Leaning tower approach and descent gulley

hello climbers

It may be a long shot but does anyone have any beta on snow/ice for getting on and off the leaning tower given the snow/ice.

Most of my concern is descent options, namely with the descent gulley and if one would need a metal detector or a powerful magnet while looking for the rap stations.  Has anyone rapped the whole route to get off ? Haha, Was it harder than climbing up the thing?

thank you all and happy climbing.

I saw on the Facebook big wall forum that someone tried it a week or so ago and they didn't even make it to the base because the snow in the approach was so deep. the descent is also in a deep shady gully which I would assume also has a bunch of snow in it. Its the shadiest wall in the valley other than half dome. not the best choice considering the snow season they have had in the valley.  The tower is best climbed later in the season. I would go do a route on the column which will be much warmer and drier.

Thanks for the beta that's good to know.

Maybe ill check again in a month or so, I tend to favor early season ascents to limit my encounters with human excrement, dry or otherwise.

Obviously things can change quickly and I'm sure it will be much drier in a few weeks. Leaning tower is super steep. I would not recommend rapping the route because you would have to do significant down aiding and swinging around to get down.  You would almost have to down aid most of the route.  In addition the pitches off awahnee ledge are a fair bit the the right and overhanging which would be challenging to reverse.

Talked to a couple guys who tried it last weekend. It took them eight hours to approach, they spent the night at the base and walked out the next day. “More than microspikes would’ve been helpful” was a direct quote.