Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board How long to climb Whitney from junction?

We're average hikers and were just courious what the time frame is to hike up to summit from the junction of the JMT. It will be our last day of a 2 1/2 week hike. Just wondering what time we should get up to do the hike before we head down to the Whitney Portal.

Hey, Happy Hikers all the way from Happy Isles! After 2 1/2 weeks on the trail, the hike from the JMT junction with the Whitney summit trail should be a relatively easy 2 miles with only about a 1000-foot gain. You can even leave your packed gear at the junction in relative safety. Hike to the summit, grab your gear on the way down, and end your fine trip in grand style, with Whitney capping off your JMT adventure! You'll never forget it. Don't miss the summit!

What do you want for your last or next to last day on the trail? We have done this trip as a full moon trip up the west switchbacks the last two years and were the first from the west side to reach the lower Trail Crest those years. Personally, I wouldn't do any other way.

The advantages...
It's cooler, below freezing when you reach Trail Creat. Sunrise on the Crest is unbelievably beautiful. Very few people are up on the Crest at this hour. You are leaving the summit as the thundering hoards are arriving.

The disadvantage...
You have to get up at about 1:30-2 AM, camped at the tarns east of Guitar Lake.

Depending on your aerobic condition it should take you between 1:00 and 2:00 hours to reach the summit from the time you saddle up from the pack drop. Sorry for the spread in time but we really take our time going across the west side soaking in the view, stopping constantly.

I think we are slated to spend the night at Guitar Lake. So you are suggesting that we get up around 2:00am to head to the trail junction and then it's about 2 hours from the junction to the summit. That will work for us. When does the trail start to get a little hairy? We have not done Whitney before so are not sure what to expect. Are the switchbacks anything like the ones at Halfdome prior to the ladder? And, those windows...how from the summit are they? That is the only part I am concerned about. I do have a slight fear of heights.

First forget Guitar Lake, too many stinking people. Go up trail about another 3/4 mile to the tarns. There are two easily accessible camping areas adjacent to trail, there are more south of the most western tarn.

There are no "hairy" areas all the way to the summit, unless you count the 4 windows, which in my mind are no big deal.

I would suggest you keep your headlight on until to reach the switchbacks. It is semi-easy to walk off the trail even during a full moon in the area just above the tarns to the switchbacks. You can then turn it off if there is enough amibient light to put you into your comfort zone.

Bill