The Grand Traverse has a good altitude profile of hiking high and sleeping low. Furthermore, the ascent is very gradual and extended over multiple days.
Spending 6 days at high altitude prior to your summit attempt will give you a very high summit success chance – another reason why we like this route. Furthermore, it will also decrease your risk of getting altitude sickness.
On the first day, however, climbers on the Grand Traverse get driven up to a fairly high altitude of 3,400 meters (11,200 feet), along the old Shira evacuation route. This makes the Grand Traverse a shorter and less challenging variation than the Northern Circuit. If you are sensitive to high altitudes, it is possible that you feel the rapid ascent on your first day. However, symptoms such as headaches or nausea are usually not severe and don’t last for long.
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