the first ascent of mount moran was made on july 22, 1922 by legrand hardy, bennet mcnulty and ben c. rich of the chicago mountaineering club via the "skillet glacier route". the skillet glacier still provides perhaps the easiest and most direct route to the summit and is rated 5.4. as the name implies, most of the climb is on the steep snow and ice of skillet glacier, and an ice axe and crampons should be used in the ascent.