3 of us plan on hiking whitney on may 28th. 2 of us are in fairly good shape (regularly do cardio, strength training and hiking), one is in excellent shape. The highest mountain I've summited is Mt. Tallac. One of our friends has been on several 26 mile hikes, though not at a high altitude. The most experience we have with crampons and ice axes are glacier hiking and ice climbing we did in Iceland this past January, so we're not exactly experts with the equipment. I know there is snow present year round and definitely in May, but I also read this has been a fairly low snow year. Although I'd love to summit I know there's a chance we won't be able to given our lack of experience with snow climbing. Safety and respect for nature > summit fever. Is there a chance we can make it to a decent place even if we don't summit, or is this a lost cause altogether? I know mentally and physically we can handle it, but as far as technical skill goes I'm feeling confused. Some people say even if you don't have the experience there's a high chance you can make it to the top, others make it seem like a death trap to attempt in late May. Need some input.
