Hello,
I'm very excited that I won the lottery and got 6 overnight permits for Mt. Whitney on May 7th. I'm a 32 yo female and a fit hiker- I regularly hike and do overnight backpacking trips but I have not hiked at altitude for a decade. I live at sea level so I am going to be spending at least one night before sleeping at altitude before heading up the trail. Because of the altitude and not wanting to push it, it's our plan to take it slow up the mtn and do the following:
Day one: hike to outpost camp, camp at outpost (10,400 Ft)
Day two: hike to consultation lake, camp at consultation (11,686 feet)
Day three: leave gear/tents set up at consultation lake, hike to summit, come back down and camp at consultation lake again
Day four: hike all the way down
I've been trying to get input on what the conditions will be like in May, and from reading the threads around here and some other online searching, I've learned that the switchbacks will be closed so we're going to need to ascend the chute and snow should start at around 9000 feet. I've never used an ice pick or crampons before but I'm planning on doing some research online and grabbing gear early. I recognize that doing the trek in May is no joke so want to make sure I am best prepared.
I'm feeling a little nervous about chute conditions in May and the fact that we're likely to be in snow the entire trip. I'd love anyone's feedback on our itinerary and any suggestions on a preferred more safe approach.
Thank you in advance for any words of advice.
Cheers!
Allison
