Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mountaineers Route - Current Conditions?

Doing Mtnrs Route Sept 21 (first time; up and back in one day; descent via main trail). Wondering what conditions are like. Should we bring crampons just in case? Thanks

This time of year is a good time to hike. It is cooler, so that can be a big advantage. There is no snow in the forecast, so crampons would only be beneficial on a few icy areas..perhaps high on the mountain. Temperatures have been runing about 22 low 55 high at 12000 feet. That would make it well above freezing most of your trip. The only difficulty is the daylight hours. This should not be a problem if you walk down the trail.

did the mtnr's route last weekend. no need for crampons or ice axe at all. save the weight. the chutes are pretty loose so watch out for debilitating those below with granite presents. the top 300 feet are a blast. we took the first chute and once past the first move onto the face it was easy steps. also save weight and fill up water at the lakes. staying far left on the solid rock above iceberg lake keeps you from solving some challenging rock problems in the chute.

On the 21st of September, twilight is at 6:13 am. and the last light is at 7:17 pm. That gives you about 12 hours of light. Most people can start about a hour before sunlight twilight and begin up the MR canyon. That puts you on the Ebersbacher ledges after it gets light.

Like mentioned, staying left above Iceberg lake, you can stay out of the loose rock 2/3 of the way to the notch at about 14000 feet. When it gets about 2/3 of the way you have to do some loose scree for 50 to 100 feet. Above that you can move over to the left side or right side and get out of the center scree. That helps.