Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board MR Hiking Partners Wanted

Speed hiking female seeks experienced hiking partners for the Mountaineers Route this summer. Never hiked the MR before so I just need to be pointed in the right direction. Bonus points if you're a handsome, athletic 30-40 year old male willing to carry some extra food, water, clothing and spare Ipod for me. :-)

A little closer to the summer, folks on this board will have a better idea when they are heading up. You might get some takers, if there are still any handsome speed hikers left out there.

This link has many pictures, so you end up knowing where things are when you go.

http://www.mt-whitney.info/viewtopic.php?t=126

Why? Because, despite the competitive nature, I'm fun and good company. I should add to my post, for clarification purposes, "sense of humor a necessity". Yes, I am competitive, and yes, I like to lead. If you can walk faster than me, however, go for it and I'll follow. I am kidding (somewhat) about carrying my personal items...again...this is where a sense of humor is key.

Yes, I am confident but I don't want to go alone because I'm smart enough to know that I'm not qualified to do so.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will check them out.

Route finding is pretty easy. It's the altitude in addition to the severe terrain that will kick your beans. One of my buddies I took up MR is a hardcore mountain biker. Even before we reached Lower Boy Scout Lake he was already reduced to a 5 yr old girl.

what do you mean by speed hiker, that is, how long do you expect it will take you from the portal to the summit (and have you ever done something like this at high altitude)? Most people find that the altitude sets the pace more than the distance once they get up high.

I will go up the MR with you this summer. Just need to know when. I have not done the route yet, but I did the main trail last summer in just under 12 hours. I'm heading up to do the main trail again April 19-22, and want to do the MR or main trail in June and August. Just let me know.

HWB-

I've been up the MR several times, highest to Upper Boyscout Lake. It's straight up all the way after you go off the regular Whitney trail at the North Fork sign. It takes all day just to go a couple of miles if you're wearing a pack of overnight supplies. You graduate to higher altitude at a much higher rate than the regular route.

You definitely need someone to guide you up the Ebersbacher ledges which is misleading because these are not ledges, it is a CLIFF! A very HIGH cliff.In some places it's as wide as your foot, there are no prints to follow, the trail is not marked. People have died here. It's real easy to get lost on these. The farther east you go, the higher the dropoff -hundreds of feet. You must veer west and the drop-off shortens. Would still break a leg though.

After Lower Boyscout Lake which is level, you go up fields of car-sized boulders to Upper Boyscout Lake. There are drop-offs into these boulders that could injure you badly. Even my hired guide got lost here and we had to do a lot of backtracking. Whipped my butt good!

Up the chute (where I didn't go) the guide took a rock climbing harness for the other hikers so they would not fall to their deaths.

One year I met a climber coming down the M/R who had been in the chute, got creamed in the face by a basketball sized rock that just came down. He sustained possibly only a broken nose, but his bloody face was a wake up call to the dangers on this route. Be aware this is no hike like the regular route.

Sherry, I am glad to learn that Lower Boyscout Lake is level.

In some places, it not even as wide as you foot!

I really do love hearing other people's perspectives on the MR.

This is an accurate description of what it may be like as you head up for your first time.