TahoeKine,
Thanks for adding your experiences to the thread.
I just did the C2C again a few days ago. You are so right regarding the tram. It sure lets you avoid the usual “punishment of the descent.”
I did R2R2R (two days), and MWMR last year and I believe MW is definitely harder. R2R2R took 10 hours N-S and about the same going back. MWMR took 11 hours and the Main Trail has historically taken me 11-12. The last post touched on such an important aspect, and that's the torture of the downhill. In the dozen times I've done Whitney, every single time I come down my ankles/calves/shins/knees are screaming at me. R2R finishes both ways with an uphill grind; easier in my book than the 6500' pounding descent over granite (most of the trails in the GC are soft, dusty redrock; very easy on the knees).
A telling sign is the amount of trail runners on R2R vs the amount on Whitney. Granted, people come from all over the world to run the Canyon, but it's uncommen to see anyone running on Whitney.
Both these hikes are no joke, but if you take the tram down, both are more difficult than C2C.
