to high camp was three breaths per step. On summit day we were light, but near the summit it was four breaths per step.