The route was devised by Leor Pantilat, highlighting a portion of the Sierra High Route. From his description
[The route] describes a much shorter [portion of the High Route] that is a wonderful traverse 2,000 ft above Lyell Canyon from Amelia Earhart Peak to the Lyell/Maclure massif providing an alternative off-trail route to reach the “roof of Yosemite” with tremendous scenery throughout. The route passes by several unnamed lakes that would otherwise merit a name but for their extremely remote position. The centerpiece lake is Maclure Lake, with its deep blue water surrounded by granite slabs and the glaciated north face of Mount Maclure towering above. For the entire length of this traverse one enjoys an authentic sense of solitude as very few people venture off the beaten path to this remote corner of the Cathedral Range. As the route lies between the arduous glacial moraines and the forested canyon below, the off-trail travel is mostly efficient consisting of friendly granite slabs and wide open visibility (on a clear day).
Leor Pantilat wrote a blog post here (https://pantilat.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/maclure-high-route/amp/).
According to one of the first FKT holders, North Face Athlete Paddy O'Leary, "My sketchometer was hitting the red on Maclure; so shocked I was able to get up the ledges of Lyell. Most challenging scrambling I've done yet."
