Hi bob,
I was wondering about this. I still have my concerns and don't know how I feel.
My boyfriends and I are experienced with hiking and being on the mountains. We have done some hard trails and sadly have to say we haven't always done them right but did get eachother through it. However either one of us is used to snow. We aren't mountaineers. He's all geared up has the crampons and ice ax and thinks of we take our time and go slow and know if we are too tired we will be good. However I feel that just because we can buy the gear doesn't make us experienced. I don't want to talk with an ax because I know nothing about the tool or how to use it. Some say it's just common sense but I say it's experience and I don't want to have never used a tool and my first time being Whitney. Same with crampons. They scare me as well. I've never used them but I figure I can rent them in the shop in lone pine I was told about. I have my trekking poles. I can get crampons but I know I don't feel comfortable glissading and I don't know how to use an ice ax even if I fall so why carry it. Can I make it up and down safely with just crampons and poles if I just take my time?
