Anyway it wasn't to be taken out of context but rather included the condition that one has made an effort to get acclimated beforehand. Acclimation alone won't get you to the the top of Whitney without "feeling the altitude" but both that and proper conditioning can.
Even conditioning is debatable unless you are looking at the clock. Anyone with a certain minimum of ambulation and enough time can do Whitney. Just ask BobRockwell who continued slow but steady Whitney ascents into his 80s.
Aside from AMS that can stop you in your tracks, the biggest issue is often not physical but mental. Inexperienced people just do not always have the stick-with-it-ness to finish the job. It is hard to push unwilling flesh up the mountain. As an example, a friend of mine begged me to take him and his 3 athletic gymnast teens on a mountain hike. All he could do was brag about their bodies. Well, after an hour they were all whining and wanting to quit. And this was not anywhere near Whitney altitude. Same thing happens on flat sidewalks. Many people have zero mental confidence or stamina. Emotions can rule.Just another part of the puzzle. If you read the books of high altitude successful people you will find admissions of learning to live with high altitude suffering, both physical and mental. Those who are patient with thus are richly rewarded.
