Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Trip Report 10-04 to 10-07

Cold...Cold and Colder....wow!!! We got up to Outpost camp on Friday and the temperature topped out around 5 to 10 degrees. This made for a miserable night trying to stay warm. We talked with another party that came down from Trail camp where there was 40 mile an hour winds and it must have been below zero up there.

We did not have crampons, yak traks or ice axes. We decieded to turn around after we went up a couple switchbacks...it was not safe to go up further at that point.

Be careful and enjoy....beautiful up there.

Anacapabandit,

Here's what you do to stay warm at night while sleeping:

While you're huddled and shiveringly making dinner - and after you've put some hot fluids in yourselves, boil up a nice pot of water on your stove, and fill a spare nalgene with it. Make sure you screw the top on TIGHT. Don't want any leaks.

Dry the outside off, and put that nalgene right inside the middle of your sleeping bag. I fold the top of the bag down to keep the heat in.

When you get inside later, you've got a nice warm, cozy bed. It will keep you warm all night. I slept in a snow shelter this way in temps around 20 and it kept me warm all night. (Your mileage may vary)

Just be careful and DON'T BURN YOURSELVES! Might want to wrap it in some article of clothing at first. Oh, and I wouldn't suggest anyone try this with a bladder.

The chemical hand warmers also work very well for hands and feet.