Summit of Mt. Whitney

Zach L

Summit of Mt. Whitney

03/31/23

I day hiked this with two friends on 8/29/21 and it was a long, beautiful, magnificent day. The back stretch feels way longer than the posted mileage. We filled up at Trail Camp Pond and still ran out of water at the summit so it was a thirsty walk back to Trail Camp. We left TC at 6pm and the 2.5 hour hike back to the car felt like it took just short of forever. But, we all summited, the weather was perfect, and it was an incredible experience. Also, the next day my calves were incredibly sore…don’t plan too much.

5.0

Team

Tyler Drake

Team

Summit of Mt. Whitney

01/12/21

Mt. Whitney is an incredible hike if you're up for it and can get the permits. My group spent a day up in Mammoth to acclimate then drove to the trailhead and camped out before hitting the trail just after midnight. (it seemed like the switchbacks went by faster in the dark!) We made it to the 99 switchbacks right at sunrise. I'd argue the top of the switchbacks offered a pretty amazing viewpoint (the summit was as expected, very exposed and windy). The summit was a great chance to rest our legs for a minute before heading back down and getting to see the ground we covered in the dark. I'd recommend trekking poles to give your knees a little support as well as plenty of snacks (I likely didn't eat enough as I was getting light headed on the way down). All in all, Mt. Whitney was an amazing adventure with memories that'll last a lifetime!

5.0

Lauren Hirsch

Summit of Mt. Whitney

06/22/18

I just summited Whitney with my Boyfriend on 6/19/18 we had prepared for snow with ice axes and crampons (which you can rent in lone pine or bishop) but we didn’t need the extra snow gear and ended up stashing them amongst some rocks to lighten our load. There was some snow along the cables and a bit further up around the crest but honestly it was manageable with sturdy boots and some hiking poles. As we descended Whitney, all the snow we passed was turning to slush and melting away. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the snow was gone in a few days. We took extra strength Tylenol to help with the altitude sickness at about 12,000 ft which helped me a lot. Definitely stay hydrated, bring electrolytes, and tons of food. We took small breaks every hour to hydrate and eat even though we weren’t hungry once we got passed 12,000ft. After slaying the 99 switchbacks, the air felt heavy and it was very difficult to breathe. We had to take a lot of breaks for the last two miles. Pace yourselves if you need to, there’s no point in over exerting yourself. Overall incredible hike with amazing views. We started at 12am in the morning and didn’t get back until 11pm. My boyfriend is not an experienced hiker at all nor experienced with higher altitudes and he did great, just needed lots of rest stops. This isn’t your walk in the park, but your efforts will be rewarded not only with bragging rights but also incredible views while ascending and descending.

5.0

Explorer

Sonja Saxe

Explorer

Summit of Mt. Whitney

06/19/17

I summited Mount Whitney on 6/9/17. After the drought-breaking winter we knew we were going to be in for a tough hike but it was 100%, without-a-doubt, worth it! We started the hike from Whitney Portal at 1am and route-finding below treeline was a bit tricky but we had a GPS (downloaded the Gaia Maps app) so we were able to get back on track pretty quickly whenever we lost our way. The trail was intermittently snowy (which is what made route-finding difficult) until just past Mirror Lake when it became entirely snow covered and we put on crampons. We made it to Trail Camp at 6am and took a half an hour break. It took us another 2 hours to climb up the chute and make it to Trail Crest. Because of elevation and fatigue it took us yet another 2 hours to reach the summit, but we did it!! We didn't stay long because we knew we still had a long hike back down ahead of us. Sliding down the chute was one of the most fun aspects of doing this trail in the snow but please make sure you bring an ice axe and know how to use it so you can self-arrest if necessary. It was nice to hike back down in the daylight but the sun made the snow an absolute nightmare to walk through! We finally made it back to the trailhead at 6pm, completely worked but so elated!

5.0

Explorer

Rachel Davidson

Explorer

Summit of Mt. Whitney

12/15/16

Even with the lottery system, this hike draws in people from around the country (and even internationally). A great way to avoid the crowds is to climb in the off season using ice climbing gear, or taking the Mountaineer's Route. This second route branches off from the main trail just 0.8 miles in, after crossing Lone Pine Creek, and involves some cross-country navigation and class 3 scrambling towards the top. Totally worth the extra effort!

5.0

Kristine Lyng

Summit of Mt. Whitney

06/29/16

A gorgeous and breathtaking hike (literally). Coming from sea level and hiking the 22 miles in a day, the last 200 feet of hiking got to me. Still though, the amazing views and sense of accomplishment was magical. Highly recommend!

5.0

Explorer

Lucas Pols

Explorer

Summit of Mt. Whitney

01/28/16

It's a hell of a hike. I did the week long backpack through Shepard's pass where you end at Whitney and that trail down is rough. For the day hike your final ascent will be up something around 100 switch backs which is compounded by the lack of oxygen. It's an amazing hike and certainly one worth doing but be extremely wary of the altitude because even just walking at that altitude can be challenging. Make sure you spend a day or two camping at the base to get acclimated to the initial altitude before you head up the extra 6k feet

5.0

Marla M

Summit of Mt. Whitney

06/18/15

Amazing. Views and trail cannot be beat. Be prepared with your mountaineering gear during all seasons except the mid/late-summer though. We reached the ridge trail via the snow-filled chute next to the switchbacks (saves time and energy) due to ice on the hiking trail in May, so ice axes and crampons were necessary. I recommend overnight camping at the Portal before starting the trek to adjust to the altitude.

5.0