To all of you newbies. I'm one of mountyainman99's newbie friends (see mountyainman99 other post) that was able to summit on July 7th. We encountered a few hikers during our descent that had never hiked Mt. Whitney, who seemed oblivious to this undertaking. It's not a quest to be taken lightly, it's a serious physical endeavor. Even if your an experienced hiker (which I'm not) my recommendation would be to seek out a hiking partner that has experience on this mountain, especially considering the current conditions. No amount of research can substitute for hands on knowledge. Even with mountainman99, we encountered dicey situations. The fact that both of us newbies were able to summit (relatively unhurt) is mostly due to our experienced hiking partner. I'm not posting this to scare or alarm anyone. I'm sure under optimal conditions thousands of people safely and successfully hike Mt. Whitney annually. IMO, your goal should be to safety enjoy the experience, and if a situation arises that you can't summit, don't despair. Mt. Whitney will be there for your next try.
