As the highest point in time in the contiguous United States , Mt. Whitney stands at 14,505 foot magniloquent . Easy availability makes it a choice destination for hikers and climbers from around the world . We ’ve hiked it , mountaineer it and rock and roll climbed it , and here ’s how you’re able to do any of that too .
Why Go?
As the mellow point in the US of A ( excluding Alaska ) , the attraction to go is present for anyone who wants to call themselves a hiker , climber , or mountaineer . As my wife Valerie put it , “ It ’s just one of those thing you do . ” It represent a Brobdingnagian challenge and rewarding thought even for those that attack , but do not land up .
How To Do It
First things first , you will require a permit if you plan to go between May 1 and October 31 . The National Forest Service come forth a total of 100 day hiker and 60 nightlong license per daylight , and these are given out through a drawing that take place at the beginning of the yr , delay out theNational Forest Service Lotterypage for more info . This may sound like a lot , but view that 11,662 coating were submitted to the 2015 Mt. Whitney Lottery . 43 % were Awarded a Date of their Choice 57 % were Unsuccessful . I was among those unsuccessful . I was fortunate enough to convince all of my booster to apply for permits and was able to go with them . If you be after to hike up during the “ non - quota ” season , you’re able to just drop by the permit bureau and pick one up . It ’s also worth note that in the main the weekends are the ones that everyone wants . If you have a compromising docket , you could often times pick up a weekday permit onRecereation.govafter the lottery season is over .
The two most popular way of extend to the top both use the same track that is hiked either in a single day or with a night spend at elevation , Valerie and I did both of those and will smash down each one .
Up And Down In A Day
From the Whitney Portal trail head , it is 11 miles and over 6,000 feet of elevation gain to the top . We paid $ 11 for a campsite and cowboy camped ( no tent ) at Whitney Portal . This is the way of life to do it if you design to do a 24-hour interval wage increase because you will be starting before the Dominicus comes up .
Having come from Orange County that day , I was exceedingly excited to see the stars that Nox and was not disappointed when the big dipper was shining bright .
I briefly handle this hike duringmy clause on Altitude Sickness , chequer that out , you ’ll need to cognize all about that too .
We startle at 3 AM and started trucking for the top . The track is pretty gentle , rising on average about 550 foot per 1 mi traveled . To get this gentle side , the Forest Service cut an unneeded number of switchbacks into the trail .
MyGarmin Fenix 3did not last the whole day , which I am credit to having the GLONASS feeler on . I have found that to edit the battery down by about 40 % .
The elevation started hitting me heavily once we mother to about 13,000 feet on the 99 switchbacks out of trail camp . I was fundamentally a zombie for the remaining few mile ( evident in the GPS data file ) . After only about 5 transactions on the summit , a summit shot for the records , and a touch in the Christian Bible , I made my way down and start feeling right smart well with each stride .
Overnight
For our 2d attempt , we spent a night at Trail Camp . It is the last place you may legally camp on the main lead on your way up to the summit . It is about 7 miles from the trailhead and sits at 12,000 feet . There is H2O readily available , but youMUST filter or purify this water supply . With the amount of people using this lead , some a - hole ( or hundreds ) have in all probability pee - ed in the body of water .
We spent the night in the Alabama Hills the night before our ascent and spent the morning rock climbing while waiting for some other friends to encounter us . We departed in the good afternoon and made it to Trail Camp just as the sun was going down .
Even at 8 PM , people were still descending the 99 switchbacks from the summit , with another 7 miles to go .
The one huge benefit to the overnight slip is that you are now only 4 miles from the tip and have a Nox to sleep at elevation . Altitude Sickness struck me hard on the single twenty-four hours slip , but with even as few as 8 hours at Trail Camp , I was capable to acclimatise and not experience any symptoms of AMS . My friend Sam on the other hand , was not feeling so peachy dormancy at elevation , which is not uncommon . He and I fix out for the elevation at 3 AM , trust to capture the daybreak .
We were about a one-half of a nautical mile from the summit as the Sunday come up , it was still beautiful .
Once we made the crest , both Sam and I were feeling reasonably full . We spend about an hour at the top , called our parent ( because there is cell avail at the top of Whitney ) , watched a bozo take a euphony video , and listened to someone else flirt an acoustic guitar they had carry up … it was seemingly a very musical time to be up there .
We spent a little bit of meter in theSmithsonian Institution Shelterto get out of the wind and verbalize with a few other people who were up there . I find it really interesting pick the brains of other people who are go through the same thing you are at this exact moment . There was a couple up there on their honeymoon !
While on the summit I was able-bodied to keep tabs on Val and Courtney as they made their elbow room up with theGarmin Rino 650 t. The combo radio and GPS whole let ’s you visualise the localisation of your partner ( as long as they have a Rino as well and are within range ) . It was extremely nice to be able to split groups and maintain communicating and coordinate the trip .
flaccid yet tough , theArc’teryx Psiphon SLkept the wind out while on the top , and at $ 150 it is probably one of the chintzy jackets you may get from this top - of - the - line company .
Trip GPS files : Whitney Portal to Trail Camp , Trail Camp to Summit and Back , Trail Camp to Portal on the way down . After the Fenix 3 go on me the first time , I carriedGarmin ’s battery pack(without the solar battery charger ) and topped it off before heading up on day 2 .
Other Ways Up
photograph and caption byJohn Scurlock
( A ) Pinnacle Ridge . ( B ) Aiguille Extra . ( C ) Third Needle . ( D ) Crooks Peak ( Day Needle ) . ( 1 ) Beckey Route . ( 2 ) BCB on the Prow . ( E ) Keeler Needle . ( 3 ) Harding Route . ( 4 ) Crimson Wall . ( 5 ) Australopithecus . ( 6 ) line of descent of the Monkey . ( 7 ) Lowe Route . ( F ) . Mt. Whitney . ( 8) Strassman Route . ( 9 ) Left Wing Extremist . ( 10 ) Direct East Face ( 11 ) Hairline ( 12 ) Great Book . ( 13 ) East Face ( 14 ) Sunshine - Peewee ( East Buttress ) . ( 15 ) Mountaineer ’s Route . ( 16 ) Rotten Chimney . ( 17 ) Cardiovascular Seizure . approximative lines ; some routes not shown .
Mountaineer’s Route
Photo byChris Brinlee Jr.
Chris climbed theMountaineer ’s Route last winterand did a niggling write - up/ Q&A with a mountaineering guide , here are some more of his thoughts :
My first experience on Mt. Whitney was via the mountaineers ’ route , which is much more direct — and much less crowded — than the independent hike trail . I climbed it as part ofAmerican Alpine Institute ’s Winter Mountaineering in the Sierracourse , where we used its unforgiving alpine surroundings to develop a specialized set of skills for devoted to winter climbing .
If climbing any of the road during winter , chances are that the gate on Whitney Portal Road will be lock away — add up to four miles of asphalt - pound approach , before even arrive at Whitney Portal . That was the case for our party ; we miss a couple of hr to the pavement . Shortly after departing Whitney Portal to formally commence our escapade , we cut off - lead , be a cross commonwealth itinerary . Within an 60 minutes of hiking our squad reached coke and donned snowshoe for the remaining attack . We lay off for the first night near Lone Pine Creek .
From there , we followed the valley up , past Lower Boy Scout Lake , and on to Upper Boy Scout Lake , which would be our camp for the remnant of the course and the climbing . Oftentimes parties will continue to Iceberg Lake , which is the last camping ground on the mountain climber ’ path before the summit , but airy experimental condition forced our team to stay at Upper Boy Scout , where there was ample snow to delve pits and turn tail from the extreme weather condition we encountered .
From Iceberg Lake , one has a lineal line of peck up the route ’s couloir . In the summertime , the gradient is covered with scree ; it only expect Class 2 scrambling . During the winter , however , it can be very icy , depending on conditions . Our team swap out snowshoe for crampons at the base before continuing up the side to a snick in Whitney ’s ridge , about 500 ’ below the tiptop .
From the notch , there are a duad of different options : traverse up usurious , exposed third grade terrain , or head up the steep gully immediately west of the snick . Both are about equal in term of technical difficulty ; both will put down you on the summit tableland .
The mountaineers ’ itinerary has a great potential for rockfall , so it ’s crucial to wear a helmet once you start go up the couloir . If seek the mountaineer ’ route during wintertime , the entire glide path is avalanche - prostrate , so be sure to check conditions from theEastern Sierra Avalanche Centerbefore you head out . If avalanche are likely , do n’t go up !
-Chris Brinlee Jr.
Real Climbing – Sunshine-Peewee Route (East Buttress)
Photo by Stephen Miller
Stephen , a good supporter who has accompany me on many trips that have been featured here has also climbed Mt. Whitney via the East Buttress , this requires multi - pitch trad climbing skills , here are his idea :
climb like the East Buttress are what rock climb is all about . Quality rock and roll , coherent exposure , enjoyable climb and a keen summit all come together to make this an inarguably authoritative path of the High Sierra . At 5.7 it is a very approachable ledger entry into the world of technical alpine sway climbing . Climbers comfortable lead 5.9 multi - pitch trad routes at low-spirited altitude should have no trouble with the mount if they acclimate appropriately and be after ahead . Making it a multi - day trip allow time to get used to the thin aviation and to make an alpine start the morning of the climb . There is almost no restore protection on the route save for a few old pitons harkening back to the early years of technical climb in the Sierra when the road was first go up .
-Stephen Miller
Thoughts On The Trail
The trail itself is not that difficult . What is difficult is dealing with the altitude and amount of sentence you ’ll be hiking . The twenty-four hour period slip , with stops and all , took us over 15 hours ( including an time of day - foresightful nap at lead bivouac ) . After both trip-up , no part of my body was physically mad because the test is so gradual . After trying toClimb the Grand Tetonlast month and croak a amount of 14 mile ( 7 international mile up and down ) , I could n’t take the air the next solar day because of how unconscionable and physically demand the trail was .
If you are hop to find peace and tranquility on the trail , you will be forget need more . While it is beautiful , there are more than 150 other people doing the exact same thing you are . We were often jump frogging with groups back and forth .
What You’ll Need To Bring
Depending on if you are doing a day boost or an overnight , your gear leaning will change . For the mean solar day hike , we each had a modest pack , Valerie was wearing the 12 literOsprey Rev 12 , and I had theOsprey Stratos 24 .
On the overnight , we had a “ his and hers ” define ofOsprey Stratos 36andSirrus 36packs which had just enough elbow room for all our overnight geartrain . They are a piddling heavy compared to other likewise sized packs at just under 3 Irish pound but passing comfortable to wear all day long .
I completely love the support and feel of theOsprey Airspeedframe , so much so that we own 5 Osprey packs .
Because we were trying to keep our packs around 20 pound each , we limit our food to dry goods/ quick eats only . This meant no coffee or scrambled egg for breakfast , but it also stand for we did ask to run a stove or any dishes . We did have cheese/ crackers/ sausage for dinner and mickle of lead mix , energy bar and gels , and other cursorily wanton to eat item .
Check out more on IndefinitelyWild for how to get into Backpacking :
Do n’t forget to show up onHow to Poop in the Woods ! Each tramp is issued a nincompoop firing for conduct your business back down with you . On our day hike , I was golden enough to not have to use it , but on the overnight , I had to use the same bag multiple times after my belly did not sit right with something I ate . It was unfortunate to have to carry that down , but when you see the “ human waste ” bin at the base , you get an idea for how much crap would otherwise be all over the trail . With nothing but rocks above 10,000 ft , there is n’t really much of a topographic point to dig a hole in any case . The plurality that the forest service gives you includes a prominent trash bag for all your byplay that is full of look absorbing kitty bedding like material . You also get some toilet paper , a small helping hand wipe cloth , and another tough bag for putting everything back at heart . Be a reverential hiker and bear your nincompoop back down with you .
How Do You Get There?
Less than 4 hours from LAX , it could not get much easy to get to Mt. Whitney . You ’ll need to make a flying stop by theEastern Sierra Interagency Centerto pick up your permit . They are open from 8 AM – 5 necropsy . If you be after on drive up the nighttime before your salary increase , do n’t concern about rushing to get there , you may call them a day in improvement and have them put your permit in the night drop box , see the above link for all that info .
What Else Should You Do While You’re There?
Mt. Whitney loom tall in the screen background during our sunrise climb up theShark Fin aêrtein the Alabama Hills .
The Eastern Sierra is my 2nd home base , and the first place I reckon for risky venture . You will force back through the Alabama Hills to get to Mt. Whitney and the stacks of rocks are just begging to be climbed . We camped under this rock ‘n’ roll and started climbing it as the Dominicus descend up . It was only my third time sport climb ( result ) outside of a gymnasium , and Val ’s third - time tip - belaying outside as well … we amaze to the easy 5.8 routes . Once I go past out , I progress a top rope anchor so that she and my protagonist Sam who had never climbed outside before could go up without worrying about snip quickdraws .
Bishop is an hour Frederick North of Lone Pine , and just 20 minutes beyond that is the Owen ’s River Gorge , a world - class climbing destination for dirtbags and climbers likewise . head up to theLooney Beanin Bishop for some coffee , then take the air across the street to theMammoth Mountaineering Gear Exchangeand Consignment shop and rifle through the magnanimous collection of tone used adventure gear . Val foot up a distich of $ 130 mounting shoes , gently used for $ 10 ! plunk up a guide book to the area , like the one I had by Tom Slater : California Road Trip : A Climber ’s Guide Northern California . Another 45 minutes northerly of Bishop and you are at Mammoth Lakes , a primo spot for backcountry adventuring and resort townsfolk life .
What We Would Have Done Differently
Since we climbed the mountain twice , we have a pretty good smell for how we would do it again if we come back . I had planned to climb the mountaineer ’s path with Wes , but then he went off to Romania , so that is still on my to - do list , for another year .
The twenty-four hours head trip had the advantage of a super promiscuous ingroup , but it was an highly long day . Both Valerie and I felt physically substantially on the overnight trip . Breaking the trek up helped immensely with the meridian and the acclimation . Valerie mark that the 7 miles to Trail Camp were the worst of the bunch . We ’ve both had enough Mt. Whitney for a few years . If I were to do it again , I would definitely forgoe the primary lead and dissipate for the mountaineer path , you start and fetch up at the same spot , but take the air half as many mile . That should give you an idea for how many unnecessary switchbacks the chief trail has .
Mt. Whitney is beautiful , and this drawing byJeremy Collins(a new favored artist of mine ) play up that beauty!Buy a print hereat his shop , The Meridian Line .
photo byCorey Hass , unless otherwise noted .
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