Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Any Advice for a First Timer

I am planning on doing a day hike up Mt Whitney this summer with a few friends. I am 20 years old and in pretty good shape. Is there anyone that has already hiked Mt Whitney that would have some advice for a first timer?

Click on the link under Feature Topics (left) and you will find your answers.









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Orientation notes for Whitney first-timers

Yeah I already read that. I guess what im looking for is peoples experiences on the mountain and see if theres anything they wish they would have known or prepared for.

First item...
Have you entered the Whitney Lottery to get a permit? ...how many entries have you submitted? Are your friends also submitting entries?

Me and my buddies are actually getting together later today to pick dates that are best for us. Im going to try to apply for as many different dates as possible. Can I apply more than once? And what are my chances of getting selected?

You can enter up to 15 different dates on an application, and the application cost is $6.

But you can enter as many applications as your wallet can bear. When the lottery is run, as soon as any one of your applications is successful (awarded a permit slot), all the others are canceled.

By submitting multiple entries, you have a better chance of one of them being picked early in the process, so it will have a better chance of being successful. Most applications picked late in the process will likely not be successful due to all the slots being full for the dates on the application.

It doesn't matter how good of shape you are in----things can go wrong. Besides things like weather conditions, the altitude is a serious factor. I did the hike for the first time last year with my 67 year old father. He did great. I got sick and both of us had to turn back shortly after Trail Camp. A month later we tried again and made it with relatively no problems. The second time I attempted to get more rest before the hike but I still did not have time to acclimate. I was flying from 4-5 hours away and did not have time to plan a trip that would allow for proper acclimization. I also tried to concentrate more on deep breathing. Finally, I also took small doses of Diamox a few days before the second trip. But I cannot say definitively that Diamox helped or what factor allowed me to make the summit on the second attempt.

My trip was late in the summer and I had spent the previous several months doing more hiking than ever in my life. I've also ran marathons and was in very good shape going into the trip. My father was also in good shape but as noted he had no problems at all other than balky knees on the descent. One of my theories is that since I was in such good shape, and hiking at a slower pace than normal, because I was with my father, I simply was never even close to being winded and wasn't breathing hard enough. Therefore not taking in enough oxygen. On the second attempt, I kept the same pace but frequently exaggerated my breathing deeply as if I were somewhat winded.

My best advice is just to be prepared for the unexpected and be willing to turn around. Best decision I made was to turn around and start descending---10-15 minutes later on our way down I started vomiting and was in bad shape the rest of the descent. It was actually very scary and thoughts of rescue were definitely in my head.

Okay, since that is out of the way...


No higher than a headache...

Establish a turnaround time...

Pace, hydration, munchies...

If you are a sea level devil, get "high."



Have fun

Climb as many easier peaks as possible first. That's the best way to train. It's also the best way to learn how fast you can comfortably hike, how altitude affects you, how much you need to eat, etc. Climb easier stuff first, and Whitney will be just one more hike, only longer.

The permit system is a real PITA. If you show up at the Visitor Center in the middle of the week, you have a good chance of getting a cancellation or no show permit.

Finally, my favorite altitude advice: The best sleeping altitude is the highest altitude at which you don't get sick. I would sleep at Whitney Portal the night before your hike.

My son and I are hiking mount whitney at the end of this month. We are not planning on summiting, but see how far we can go. Maybe try to make it to outpost camp. Any suggestions, tips links on firstimers in the winter.
thanks

HTank,

I'd say keep your expectations low, don't make it a do or die trip to summit. Take in every part of the trip, travel to, and every step along the way. It's not always about the destination but more the journey. My first try was june 2011, due to snow i didn't even make it into the whitney zone just above lone pine lake. i tried again in june 2012 and i summited in 11 hours and completed the trek in 16 hours.

Take it slow to avoid altitude symptoms. Eat and drink the entire time. When you reach a high altitude your body doesn't want to eat or drink but you must force it.

Get started early, i started at 3:45am. the short time before the sun rose was the sweetest part. i'll never forget turning off my headlamp and walking on the trail by moon light.

And as others have said training hikes are essential. hike up in some high places, above 10k ft. i summited mt baldy, mt san jacinto, and half dome before my successful trip to whitney. also i walked my dog with 20 lbs of bottle water in my pack just to make sure i was doing all i could.

Those are my tips to a successful and fun hike. And remember the top is only half way!

Hi ChocLab, welcome to the forum. Are you going to camp overnight, or just day hike?