Also ... here is the climb description and itinerary.
At 14,497 feet, Mt.Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 49 US states. It is also one of the most sought-after mountains in North America. During the winter and spring months, our climb route (the Mountaineer's Route) is full of snow. Crampon, ice axe and rope-travel skills are necessary as well as fixed-line skills. In some conditions, running belays are employed. Over the four-day climb, we will set up two expedition-style camps, the highest located at the base of the spectacular East Face of Mt. Whitney. This 25- to 45-degree climb offers an excellent opportunity to learn and review skills applicable to climbs such as Mt. McKinley and peaks in South America, the Alps, Russia, Nepal and other mountains with big snow climbs. The route we've chosen is much less crowded on the way to the summit, and beautiful vistas are prevalent throughout the climb.
Day Zero: Travel
Flights/travel to Lone Pine, California. See Travel Info for more details.
Day One:
Meet and hike to Lower Boy Scout Lake
The group meets on the first day of the trip in the nearby town of Lone Pine at the High Sierra Cafe starting at 7 a.m. We then will drive as far as the snow will allow, which is usually within a mile of the summer trailhead at Whitney Portal. Wearing snowshoes from the start, we will ascend the North Fork of Lone Pine creek and put in our first camp at Lower Boy Scout Lake (10,300 feet). We will spend some time there reviewing skills and working on techniques.
Day Two: Hike to High Camp
On day two, the team moves to high camp at Iceberg Lake (12,240 feet) in preparation for our summit bid the following morning.
Day Three: Summit Day
Day three is the ascent of the Mountaineer's Route. The slope runs at a 25 to 35 degree angle to a notch approximately 400 feet below the summit. From there, we will ascend the final snow and rock gully where the steepness increases to between 40 and 45 degrees. The team will use fixed line from that point to the summit. We descend back to our high camp the same day.
Day Four: Return to Trailhead
The final day is devoted to descending back to our cars, and usually we get back between 12 noon and 2 p.m.