Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Mt. Whitney Alternative Challenge

As has been said, for the average Whitney hiker, the only realistic options are White, Langley, and Shasta. White Mountain is not really an alternative to Whitney. It’s just too easy. Although it is by no means a shabby area, it is more of a hike that you do alongside Whitney for acclimation.

Langley is probably the closest thing in terms of the challenge. Altitude gain is less, but distance is comparable. There is an actual trail much of the way to the top. It is only near the summit where there is no trail and you have to follow cairns. But this isn’t too difficult.

Shasta can actually be quite a good alternative. Admittedly, many Whitney hikers would find Avalanche Gulch daunting. But there is always Clear Creek. It is often said that there is no trail up Shasta. But when the snow melts, Clear Creek can be climbed virtually all the way to the summit on good use trails. So yes, Shasta CAN be a trail hike. Of course, it is a good deal steeper than Whitney. And altitude gain is significantly greater (about 7800ft on Clear Creek). But Clear Creek without snow is entirely doable by ANYONE who can summit Whitney by the main trail.

Other than these three, the only California 14ers that MIGHT be doable by your average Whitney hiker would be Split Mountain or Mount Tyndall. Elevation gain for both is higher than Whitney - similar to Mount Shasta via Clear Creek. But both are significantly more technical than Shasta. And Tyndall via Shepherd Pass is just LONG. However, these COULD be doable.