Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mountaineer's Route Question...

Hey all,
My friends and I are heading up the MR in August and I had a couple of questions. Some of my buddies are concerned about descending the MR, specifically the chute to the summit. I've been reading posts about ascending the chute, then descending the north side of the mountain and then traversing back to the notch.
1. Is descending the north side really that much more gradual than descending the notch?

2. Is descending the notch really that harrowing?

3. How much extra time does it take to descend via the north face, and then traverse over to the notch?

4. Do some people also bypass the notch and just head for the north side on their way up to the summit?

All my friends and I are comfortable on Class 3, but some have heard that the final summit push is more like Class 4. I'm just looking for alternative routes, in case someone in the party gets spooked on the last scrambling section to the summit. Any information would be appreciated.
Gusto

Hi Gusto: all that talk is a little overblown. I always take the staircase chute up and down from the notch to the summit. I never go straight over the easy traverse either way. The remaining snowfields are often Icy latter in the summer and it is a lot further.

Most of the chute is class 2 with sections of class three. If you encounter class 4 you are probably off route intentionally. I took my whole family, children included up the chute last summer...no previous climbing experience for the 9 year olds.

take a look at these photos from the notch to the summit.

<a href="http://client.webshots.com/album/221318818YvtQVK/2"> Chute photos up the MR</a>

You will come up the MR colour and arrive at the notch. You can turn left up the staircase chute or keep going straight over the easy traverse.

<a href="http://client.webshots.com/album/221318818YvtQVK/1"> photos up the MR coulour</a>

If you go up the chute, you can stay on the left side almost to the top and then cross over close to the top.

Or you can climb up the left side about 50-100 feet and then cross over at an appropriate place to the right side and go up that side. Either works. That is the route seen in our photos.

Here is a picture from a different trip looking down the chute from the top.

<a href="http://client.webshots.com/photo/225902303/225915327lwotzK"> chute from the top</a>

If you want to see more photos, click on this other link. There are lots of reports and photos of the MR there.

<a href="http://www.mt-whitney.info/viewtopic.php?t=126"> Beach's MR links</a>

Kash,
Thanks for the beta regarding the Mountaineer's Route. More than anything, word of the 2 deaths this past winter kind of *****ed my hiking buddies out. Thanks again!
Gusto

The two fatalities up on the staircase above the notch bothered all of us. In the winter that chute was covered with ice/ snow and was very dangerous. A bad place to slip and fall. It still has lots of snow in the center even now.

By August there will still be a large snowfield up in the top middle, right below the summit ridge. But usually you can go around it on the left or the right as mentioned. 2/3 of the chute is usually dry by then.

Many feel the easy traverse is not that much safer in the winter when icy. Walking across an icy 50 degree slope can be risky in itself.

Echoing TomC's comments, you should be bothered by the deaths on the MR this winter, especially if you are considering going up when you have to deal with ice and snow. For those who are experienced and comfortable with winter mountaineering, the MR isn't a huge risk in winter, although even for those who are experienced and comfortable with winter mountaineering, there are risks inherent in traveling steep faces covered in ice and snow, mistakes are easy to make and can be fatal.

Me, I knew even before the accidents this winter that I wouldn't touch the MR with a ten foot pole in the winter. I wouldn't touch the main trail until it was truly in "summer" condition (which sometimes doesn't happen until late in the summer). I am not a winter moutaineering guy.

But the MR, once "summer" conditions are truly present, is my cup of tea, either up or down (although, frankly, my knees like up better). Sure, one can get hurt on the MR in summer conditions if one is not careful, much more easily than one can get hurt on the main trail in summer conditions, but it should go without saying that it is easier to get hurt on class 3 terrain than it is on class 1 terrain.

If you are comfortable climbing class 3 rock that is dry, and not covered in snow and/or ice, however, then what happened this winter is not relevant to what you are doing. What happened this winter should still bother you, but for reasons having nothing to do with you planning to go up the MR in summer conditions.