One of the biggest fears of solo hiking here seems to be how various people will perform above 11,500'...the highest peak where most who climb Mt. Whitney come from. Although this is easily solved, few see value in spending a weekend at White Mountain a month prior to their trip.
By going to White, they can see what it like going from 11,635' to 14,246' on a road...if you get lost here, do not pass Whitney Portal and do not collect $200. Let's say the alien crawls out of your right eye and you puke enough to feed a family of marmots for a year, you have 4 weeks to see a doctor and get a prescription of Diamox and chances are you do ruin a year's worth of planning and training.
Sadly, many want to do Mt. Whitney on their terms, not the mountain's. Again, doing this mountain solo requires forethought, the right gear and clothing a solid plan and discipline. Without the above, your risk level goes way up.
