Background
As it would kill me to ask questions of anyone I have become a serial abuser of compiling all my research from the Internets. Although this may work for certain research topics, such as how do to disable pop-ups in Firefox, for most matters of any importance it's a very bad idea. Even though I come to this realization and fully accept that the web should not be a definitive source of knowledge or even a primary reference I am meanwhile going to add to the problem by posting just a little more (mis)information. In fact, I'll post just the sort that I wish I had available to me while I was doing my own research way back when.
Getting There
Canada. Mt. Sir Donald is in Canada. British Columbia. Roger's Pass. Selkirk range.
Perhaps the best place to overnight is at the Illecillewaet Campground, 3km south of the Roger's Summit ranger station. The campground fees were somewhat steep. It wasn't until the next day that I realized a hut was stationed just opposite the trailhead. (I could have had a timber roof over my head!)
What you need to know!
Climbing Sir Donald was originally my dad's idea. He did all the preliminary research (from the Internets, of course). He landed on a variety of conflicting assessments of climbing the NW Arete. Roper's Fifty Classic Climbs of North America rates it at 5.2 though other reports inflate that rating to a 5.4 or higher. My dad was quite certain, based on his findings, that he wasn't going to use no damned rope. Luckily his stubbornness was not put to the test as my parents had to back out of the trip at the last minute.
Stuart and I, however, valuing our safety and wholeness of body above all else, were determined to attach a rope to the mountain during all moments of our ascent. But was it possible?
Does the average mortal need a rope to climb Sir Donald's NW Arete?
You could manage without. But that's assuming you don't mind returning in the dark because you had to pass up the 8 sweet rappels that take you virtually down to the base of the climb.
As for using a rope on the ascent...it's asking for frustration. Stuart and I tried simul-climbing for most of our feeble attempt. Only when the 5.2 seemed to verge on a 5.2+ did we pitch it. However, as I was nearing the end of the rope on my lead I almost felt as if the protection of the rope was quickly going to turn into it's downfall. Literally. For all the friction and drag. So, leave the rope in the pack on the way up.
What is the NW Arete's rating?
I am not qualified to dispense ratings for climbs. Thankfully I am qualified to give opinions. I feel that it's fairly assessed as a 5.2 based on the climbing alone. However, if you ever lift your head during the ascent, you'll need to be a hardened soul to not get a little unnerved by the awesome exposure. So, if exposure figured into ratings, it's a 5.2++.
How many hours does the climb take?
One thing's for sure: if you turn back half-way up the arete you will spend less time on the mountain than if you summit. We left the campground at 4:30 am and returned by 8 pm. Our turn-around time was 2 pm, and we had reached the col sometime around 8:30 am. That means we pissed away at least 5 hours trying to ascend the ridge tethered to a rope. Let these facts and numbers be a lesson to future parties.
Where and how do I access the rappels?
The Roger's Pass ranger station kindly distributes route/rappel maps...if you ask.
Do I need to sign in or register for the climb?
Again, I won't presume to give an official reply. However, when we "signed in" at the Roger's Pass ranger station they appeared entirely nonplussed about our proactiveness. When we appeared 2 mornings afterwards to "sign out" they were even less enthusiastic (I almost feel as if the ranger made a mock strike-though of our names that had been fake written in the 2 days earlier).
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