Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Triple

Let's have a new thread, the previous conversation was spread over several threads...

Some thoughts:

First, define it. Is it 3 ascents or three return trips inside 24 hours. Crazy Jack does 2 roundies in the day.

Second, route. MT and/or MR? MR & EF & MT?

Third, permits. Does each participant need three permits? (Permitting is about trail occupancy?)

Fourth, support. I'm guessing plenty of Zoners will turn up to be helpful.

Update: Whitney Triple: mission accomplished

3 starts, 3 summits, 3 returns. The "p3rf3ct trif3cta." Must touch the trail head sign.

Picture of summit register for each summit. If not pictures, it didn't happen, right wagga?

Doesn't matter what route. There are "short cuts." I am sure people (names withheld) know where they are..

Need only one permit.

Support? My wife and I could but we need permits if this happens.

I believe it can be done...I already have!...NOT!

If anyone can do it, Marshall Ulrich can. My friend BruinDave, my wife, and I met him at the Whit summit on July 17, 2008 after he finished the Badwater the day before. He came up the MR with a couple of other runners. That was how the Badwater used to be.

Alex Honnold can definitely go up the EF 3 times. He can start at the base. No picture of summit register necessary. Just a wave at the top.

Ed Viesturs is another. Again, at the base.

Crazy Jack, too. I saw him for the first time at WP a few years back and commented on his vanity plate and the plate holder. "Couldn't do it 3 times?" All he did was smile.

K-Dub? I bet he's got an itch. Whadaya say there Everest 3-Timer? (Wife and I celebrating 5 years this July...Imagine that!)

MooseTracks? She can if she doesn't take pictures along the way.

Richard P.? I am sure he can accept the challenge and can do it.

MW85, I know of this saying, "If you think a thing impossible, you will make it impossible." I don't know you, but it seems to me you can make the "impossible" possible.

Well, let's make it a little simpler: I say three times up and down the Mountaineers Route, Portal to Summit would suffice. If Mountainwalker85 Dave or Tracy wants to do the Main Trail, it is their option.

Doug and his Portal Store crew, and Richard P should be included in plans, too, so everyone can help, and enjoy the excitement as well.

Current round-trip records for MR and MT are supposed to be around 3:10 .. 3:20. A well-acclimatized and prepared hiker in good shape with a lot of trail-running experience can certainly do it 3x in one day via some combination of MR and MT, as long as it's warm and the trail is in a good condition.

EF is a different story, it's up to 5.7 in difficulty, it will turn away most people capable of sub 8 hour MR and MT, and the idea of speed-climbing EF just seems stupid.

I don't see why the participant would need 3 permits.

What kind of support would be useful? If it is attempted by multiple hikers at once, I'd park a few people along the route with food, water (gatorade/heed), extra clothing, walkie-talkies, possibly some dexamethasone. The biggest thing you need to worry about is that an exhausted participant succumbs to AMS or twists his ankle during the third ascent, after sunset, and no one finds out till the following morning.

mw85 replied in another thread:   Evolution Loop 2012

Posting it here to bring the topic to its own spot:

So I am wondering.... Is Tracy the same one who accompanied Barefoot Ted on a barefoot Grand Canyon run?

Some math:

Using only the MT (assuming no shortcuts):

11.2 miles (one way) x 6 (3 RTs) = 67.2 miles divided by 24 hours = 2.8 mph (average).

Using only the MR (assuming no shortcuts):

4.5 miles (one way) x 6 (3 RTs) = 27 miles divided by 24 hours = 1.125 mph (average)

CaT

And something on the order of 18,600 feet of gain. That's a monster gain day, even for the best of the best. Jack and Richard have done multiple Whitney doubles, and let's not forget Bob Pickering's MR double last year (I believe he swore he'd never do it again).

I asked Jack last year about the possibility of a triple, and he didn't think he would ever try it. As I recall, on his double-days he gets up and down the mountain in 6-7 hours (he's already back to the Portal before most people get to Trail Crest on the way up). He'll rest and recup for a few hours then go again. A triple would not allow for any significant rest time between attempts.

Does anyone know if this has ever been done, or even attempted?

E-Z BRE-Z for Mr. Ulrich.

Yes Tracy is the one who accompanied Ted.
I think all the names I heard for the triple can make it , some of them know the trail and all the short cuts very well.
As we discuss this our plan for example would be to start our 24 hr stint at 1;00 PM in the afternoon, so that the last summit ,most tired, most fatigued would be during day light hours, I don't think it is impossible I do think its a serious challenge . Richard- you in my friend? you started all this. Richard P was our original inspiration to do Whitney on a weekly basis, we met during one of our winter trips, and decided to make it our goal to do a weekly trips, we didn't want him to feel alone

Must... resist... speaking... mind...

Well, as my Pappa used to say "As long as it has no negative effect on you, no need to gripe" (Now what is the fun in THAT???)

We still don't have a true definition of a Whitney Triple. Historically (and we should respect that) a Whitney Double is starting and ending at the WPS twice in a calendar day, independently of the route taken. I suppose that a "true" triple could mandate three different routes (MT/EF/MR) from WPS within a calendar day or (possibly) 24 hours.

I just want to say this. We really are not into Mountain climbing on a competitive level - except perhaps for competing with ourselves - I am just a guy who loves being in nature...a normal guy who loves being fit and loves to ski!
Triple Crowning Mt. Whitney for a record of sorts should be for those who are into competition , I think its important you all know this about the two of us: We would love to try it for personal reasons and to challenge ourselves, but we don't care for the sake of setting records.... Personal accomplishments only!
We share our time/pace/milage info with you all, not because we are crazy competitive, but because we share a similar love of mountains and adventure with you all that makes it fun!

MW85

MW85, just go for it ...but only if you want it. Personal bests and personal challenges are good. This discussion prompted someone to write me to say their personal best RT time on the Whitney Main Trail is ...Under 4 hours! But they don't want their time or name made public! (Please, no guesses either.)

I say MW85 and Tracy can define their time frame. 24 hours starting at any hour is good enough for me. ...but I suppose they would technically need TWO day hike permits if they started up the trail on #3 on the morning of the second "day". Hmmmm... maybe an overnight permit would do, since they will be out through the night.

There is a book on my shelf titled What Do You Care What Other People Think written by one of the greatest human beings of the 20th century, Richard Feynman (no, he was not some hiker or mountaineer) The backstory on the title of the book is that Richard used to come home from work and agonize about what other people thought of him. Finally, one day, his wife ordered a batch of pencils inscribed with the unforgettable line: "What do you care what other people think", so to remind Richard of this important point.

On a more personal note, one of the great benefits of almost dying (or at least convinced of it at the time) is that a lot of the BS of life falls away -- the Minutia so to speak. Part of the reason that I can hardly stand to post on these boards is because many of the discussions really confound me: "Why didn't they take THIS route instead of THAT route??" "I cannot Beelieve that she CHOOSES to carry THAT much weight!!" "How DARE they hike Whitney more than once a decade, why, they could do Kilimanjaro, instead?!"

I digress.

As long as you are enjoying life and not harming others along the way (you CAN choose to harm yourself )it does not matter who, what, where, why and when...OR how fast you choose to do what you do. Continue to share what you saw and felt, and maybe some lazy arse like myself will feel inclined to get up before 7:00am and do something besides work.

The 24+ hour non-stop loop you did with RP a few years back comes to mind.

CaT

Does anyone have details of splits of record (or say sub 4 hour) return trips?
3 hours 20 mins on the main trail sounds impossible. They must shortcut a lot of switchbacks etc and not keep to the trail for large parts. Can anyone get to the top in 2 hours? I'd really like to see that to believe it.

Lets make sure the runners in the inaugural Whitney Triple race wear GPS trackers and post their results for all to see. Maybe we'll see some surprising off trail blazing. I'll put my money on Ueli Stech to take the record if we can get him to participate.

Three times in 24 hours would certainly make for a big day. Glad I don't live close enough to even consider wanting to get in on this. MW85, best of luck if you go for it. I also really like your understated style. God Speed and don't forget your Body Glide.

And a straight shot from OV to Whitney equates to mindlessly slogging up and down the same mountain three times in a row in what way?

For once, not being smart ass, actually want to know the difference.