Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board This Bites: Novice Trip Report of August 11th, 2003

I climbed (hiked?) to the top of this rock on August 11th. In spite of my user name here, I am a total novice at this, so please forgive me if I don't use the right jargon in this post. At 44 years old, my total moutain hiking experiance includes 3 times up Mt. Baldy in So. Cal. this summer (twice up the 13 mile round trip Village trail starting at 4000 feet and going to 10,000), and once up Whitney. That's IT.

So, this would probably be a good post for all the unwashed to read. Just to let you know, I am in pretty decent shape. I can run 4 or 5 miles in the range of 8 to 9 minute miles, which is not bad for a middle-age guy with a desk job (yeah, you youngsters can laugh, but wait 'til you're my age).

The first thing newbies should consider is NOT DOING IT. Unless you know you already get off on this mountain climber stuff, it ain't worth it. Much of the trail is UGLY. Just a bunch of rocks. But when you get up to the top, your thinking, "oh, there will be great views." Forget about it. If you are not used to this high-altitude stuff, you won't be able to enjoy them. You will be so sick that everytime you try to look out at the truely great sight, you will feel so dizzy that you will be afraid of falling.

Which brings me to my second point. You can't really compare whatever training you are doing at low altitude with this high altitude situation. Take my trip as an example: I made Trail Camp in about 3 hours and I felt GREAT! I thought the climb was going to be a piece of cake. I got up to Trail Crest in about another 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Probably about 1/2 way up the switchbacks, the altitude started to get me. Just a little at first, but it got worse. Well, you know once you hit Trail Crest, the climb isn't too steep, and it is only about another 2 miles to the Summit; you even get to descend for part of it. So, at Trail Crest, I'm thinking that I am almost done. Forget about it; 2 more hours. Jeez . . . the altitude hit me bad. Somebody told me that this is the place a lot of people turn back. I can see why. Headache; hard to breathe; nausous; dizzy. Oh, and you're hungry and thirsty, but you don't want to eat or drink. I put a handful of almonds in my mouth and chewed. Five minutes later, I am still chewing, and do not want to swallow them. Nothing will prepare you for this altitude sickness. After 14,000 feet, I would have crawled if I wasn't wearing short pants.

Third point. For those of you that haven't done this before, and are in decent shape, and feel pretty confident: Whitney is really TWO DIFFERENT experiances. The first one is portal to the switchbacks. Honestly, if you can do a 10 mile run in under 2 hours, even if you are middle age, you will think this first section is a walk in the park. The trail is very well maintained, not very steep, not too many loose rocks. Lots of nice stuff to look at; you know, trees, streams, birds, all that nature crap. But after you hit the switchbacks, it is a different world. They do an excellent job at maintaining the trail on the switch backs, BUT, they are STEEP. And then, after that . . . well I wrote about that already . . . The point is, if you get to the switchbacks, do not feel too cocky about the rest of the climb . . . the worst is yet to come.

By the way, on August 11, 2003, the weather was great; not a cloud in the sky. But not too hot. The people I met along the way on the trail were great (some were awesome and amazing; I'll put that in a different post). The people and the cheeseburgers and the frys at the Portal Store were all absolutly outstanding. I think they could charge twice as much for the cheeseburgers and people would still buy them, they are so good.

But I wouldn't climb up that pile of rocks again.

One person's garden spot is another's pile of rocks. Not much worth arguing about with respect to that impression.

I think I basically agree with the main point of the rest of the post. Why climb Whitney unless you know you like that sort of thing? If you loved the Bear Flats trail up Baldy, you should have loved Whitney. I suspect you didn't love Baldy either. Which should have been a big clue. For others, don't make Whitney your second mountain and third hike. IMHO.

I like Whitney. It's crowded, but the folks are nice and one does not do it for the solitude. There are plenty of other mountains for that.

To each his own.

Your story is great, but it is your story not a universal truth. Not everyone experiences altitude sickness like you did and much/most of that is addressed with proper acclimitization, which you do not mention doing on your Whitney climb. Climbing isn't for everyone, but neither is it the exclusive realm of a few elite high altitude mountain goats. As one friend described it to me - climbing big mountains is like fun, only different. I hope people won't read your post and forego finding out for themselves what it is all about.

I think yours is a good, honest post of what it can be like. While you might have needed more time at attitude, some folks just feel queasy and headachy and not much will change that. But it is also good to let folks know it is not all a pleasant walk in the park.

Last year I camped in Toulumne Meadows for about a week with a side backpack over Clouds Rest and up Half Dome. I was around 8,000 feet and also had hiked to 12,000 in the Little Lakes Valley. At the end of my stay, I went up Mt Dana which tops out at just over 13,000 feet. I was slow but did not feel bad but somewhere around 12,400 feet or so I really slowed down. Like you I could not eat or drink. The very act of attempting to sip some water revolted me and I gagged on the stuff. But when I got to the top of Dana and was no longer WORKING I was able to eat and drink and felt fine. I did enjoy the day but again, once at the top I recovered and felt fine.

About a month ago, I did Mt Whitney. This was my third time. I'm 56. The first time was over 30 years ago and I spent the night on the summit. The second was about 10 years ago from Guitar Lake to the summit and out to the portal after 14 days on the trail coming south. And while I have been up to 13,000+ on Forester Pass and been up high for two weeks, I was both headachy and queasy that second time. Both of those times were from the west side after longer backpacks.

This time was a backpack from the Portal. I again spent time at 12,000+ feet near Rock Creek and Little Lakes Valley. Then a night at the Portal and the backback up to Trail Camp. I ate at Outpost Camp and attribute a fast meal of gorp and cheese and some dried fruit and too short a stop to the queasiness that hit between Mirror Lake and Trail Camp. But it passed when I stopped to setup camp.

Did not sleep well, if at all at 12,000 but the next day to the summit was pretty uneventful. I did feel like my legs were leaden the last mile or so to the summit but no other affects which pleased me. I thoroughly enjoyed my two hours on the summit. And I did stroll back to Trail Camp with some fellow overnighters where I spent a second night.

I did it as a backpack because of my reaction on Mt Dana last year. I did not think that I had 6,200 feet of climbing at attitude in me and I wanted to enjoy it rather than prove anything.

What was fun this time was the lower part of the trail on the way up (down I just wanted to be down). It was much more lush than I recalled. Lots of little creeks and meadows. But, frankly, I guess I'm also the austere type. I love the upper rocky areas. The expanse of granite in slab and boulder and scree. The shocking blue of Sky Pilot and knowing that I can only see it at extreme elevations.

I may be wrong but I really thought with the exception of one or two more steeply graded switchback segments up there, most were nicely graded. I guess that compared with the steeper grades up in the Cascades where I normally hike THE SWITCHBACKS to Trail Crest were mellow. But then I was not pressed for time and knew pacing was important. I munched odwalla bars and drank water all the way up. Ate lunch at the top.

But again, knowing my limits or at least anticipating that I might have some (g) at elevation, I chose to not even think about a dayhike trip to the summit.

A woman I met at Trail Camp has done it 25 times (25th last month) and always as a backpack. She's 65! (G) She was most inspiring. She always returns with new adventurers apparently.

I will be back.

Well, the old saying is, don't knock it until you've tried it, and you definitely tried it. I think that's great.
I myself, am a very slow hiker, have major problems with altitude, and every time I'm going up a mountain, I find myself cursing at it. That is, until I reach the top, when I know I made it, when all the sweat and pain (especially in the knees) has paid off. There is no greater feeling for me.
August 22 will be my first Whitney trip and I know I'll be cursing the whole way up-except when I get to the top. It can be raining for all I care. All I need to know is that I did it. One more goal reached, one more mountain climbed. There's no greater rush for me. Of course, that's the way I feel about all the sports I do.
I realize you hated it, but it's great that you at least did it. Now yah know not to do it again
I truly enjoyed reading your post. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years you'll forget about all the pain and do it again!

P.S. there's some amazing hikes in Zion that I bet you'd love!

joehikeman:

My first hike up was less than a month ago, and I agree with you abt. Trail Crest to Summit. Unlike you, however, I can't wait to get back. The mountain is practically calling me! if you want to be a hiker, try some other hikes for a couple of years and see if it appeals to you again. Just remember to do all you can to acclimate. If hiking is not your thing, chock it up to one of your life experiences, and find something else that feeds your soul or fills your cup, so to speak.

JHM:
Really found your trip report an honest expression of your experience. The question that came to my mind was why you did not turn around? I am very interested in what was it that pushed you to continue on to the summit?
I will be attempting my first Whitney summit (and first mountain ever) on Aug. 22. Except for the addition of another 11 years of age for me, our physical capabilities seemed similar. And coming from Texas, my altitude training is essentially non-existent also - (although I will be able to spend a day and a half around the Portal area before the climb). Anyway, I sensed some similiarities for me there in your report. However, as others have already pointed out here, my experience could be totally different! Anyway, I would be fascinated to learn more about your motivations as you continued to climb to the summit.
Luv2Hike.....maybe we will see you there!

A couple of points as follow-ups and answers to your questions.

First, a couple of people asked why I made the climb if I didn't like it or why didn't I turn back when I got sick.

Like most of the people on this board, I do like a challenge. So, that is the first reason I decided to do it; just the challenge. After I decided to do it, I knew I had to do some practice hikes, so I went out and bought some shoes (two different pairs, because the first ones didn't fit right for going DOWN), a camelpack (highly recommended), trekking poles, etc. I probably spent a few hundred bucks, at least. So, I had an investment, even though after Mt. Baldy, I knew I was NOT going to enjoy Whitney. I had also told a lot of people I was going to do it, so I had a little bit of my ego on the line, too.

BIGTEX: The reason I didn't quit when I got sick is that I just don't quit. I just keep plodding along. You know, it isn't like it requires skill to go up the main trail; as long as you can still keep moving those feet, you can do it.

As far as aclimating to the altitude, I didn't spend anytime doing that. I spent about 1/2 half at the portal the day before, and then spent the night in a hotel in Lone Pine. Oh, that reminds me, I stayed in the old building in the Dow Villa, and it is NOT as bad as others have reported; certainly not 4 star or anything, but not horrible.

But for people who want to climb Whitney, but have little experiance, here is what I would have done differently: Take my time going up to Trial Camp; I pushed myself pretty hard, and maybe that had something to do with getting sick. Also, probably camp or spend a night at some high altitude. If you are NOT in good shape, do the hike in two days, and camp at Trail Camp. Also, I would have packed more of that Power Gel stuff, because that was easy to eat even when I couldn't eat anything else.

Finally, I would have eaten more Portal Store cheeseburgers. That was a darn good burger. Get it with bacon. I want another one right now.

The first time can be the pits, no question about it. My first words upon return was I ain't doing his thing ever again but I was planning a return trip a week later.

You are right if you haven't been above 12,000' or had a bout of AMS before going up there you can end up having a horrible experience. This, IMHO, is the good thing about the unknown. As the say goes if it doesn't kill you; it makes you stronger. Whitney certainly does that for the first timer.

Bill

I think we must, for the time being, forgive JoeHikeMan his grumblings regarding his maiden (and perhaps last) Mt. Whitney experience. The pain and suffering on the Mountain is washed away by time and replaced with accomplishment, much as the memory of labor pain is replaced with a miraculous new life.

I guided JoeHikeMan up Whitney on the 11th (he is my brother-in-law), and there are a few details he left out of his trip report, which could have had a bearing on his hike:

1. Instead of staying up 'till the wee hours partying with current7 on Sunday, he should have gotten a good night's sleep, as I recommended.

2. He believed some wacko post on this board about there being water, crystal goblets and linen in the summit hut and consequently did not top off his camelbak before we left. Again, contrary to my advice.

3. He rushed ahead of me at Trail Camp, not giving me opportunity to fix ropes for him up the switchbacks. I have done this for others and found it to make all the difference.

4. He became depressed when he saw how fast Deborah Askew and friends were climbing, even after I explained to him that they may have trained a bit more in the mountains than he.

If we forgive JoeHikeMan his whining and just look at his numbers, it is clear that 6.75 hours to summit is not a bad first (probably last) time up Whitney. His lack of appreciation for the natural wonders of the mountain can be explained simply: he originally hails from New Jersey; they know nothing of such things there.

My prediction: He'll be back. Perhaps not to climb again, but at least to get more of them WPS burgers and fries!

One important thing that JoeHikeMan left out of his "here is what I would have done differently" that most should consider: acclimate. As he says, "As far as aclimating to the altitude, I didn't spend anytime doing that."

There are a few rare people in the world who can hang around sea level and go up to 14,500 with no trouble. And then there is the 99.9% of humanity that can't do that. It looks like JoeHikeMan is part of the masses.

In the initial post, JoeHikeMan said that if you can do a 10 mile run in 2 hours, going portal to the switchbacks is a walk in the park. And the good news, JoeHikeMan, is that if you are in shape to hike 11 miles of moderately strenuous uphill, then IF YOU ARE ACCLIMATED, and if you fuel your body properly, going from portal to the summit is practically a walk in the park.

A lot of people who want to climb to the summit of Whitney don't have time to acclimate. They often knowingly and willingly take on the suffering. Sometimes, they try taking drugs or herbal pills or other things to help alleviate the suffering.

Some people aren't going to acclimate well no matter what. They are going to suffer no matter what, and for some, they knowningly and willingly take on the suffering.

I will agree with you that Whitney is not the most beautiful hike in the world, especially with the crowds involved in going up the main trail, but it does have a lot of beauty if you are not suffering too much to enjoy it. Neither is it an especially challenging trail. If you do it as a day hike, well, any 22 mile hike is challenging, more so with 6000 feet of elevation gain/loss, and more so when you top out at 14,495.

But people who have done a lot of hiking know that Whitney is not the most challenging hike in the world. But that is part of the appeal for a lot of people -- they actually can make it up to the top of the 48 states without too much trouble and no techinical equipment. Most of the people who go to the top of Whitney would never seriously consider going to the top of, say, Ranier. But Whitney is quite accessable. And for many, it is worth the sense of accomplishment to suffer.

As for me, I prefer to avoid enduring too much suffering when I hike. I like hiking Whitney if I won't suffer too much for it. There are two basic attitudes I have towards Whitney that avoids most suffering.

First is that I will never try to take a quick trip to the mountains just to do Whitney. If I don't have enough time to do much more than Whitney, I will do other things. If I am going to do Whitney, it will be because I have spent enough time in the mountains so that I am well acclimated and in hiking shape. At the end of a good solid week in the mountains, it is worth doing Whitney as a climax, when I have spent a lot of time over 10,000 ft., and ventured a few times to 12,000 or more. There are so many incredibly beautiful places in the Sierra to go that it isn't worth doing Whitney if I am not acclimated enough and in mountain hiking shape enough to do it without a lot of suffering.

If I follow this basic rule, and if I make sure my body is properly fueled, then the hike to Whitney is basically a walk in the park, and I don't suffer much. JoeHikeMan thinks that the hike is a different one from the bottom of the switchbacks on, but if I am acclimated and in mountain hiking shape, the hardest part of the hike is from the bottom of the switchbacks down to the portal. That is where I suffer the most. It is still a walk in the park, but it is a walk in the park when I am getting very fatigued.

My second attitude that guides me is don't bother to do Whitney portal to portal as a one night trip. IMO there is much more suffering involved in this than there is in doing it as a day hike. A lot more weight must be carried for half the trip. A lot of weight must be carried down when I am too tired. I get a totally lousy night's sleep on the mountain, as do most people, and I don't eat incredibly well the night before summit or the morning of summit so I am not so well fueled. It is also harder to start out my summit day well hydrated. It makes me much worse off for a trip up than getting a good solid carbo loading meal the night before with some good hydration, at least 5 hours of sleep in a motel in Lone Pine in a soft comfortable bed, and getting a decent breakfast at the 24 hour cafe while continuing to be well hydrated.

If I don't want to do a day hike, then the only way to go without increasing suffering is to spend at least two nights on the mountain. Unlike one night, I don't think this increases the suffering.

However, the Whitney trail doesn't excite me so much that I would want to spend two nights on it. It is not exactly a great wilderness experience. If I am ready to spend at least a couple of nights out, and since I don't want to do Whitney unless I am going to hang around the mountains for at least a week, if I don't want to do Whitney as a day hike, I'll do Whitney as a longer trip starting from somewhere other than the Portal. Onion Valley is my preference, and coming across from the west is good too. Whitney is a fine climax to a backpacking trip. This involves somewhat more suffering than day hiking, but the rewards of getting to places you can't get day hiking, of greater solitude, of seeing the bright stars, etc., make the extra suffering worth it.

I agree that Whitney is not a mountain worth doing a lot of suffering for. I believe, however, that it is relatively easy for most people minimize the amount of suffering to the point where the mountain is well worth it.

I hope you can return some day and have a different experience. Perhaps a little earlier in the year (like late June) when the snow fields make the mountain look less dry. Spend a night a Outpost camp and relax and listen to the waterfall. The problem with a one day is it can be so long and hard, combined with altitude sickness, that you miss much of what you came for. My first time was 10 years ago. I never expected to return. But back I go, and August 11th I felt once again some of your pain as I wondered why I came back again. This time, though, it was no suprise how tired I felt toward the top. I got what I came for and I am looking forward to seeing the photos. In a week or so, I will once again look forward to next time.

Of course it "bit." You made the fourth hike in your entire life a long climb to the top of a high-altitude summit with little preparation and no acclimatization. That after presumably reading the many posts on this forum warning that driving to the trailhead and starting your hike without acclimatizing is an almost-certain prescription for getting sick. Much of the High Sierra is "just a bunch of rocks" so maybe mountain hiking isn't a good choice of sport for you.

JoeHikeMan-
Because your training hikes were all on Mount Baldy I assume that you live in Southern California and my unsolicited advice is based on that assumption. I hope you do not give up on future summit attempts because of yoru trouble with AMS and that you may try to do Whitney or some other high peaks in the future. Climbing Baldy from the village is a tough hike, but you can't quite get the altitude experience without spending more time at altitude. Try doing San Gorgonio and San Jacinto. They are both higher and I found San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek harder than Whitney (due to the heat). Try also spending the night at altitude. Last night I spent the evening watching the meteor shower from atop Baldy and it was awesome. I also got some additional time at altitude and missed only a couple hours of work because my hike up started at 8:00 PM (done the full moon and headlamps from Manker Flat) and I came down just after sunrise. The experience was awesome. My point is that give yourself some more time in the mountains and you may soon hear them calling to you.

JoeHikeMan, and all the rest who would try to discourage me, it's not working! I'll be doing my initial assault to the summit on the 4th of sept. I live in San Diego and just haven't had the opportunity to get to elevation, other than Jacinto once. But I think I've trained hard enough. I'm 56 so I'll probably not be sprinting up the trail. Was recently at Whitney Portal on a motorcycle trip and had the opportunity to talk with Doug. Besides making a killer burger he was a wealth of information. He suggests we take our time on the way up, and enjoy the mountain. That's exactly what I have in mind. I don't believe for a minute that the ascent isn't worth it. Just the ride from Lone Pine up to Whitney Portal was awesome! As I sat at the trailhead that afternoon a group of "First timers" were just coming down the mountain. 12 hours up and back with very little training, none at altitude, none of them had much trouble with the altitude, a very happy bunch...... JHM, I just think maybe you had a bad day, or you oughta try something else. I'm goin', and I intend to savor every minute of it.

In JoeHikeMan's defense, I must take some of the blame for his ostensible ignorance of the aclimatization issues. The fact is, JHM lives at ~1300 ft elevation and runs regularly at that altitude. Because of this, I recommended that he NOT concern himself with adapting to altitude, for fear that he would beat me to the summit. I told him "one night in Lone Pine should be plenty". This sounds a little diabolical on my part, but I have a reputation to uphold!
Your brother in climbing,
Andreas

My first "big" hike was Humphreys Peak, Arizona in 1995. I was physically and mentally exhausted, and swore I'd never do it again. In the 8 years since I've summited 14 more times.

My first trip to Whitney in 1998 was different--I was miserable for several reasons, and turned back a mile from the summit, but I was addicted by the awe-inspiring scenery. I've been back every year since, better prepared, more successful, and much less miserable.

In general I think it comes from deep within your psyche--you either love mountains or you don't.

Andreas for governor.

JoeHikeMan,

I loved your trip report. Your honesty was refreshing and funny! Congratulations on summiting, even when you felt lousy. I have one question: how much total water/Gatorade did you consume on your trip? I have a hunch you didn't drink enough and this caused some of your distress. Thanks for answering.

Candace: It was about 4.5 to 5 liters all together. About 3 on the way up. Plus I drank about the same amount the day before the hike, with no real strenous physical activity. So, I think I was pretty well hydrated. But maybe not.