Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion What is the optimal time to leave Crabtree for Whitney Summit?

I've been to the summit dozens of times. I determined that the best time to arrive on the summit is 10 a.m., plus or minus one hour. For me, that 10 a.m. meant leaving Crabtree at 4 a.m. so that I wouldn't have to rush it.

You don't want to arrive on the summit earlier than 9 a.m. because it will be cold. You don't want to arrive later than 11 a.m., because that is when the crowd arrives.