Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board First Timer Needs Advice! Do Whitney Trail Solo, or Mountaineers Route with Group?

Need some advice.

I signed up and paid to go with an experienced guide and two others up the Mountaineers Route, not really knowing how it differed from the Whitney Trail. At the time, I had envisioned something more like the Whitney Trail (having read a little).

Having looked at some of the pictures and read a little more, I am confident I would be able to do the Whitney Trail, but I do not feel confident about the Mountaineers Route. Scrambling up crevices and along ledges with 40 lbs on my back has me very uncertain.

Either way, I would do it in three days (1.5 days up and 1.5 days down). My flights are already booked for a weekend ascent, first weekend in August.

So here is my question: Should I go on the internet and try to find a permit or a group with permit that I can tag along on, and do the Whitney Trail essentially solo, or would I be better off doing the Mountaineers'
Route with a guide and group?

Thanks!!!!

Go with the guide! You paid for it! Get your money's worth! Listen and learn from the guide. Not many people do the MR. So do it! No fear. No regrets.

The group you will be with will probably be like you.

John Muir was the first to do the MR. If John Muir can do it, you can do it! Follow in his footsteps.

And when you return, share your experience on this website. There is always someone just like you willing to give it a try for the first time.

So hey, Dynamite Kid, have a "blast" on the MR!

Go with the guide. It is much safer. You will learn a lot more, and you will have great companions. What guide service are you going with?

Gary and Ken,

Thanks a lot!!!! I really appreciate the responses. REI is the company I am interfacing with, but they use a local company out there-- I do not know the name. I will take your advice and try to ascend the Mountaineers Route with the guide. If I don't make it, the mountain will be there next year too, to quote the owner of the Portal Store.

(For fun: John Muir was, at age 33, a couple of years younger than me, when he ascended Whitney in 1873, and had spent the past five years climbing every summit in the Sierra. Interestingly, when he got to the top of Whitney, he found a half dollar with an inscription:

"Notice—Gentlemen—the looky finder of this half a Dollar is wellkome to it. Carl Rabe—Sep 6th, 1873.” Muir wrote: “Of course, I replaced these records, as well as Carl Rabe’s half a dollar, but did not add my own name. I have never left my name on any mountain, rock, or tree in any wilderness I have explored or passed through, though I have spent ten years in the Sierra alone.” )

No question, do the mountaineers route. Although this year’s plentiful snow has given the main trail more of an alpine feel it is generally a long hard slog up the route. The mountaineer's route is much more fun and a true alpine experience. On your schedule and with a skilled guide you should have no problems technically and you will have a much richer experience.

With a guide, you don't need experience to go up the Mountaineers route.

You pay them to make it as harmless as possible. They help you, and sometimes cook for you and carry the heavy stuff.

The MR only has a few areas which will test you emotionally....but with help...no problem

Dyna Kid,
Care to share with us how much REI is charging ya
for the experience??? Sure would be food for thought
for all of us Cali's who live here already?
If not, I'll understand......most don't wanna talk
$$ bucks $$....

$675, + $55 "single supplement" for not going with a date. Note, this is the 3-day up and down. They also do an 11 day along the Muir Trail.

Thanks for the response.
Guess it could be worse. Probably
would if you were doing Shasta, Kilomanjaro
McKinley or K2.
¡Buena Suerta!

Here is a <a href="http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/namer/ca_mtwhitney_wend.jsp">link</a> to the trip he's taking.
Eric

Go for it and enjoy it. I believe when you get back you will tell us all that the experience exceeded all your expectations and didn't come close to any of your preconceived fears.

Oh, you probably will not carry 40 lbs up the chute, only up to your overnight location.

Dynamite Kid:
That was an interesting tidbit about John Muir up on the summit of Mt. Whitney. Could you post your reading list (biblography) on John Muir. I recently visited his home in Martinez, CA - facinating place to say the least.

I agree with the others that you should go the Mountaineers Route. It is a great climb and you should have no problems with a guide. If you get to a section where you don't feel comfortable, just ask your guide to rope you up and you'll be safe. Also, if there are places where you don't feel comfortable climbing with your pack (and the only two possiblities are the E-ledges and the section just below Iceberg Lake), take it off and ask your guide to carry it through those spots.

One thing that you said has me puzzled - 1 1/2 days up and 1 1/2 days down. From my perspective, the best way to do the MR on a 3 day trip is to spend one night at Lower Boy Scout Lake, one night at Iceberg Lake, then summit and climb all the down on the third day. It makes no sense to me to stay on the mountain below Iceberg after summitting since it is a pretty quick trip to Doug's great hamburgers from there (and believe me, that will give you the will to get all of the way down).

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CheckSix: Check out the online <a href="http://library.uop.edu/ha/muirHome.html">John Muir Collection.</a> There's a link at the bottom labelled <a href="http://library.uop.edu/ha/muirLinks.html">Other Muir Links To Explore</a> which will lead to lots more stuff.

The Sierra Club has the <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/">full text of almost all of his books</a> online. Happy reading!

Bill Law
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