There a lot of misconceptions, false reporting etc. My friend and the other 2 climbers are experienced and would never attempt a climb at such a late hour. They started their climb out at around 1:00 am PST Friday morning...not pm.
So the groups aim was actually for the summit getting to the summit around or just after daybreak in the morning after a 7 or 8 hours arduous climbing in the dark, in the middle of winter during the extremely cold night/early morning hours at altitudes over 10,000 feet on snow slopes greater than 45 degrees, which are subject to the obvious avalanche risks.
From the same CNN story;
When the three hikers set out at about 1 a.m. Friday (4 a.m. ET), they were planning a fairly easy, "semi-technical" hike in which they would come down the south side of the mountain, said Deputy Scott Meyers of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
And the news media call that a semi technical hike!!, the reality I'm afraid is more likely to be characterised as extreme mountaineering considering the risks they were taking on such a long and difficult climb.
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