Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board The chute for first timers..go fot it!

I would like to let everyone who has thought about climbing Whitney in the next few weeks that no experience is required to climb the chute with an ice axe and crampons and you should give it a shot. Please don't be discouraged by others who have posted about the dangers of climbing with an ice axe and crampons. Whitney is not Everest or K2. We didn't, "just get lucky." The conditions are perfect for first timers. The morning snow is hard enough to keep your crampons secured to the snow, but not icy where you would have to kick and chop steps. The mid day snow is perfect to slide down, very soft.

This weekend four of us climbed the chute and safely glissaded down without any problems. One of my friends even had problems with his crampons and still made it up. All of us had no previous experience with an ice axe and crampons, just some friendly advice from fellow hikers.

Climbing up was a great experience. Just take it slow and steady. It is a lot longer than you first think when you look up. We spoke with other hikers who were packing up from trail camp, and they all made it to the top between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. We made it in just under 2 hours, and we are not the most fit group. One of our members smokes 2 packs a day and he was fine. The hardest part about using crampons is remembering to keep your feet apart. Don't kick yourself. If you keep that in mind your will make it to the top.

As for glissading down we had great snow. It was a hot day and the snow was soft. It is a steep slope so we down climbed a little and then gave it a shot. We all slid a few feet and then practiced self-arresting, which is surprisingly easy to do if you grip the axe properly. After we got the braking down, we went for it. First off, you do not rocket out of control in the current snow. I suspect most injuries from glissading happen when people try it on icy slopes early in the year. Obviously sliding down a 1400 foot block of ice is a poor decision. This past weekend you just had to dig your heels in the snow was so soft. We hardly used our axes. The best advice I can give for glissading is find a groove from someone else's run. It's much smoother and in the groove you don't have to worry about steering.

The main reason I am writing this post is not to say everyone should do it and it is completely safe, but to encourage beginning hikers. If you are serious about hiking and have enough fitness to summit Whitney you can climb the chute safely without experience. There are a number of older posts which give the impression that you need experience on an 8000 meter peak before you are qualified to use an ice axe and crampons on Whitney. Please don't be discouraged if you received a permit date in June this year. Crampons and axes are cheap to rent and will make your summit so much more meaningful.

For all the "experienced" hikers who will write back to this post and criticize my take on the chute and climbing with ice tools, remember you were once a naive beginner who barely know how to pack your backpack. We all had to start somewhere and Whitney is great place to learn. It is not Everest. The trail is wide, there are people everywhere, and plenty of advice from fellow hikers. As for the beginners who may read this and feel more confident, remember you have to be responsible for yourself. Do not try this with an idea that if you get hurt some else will be able to help. Go slow and be careful. The chute is a long way down.

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It's great to hear that you had a successful summit. I have plenty of experience hiking, but very little experience in the snow. My one experience was on a what seemed to be a very tame climb in the San Gabs. We were climbing Mt Williamson. The sun hit the morning snow and it was soft. None of us had crampons, I was the only one with trekking poles. We lost the trail in the snow about 45 minutes into our hike and decided to turn back. As we came down the hill, the slope that was soft snow was no longer in the sunlight and had turned into very slick, hard snow. Two of the four people in the group ended up sliding down the side of the mountain. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured but it took two hours to get both climbers back up to the trail. The worst injury was a sprained ankle.

For me, my trip next weekend has turned into a camping trip with my 9 year old son. I struggled with this choice since I have worked VERY hard to prepare for my climb. I even lost 30 pounds while training and rediscovered my love for running. I climbed Mt Whitney for the first and only time four years ago on Father's Day. My busy life has kept me from doing what I consider a life changing experience since then. My choice, and it is mine alone, is to wait until the conditions match my abilities. I know that I could climb the chute with the proper training and experience. BUT, for me, I am willing to wait.

The good news is I was able to grab permits for an overnight trip in Sept, the week before my birthday. I am excited that I can now do the trip a little slower, so I can savory the experience. The Sierras are awesome in the fall.

I want to make it clear that I am not being critical about your choice. I am happy to hear that it was a safe experience for you and your group. I do want to climb in the snow, but I will do so when I feel comfortable and have the proper skills. I mainly wanted to comment on this so other's that are not sure if they want to try can hear another view point. It comes down to comfort level. If anyone feels unsure of what they are doing, they should have the common sense to turn around. My main concern was placing my self in a position that I would need to make that choice. After all the hard work, and after climbing for hours, I honestly don't know if I would use that common sense, so I am choosing to keep myself from putting myself in that situation.

Please understand I am not being critical. I have seen some comments taken out of context in the past, and that is not my intention.

Thank you Wesser22.

I am heading up this Friday and your report helped me immensely. I am looking forward to the 'chute' and to enjoy the entire ride.

Again, as a newbie I appreciate your superb writing.

Nei

I agree with the poster that first timers should go for it, if they are acclimatized, in proper condition, and have the proper gear.

I was there last weekend for the first time myself, and I agree that the chute is not technically difficult so much as it is very strenuous. If the snow is as soft as it was during my visit, I don't think crampons are needed and trekking poles are more useful than an ice ax. The ax and crampons were not necessary until I reached the notch at the top of the chute.

Leaving the notch, novice climbers may opt for the traverse over to a safer final ascent instead of the direct approach. The direct ascent is up a 400' north facing chute that might be icier than the lower east facing chute. The technique to ascend this type of terrain is not difficult, but the consequences of a fall in this location are not good. Your instinct for self preservation should make this clear when you see it for yourself. The technique I used for the final 400' was a "self belay" using the ice ax. To do this, hold the top of the ax and jab the pointed handle into the snow about as far up as the arms can reach. Only the top of the ax is exposed and it serves as a secure handle for maintaining balance while kicking the next couple steps up the slope until the process is repeated. Always keep 2 points of contact with the snow, either foot plus hand on ax or both feet while plunging the ax into snow higher up for the next couple steps. The free hand without the ax is also helpful to rest on the snow for balance. Make every movement count, and be mindful of the points on the crampons to avoid tripping.

I think a similar self belay would be needed for the safer traverse from the notch over to the ridge, but I did not take that route, so I'm only guessing. I would hold the ax by its top in my uphill (left) hand and plunge it into the snow beside the trail every couple steps to provide balance.

(I was talking about the Mountaineer's Route by the way. Just realized I might have been confused.)