I wonder when GM will tell them, "There was this easier way through just over here if you'd bothered to look, you know?"

The Werefrog always thought there would be an easier way through, but pirates can't use it because it is highly regulated and the navy has a captain at the port you go through to get to the grand line.

That's why they still use the old reverse mountain if they are pirates.

I don't think there's an easier way to cross the mountain, you can however avoid the mountain, if you use a ship coated in sea stone, as that allow you to travel the Calm Belt safely, so government ships reach the Grand line though the Calm Belt.

However in this campaign they were privateers or at least have some string they could pull through Commander Pudding Pudding

They declined the offer to become privateer, but they did cooperate with the marine in Logue Town and saved Pudding Pudding in Kokoyashi.
Also, it's apossible that another way to enter grandline that was'nt in the manga exist in this comic.

I mean, Cory could probably carve them a path.

He's not cutting through mountains yet.

yet

Anyone else just not be able to get onto this site for a couple of hours?

Not just you. I couldn’t get on the site either for a while.