A group of three friends an I climbed Mt. Whitney on Sunday, July 2nd. We woke up at 1am and were on the trail at around 2am to begin our ascent. Our pace was pretty slow so we didn't get to trail camp until about 8:30am. By the time we began to head up towards the chute (9:30 or 9:45) the snow was fairly soft so we tried our luck with the switchbacks. Someone had said they were pretty good except for two icy parts.
In hindsight- I think the switchbacks were not ready for people. We had to do a lot of scrambling to avoid the snowy parts or the need to throw on our crampons again. Maybe in softer or sturdier snow it would have been easier? Basically there was a big area of snow in the middle of the switchbacks so you couldn't continue on the trail. Once we made it up, we definitely for sure knew we were not going to head back down that way.
Interestingly,the two people behind us had friends who were attempting to summit to trail crest via the chute. Those friends arrived at Trail Crest at the same time that we arrived at trail crest. Granted- we were moving a little slower than we might have been able to move.
My crew got to trail crest, ate some food, and began the journey to the summit around 1pm. Someone said the summit was only an hour away - this was not true whatsoever. The summit (1.9 miles the sign says) ends up being at least a 2 hour journey and a rough one at that. We made it about a mile away and had to turn around due to our turnaround time and concerns that the chute was going to get too icy and dangerous for us to travel down.
My biggest fear was glissading! However, this ended up being really fun! The snow was still soft around 3:30ish/4 and so during our descent, we were able to move at a slow speed. Most people took the already-carved out chute. I went next door on the fresh snow because the people at Elevation gear shop mentioned that it's easier to go slower if you don't go down the chute. Also, I didn't want to get pummeled by anyone who might loose control behind me. There were people moving at all speeds down the already carved chute. Some people moving super slowly(causing a bit of a traffic jam) and some people moving super fast - purposefully, or because they were out of control.
We probably should have eaten dinner at that point but we were eager to fill up our water, have a snack and head home. The journey home was much longer than expected! Our trip totaled out to 22 hours!! That means we were super delirious and starving by the end.
Main takeaways:
1) Acclimate!!! If you can!! We were less fortunate and didn't have time to acclimate. 2) Rest up - before the trip get adequate sleep so you can be strong and endure the lengthy day hike. 3) If you feel yourself starting to get a headache- eat and drink! Even if you aren't hungry you must make yourself. Altitude affects your appetite and will all of the work on your body, you need it- trust me! 4) Make sure to set times for meals and stick to them 5) The conditions are quickly changing right now. We went on a day that was really hot!! We brought too many layers and could have done with less but didn't expect the heat. Crampons and ice aces were essential for us - that being said- there was a lot of snow melt on July 2. There might be less snow soon. 6) Bringing hiking boots AND chacos was key! There were lots of river crossings on the way up. There was even one extra one after Mirror Lake because of all the snowmelt flooding the trail. By having extra shoes for the water, you can keep moving along without worrying about submerging your boots in the water. Also, on the way back there was even more water because of the day's snowmelt which meant that walking through water was absolutely unavoidable in many areas after passing Mirror Lake. 7) If you are camping at Trail Camp, DO NOT leave food in your tent or loose. Keep it in the bear canister. There are many hungry marmots and chipmunks looking for food. We saw a green Marmot tent being pillaged by marmots. 8) Mt. Whitney is a beautiful place to get engaged! My friend proposed to my other friend at Trail Crest and it was an absolutely stunning, beautiful, and memorable moment <3 I'm super excited for their next chapter together! 9) Check in with Elevation gear shop. Matt was awesome about sharing his thoughts, tips, and helping us get set up with some last minute gear that we needed. Thanks Matt!
My sister took most of the photos so I don't have many myself. That being said, here is a photo from between Trail Camp and the Chute/Switchbacks.
