no ice/snow equipment needed. Just be careful by the cables on the switchbacks, it still could be kind of a narrow trail, blocked partially by the snow.
For day hikers make sure to climb other challenging mountains of at least 10,000 feet, like San Jacinto, a minimum of three times within three month of climbing Whitney, like once a month. After that try Whitney. We took 22 hours to complete the hike to the top and back to Whitney Portal. This hike was very, extremely difficult, life threatening for me and my wife. We thought we were prepared for the challenge but we weren't. On our way up we met many hikers that did not make it to the top and returned defeated, but after the switchbacks we met other hikers coming back that had climbed Whitney many times , all different ages. We met a nine year old that climbed it on his second attempt and an old couple, I am guessing 70 years old....age is not a factor, but your resistance to thin air.
Make sure not to eat any food the day of the climb, a friend of mine recommended a few teaspoons of MCT oil along the way. I had some oatmeal before the switchback, and after that I had repeated heartburn after that. I could feel the oatmeal burning stomach/esophagus all my way up the switchback and beyond, intermittently. Same thing happen to my wife after eating half an apple before the switchback. The switchback is not the only challenging sections but also Whitney itself, when climbing up the last part to reach the top, at 14,000, it is dreadful. Climb San Jacinto at least twice before Whitney withing a couple of month of your climb ....that is my best recommendation
