Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board First time going up

Hi all,

I've been reading the board for a while now in preparation of my first ascend on October 7 & 8. I'll be doing a solo ascent on the main trail, camping at trail camp. For my preparation I've been reading a lot and doing physical exercise to get in shape. I'm a little worried about the latter. My physical shape is definitely not great, but a lot better than it was about 18 months ago (when I couldn't even run a mile). What kind of shape would I need? I intent to go from Whitney portal to trailcamp on day 1 (I'm not at all worried about this day) and go to summit and back to the portal on day 2. Just to give you some pointers on the way I'm training and where I currently stand:

- I live on the 16th floor and I go up the stairs 3 to 4 times a week
- I do aerobic exercises at least 4 times a week (though usually 5 or 6 times), this usually consists of 1-3 times a week about 2-3 hours of playing tennis and 2-4 times a week doing a 1-1.5 hour hike in my neighbourhood.
- A while ago I tried to do some running (I really don't like running so really doing running as exercise is not an option) and I completed a 3 mile run easily.
- About 6 weeks ago I did two training days in Belgium (the Ardennes are the closest thing to mountains around here). I hiked class 1-2 (I think) trails for about 6 hours without any trouble (made a lot of mistakes, didn't rest enough, went too fast) but somewhere during hour 7 & 8 I really started to tire very fast.
- The week before I'm going up Mount Whitney I'll be visiting Lassen Volcanic NP and Yosemite NP. I'll be doing a lot of hiking there (not more than 15 miles a day). I'm going climb Mount Conness and maybe Lassen Peak and Mount Dana there.

Should I increase my training for my plans? If yes, how?

Finally, something completely different. After my visit to Mount Whitney I intent to visit the west of Sequoia NP. My plan is to drive from Whitney portal to somewhere between Lone Pine and Sequoia NP (I'm thinking about Ridgecrest) after my descent, spend the night there and then move on to Sequoia NP the next day. That would bring me in the west of Sequoia NP in early afternoon or late morning. I'd have until the evening of the next day to check out Sequoia NP. I'd like to see the huge trees and do a nice overnight hike during that day and a half. If you got any good tips, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Ron

RonR: Looks like to me you are on the right "trail" with improvements to your cardio and altitude training. Keep up the great work on your fitness regimen! Have fun.

why not use the stairs every day?? seems like a good opportuntity to get in some daily elevation gain, at 10' per floor you can gain 160' per climb... that can add up quick.

Last month I hiked to Alta Peak (11,204 feet) in Sequoia National Park. The parking lot is at the end of Wolverton Road, just past the General Sherman Tree parking lot. That was just a day hike for me, but I saw several backpackers. One backpacker was heading for the summit, then planned to camp at nearby Mirror Lake.

Have fun on your Whitney hike and other adventures!

Hi Ron

I have several friends in the Netherlands; not much altitude to be found! Your training sounds good. My favorite training aid (besides the mountains) is the tall stair master at the gym. I would recommend getting as much altitude at Lassen Volcanic NP and Yosemite NP as possible. And as you know, stay hydrated & take your time on Whitney, especially above TC.

Have a great trip!!!

MC

Hi Ron,

Training sounds good. I did Whitney for the first time on 7/31-8/1. I had never been above 9500 ft. and never carried a heavy pack before.(mine was 42lbs) I just took my time and enjoyed the hike. It took me five hours to Trail Camp and I felt pretty good. Early on Sunday went to the summit with no problems.

Take your time and enjoy, it's not a race. Remember, FLUIDS!!

RonL

The name of the game is aerobic capacity, stamina and experience at these elevations. Since you are training in flat areas you have to do the best you can increase your aerobic capacity, which to me is 50 to 60 minutes of running, biking or swimming, 4 to 5 times a week. Then, on a weekend day do a very long hike with as much gain as possible to get into "mountain shape"...very long means 30 to 35 km. The experience hiking into these elevation is invaluable and can't be duplicated with training at lower elevations.

Thanks for the info.

@Travis991234: Increasing the times going up the stairs seems like a good plan.

@Beerdude: The Alta Peak tip looks good, I noticed a trail to Pear lake as well. You happen to know how hard the Pear Lake to Alta Peak part would be (just cross country or does it involve rock climbing)?. Maybe I can make a loop.

@M.C: You're right, no altitude here whatsoever (everything close to my home is actually below sealevel). I'll be spending a few days above 10000 feet in Yosemite NP, and around 7000 feet in Lassen Volcanic NP. I guess that should be enough for acclimatization.