I have wanted to climb Mt. Whitney and finally decided to give it a shot this year. Previously, the highest mountain that I have summited was Mt. Shasta, once early in the summer and once late summer (early summer is much preferred as there is more ice/snow and you can use the crampons for more of the treck avoiding the "fun" of sliding one step back for every two steps forward in the loose rock). I used crampons and an ice axe both times (who wouldn't?) going up the Avalanche Gulch route. Has anyone else summitted Shasta, and how does the climb up Whitney compare? I see that there is a good chance that I will need to go up the Chute as my permit is for June 12. How does this compare to Avalanche Gulch on Shasta? Steepness? Falling rocks?
Thanks for any advice, and I will be monitoring conditions through this site religiously. :-)
