|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42 |
Hello everyone!
My group of 7 made it back in one piece.
We hiked Mt Whitney on October 6th. Here a quick trip report.
I arrived Friday at noon, it was snowing on and off at the portal. Hiked the first 1.5 miles of the trail to check out trail conditions. Most people didn’t arrive at the campground before 9pm after being stuck in traffic in LA. 3 of my friends never showed up and it wasn’t before Sunday that I learned that they didn’t make it from SF over the Sierra as all passes were closed due to snow and wind. After short an cold night at the portal campground the remaining 7 of us started hiking at 2.30am. The weather had cleared, it was totally calm and clear skies. Someone from another hiking group had left their backpack outside their car for a couple of minutes and two bears had their fun with it right at the trailhead. After some minutes we decided to sneak past them.
Since people had arrived late the night before we did not have the intended “who hikes with whom, what is our turn around time, what are the conditions” talk. Consequently we made very little distance the first 2 ½ hours. Every 5 minutes we had to stop for someone doing something like taking jacket on, jacket off, tie their shoe, eat etc.
Finally around 5am we agreed to split of in “faster” and
“slower” groups.
While I had started hiking in just a fleece sweater it had gotten colder over time. By the time we arrived at trail camp at 7.15 it was 9 degrees and winds around 15 mph.
We started up the switchbacks around 7.40am. Around switchback 20 the trail became snowy and ice. This is where I unpacked my crampons. Two other guys from my group had not brought crampons but still decided to keep hiking. Not a wise decision in my mind. One of them had developed a painful headache by around switchback 40, with uprising nausea a little later. I urged him to turn around, but he insisted to keep hiking. After many breaks and slow hiking we reached trail crest at 11.30am. The sun had warmed up the air and it was a great day to hike. The view over the western Sierras was gorgeous. We set out for the summit around noon. Our progress was slow as we all felt the altitude and having hiked for almost 10 hours. Around 12.45pm less than a mile from the summit I decided to turn around. I felt great and did not have any altitude sickness symptoms, but I was worried to make it down the switchbacks before the sun left the area around 2.30pm. My two friends decided to go for the summit. After arguing with them for several minutes I gave up and decided to descend by myself. After a break at trail crest I started down the switchbacks around 1.30pm. With crampons and hiking poles the descend was fast and secure, but I would not want to hike down the switchbacks without crampons!! Yes, it is possible to hike up and down without crampons, but for the sake of safety, please bring crampons. I saw many people slipping and sliding on the switchbacks, especially on the way down when your legs get tired. BRING CRAMPONS! Period!! In my opinion, there is no use to bring an ice axe, you would not be able to arrest yourself safely with all the rocks in the way.
I reached trail camp at 3pm, outpost at 5pm and back at the portal at 6.30pm.
Two girls from my group had turned around at trail camp, two other reached trail crest at 1.30pm. The two guys from my group summited at 3pm and left the summit 3.30pm. The reached trail camp at 7pm and were back at the portal at 11pm after 21 hours of hiking.
I am glad I made the decision to turn around.
My decision to turn around was based on:
- the time of day
- the potentially zub zero temperatures after sunset
- the amount of time I had already hiked
- the trail conditions after sunset
- the amount of time it would take me to get down.
Lessons learned:
- don’t hike in such a big group if you plan to summit
- don’t bring people along that get summit fever and
forget EVERYTHING related to safety
Safe hiking everyone! Make sure you are prepared for WINTER conditions and sub zero temperatures. And to end all discussions, YES YOU NEED CRAMPONS if you want to go up the switchbacks safely!
Photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mahu1982/MtWhitney
M
Last edited by mahu1982; 10/10/07 05:00 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,309
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,309 |
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Lessons learned:
- don’t hike in such a big group if you plan to summit
- don’t bring people along that get summit fever and
forget EVERYTHING related to safety I can relate to the second bullet from my first three day hikes. You increase your odds of somebody having the fever when you have a larger, less-cohesive group.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42 |
well, at least now I know who not to bring along for my next hikes...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612 |
Sounds like you made really good decisions for yourself mahu1982. I for one probably would never do a Fall/Winter snow Whitney attempt. That being said, if I were that close to the summit I probably would have gone on to summit with your friends under the conditions you described.The so called summit fever may be a "essential need " to be satisfied. Nothing ever outweighs saftey of course but there are conditions and circumstances that drive one to accomplish a desired goal.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 61
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 61 |
I for one probably would never do a Fall/Winter snow Whitney attempt. Just curious, why not? Why would anyone want to hike/climnb Whitney in the summer? 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612 |
Freezing cold,snow,ice,crampons,ice axe,self arrests,wind,windchill are just a few reasons.I might consider it under optimum Fall conditions but I am just not interested in a high elevation snow mountain experience.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6 |
hey, thanks for the accurate report! I am thinking of going up in te next week with a partner who is not extremely winter experienced. The conditions look like you should be prepared, but not brutal. Would you agree?
Also thanks for the pics! No question about crampons here. Do you think a single day ascent was the wisest in the conditions, I am debating on bringing the extra gear for a 2 dayer since we could be very slow moving. Anyone have thoughts on it? I have not been up Whitney yet during winter. I figured taht Oct would be a good break in for it.
Matt
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6 |
Hey Doc, So I know I am newer to the Whitney post, but I wondered about the turn around near summit. I for one have also turned around quite a few times all depending. It's funny that an hour seems like so little, yet at 1pm, it is already too late in my opinion to be summiting. Let alone not there yet. He said his friends summited at 3:30! Way too late with all things being equal. I personally have a simple no-compromise rule of summit by 1pm or turn around no matter what. That's just my personal view, but it has kept me out of many a bivouac, in my opinion.  Well, just wanted to drop an alternative safety view. Safe, happy, and successful climbing to all! (in that order  Matt
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42 |
Matt,
this was my first winter hike experience. I just started "serious" hiking with some fourteeners (e.g. Longs Peak) in Colorado this summer. As long as you are aware about the conditions, bring the right gear it is very well possible for everyone in good shape to get up there.
Day hike or over night? Well, I didn't want to carry all the stuff up the mountain as I like to travel as lite as possible. If you leave early (2am) you can be up the summit before 11am. That would have been my summit time, would it have not been for the slow down the first 3 hours and an altitude sick hiking buddy for most of the switchbacks.
If you go for overnight stay at trail camp. Outpost doesn't make sense in my mind, only cuts out 3.7 miles. Make sure you have gear for sub zero temperature. I met people that broke camp at trail camp and went down the mountain because they were too cold! Also, many people report problems with the waterfilters in those low temperatures.
Shoot me a message if you have more questions.
Malte
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 612 |
I am not nearly as experienced as most here.I think turn around time is a game time decision based on current time,weather,forcast,time of year,day-hike vs.overnight camping,prior experience and knowledge,familiarity with trail and especially comfort with trail in the dark on either accent or decent and equipment.
These are all factors and decisions should be flexible based on the current conditions with safety the most important consideration. Many may disagree but I am not sure that a turnaround time must be rigid and inflexible.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 354
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 354 |
These are all factors and decisions should be flexible based on the current conditions with safety the most important consideration. Many may disagree but I am not sure that a turnaround time must be rigid and inflexible. The advantage of a preset rigid turnaround time is to prevent fatigue or ego from overriding what I knew was safe when comfortable at home or basecamp. If, being fresh in basecamp, one thought 2:00 was a safe turnaround time, why would that turnaround time become later when I am exhausted, moving slower than planned, or facing difficult weather or ice conditions? The fixed time forces me to think of these things. I turned one of my trips around once when a few had not quite reached the summit. I was a bit hesitant, knowing with more time we could all reach the summit, but was ultimately thankful we did turn around when one in the group became mildly hypothermic descending the snow chute to Trail Camp. If we had not turned around, it could have been much much worse. I look at flexibility as being a chance to tone things down, not to disregard sound planning. That said, I have _slightly_ extended turnaround times when conditions were good, knowing the only negative would be dinner or walking out by headlamp.
|
|
|
|
|
