There's something incredible about descending from the High Sierras after ascending in the dark when the towering rock formations were silhouetted by darkness! Awesome day up the Mt. Whitney Trail to the top of the continental United States. Took the shoot up to the ridge but the switchbacks appeared to be melted out as well.
Ben FR - Jul 17, 2017 12:45 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2016
Trail
Rapid ascent up the trail. Beautiful day and weather. Total time car to car was 9hr30min. Approx 5hrs up and 4hrs down with 30 minutes enjoying the summit.
kaylam87 - Jul 4, 2017 11:08 am Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2016
End of the HST
Two friends and I hiked the High Sierra Trail, and our sixth day included a Whitney summit! We started from Guitar Lake, made the summit, and camped at Trail Camp. The weather was beautiful, and there were lots of people on the mountain.
Glenn - Jun 7, 2017 2:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2010
First Summit of Mt Whitney
Summit Via Horseshoe Meadow and out the portal. Spent several days hiking before reaching Guitar Lake. Met up with a guy named Mel Turner and we summitted together. Storm came in - we had to hike to low camp for the night then out next day.
Glenn - Jun 7, 2017 2:27 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2013
Summit Via Horseshoe Meadow
This was my third summit of Mt Whitney. Hiked from Cottonwood Lakes to the Summit and out the portal (43 Miles) in 2 1/2 days. Man I was getting it for sure...
orbitor - Mar 27, 2017 3:23 pm Date Climbed: Mar 22, 2014
Mountaineer's Route
Three-day spring climb in preparation for Rainier a few months later. Camped at Upper Boy Scout Lake for two nights. The snow was in good condition up to Iceberg Lake and in the chute. Fixed lines for the last 400 from the notch. It was glorious to have the summit just to ourselves.
rossrleone - Dec 12, 2016 9:10 am Date Climbed: Sep 18, 2015
amazing when you go with a photogrpaher
easy but long walk up the cow path. t shirt weather on top. she was kind
Yulia Zi - Nov 30, 2016 1:21 am Date Climbed: May 14, 2016
May Summit via Whitney Trail
My first true summit and a summit registry entry. Was quite an intense climb due to the lot of snow and ice on the ridge to the summit.
Getting up to the high camp was an adventure on its own with people getting tired, lost, angry.
I did catch a summit fever though after climbing this beautiful California queen of a mountain.
nader - Nov 28, 2016 1:54 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 1993
1972 with my father via the Mount Whitney Trail
1977 with Chip and Dave upon completion of the John Muir Trail
1981 with John Oliver via the East Face
1981 with John Oliver via the East Buttress
climber46 - Oct 24, 2016 7:58 am Date Climbed: May 30, 2006
Lower 48 highpoint
Summited 5/30/2006, a high snow year via the main trail. I camped at trail camp. Awesome experience. You can read my trip report for more detail on summitpost.org.
jmizz - Oct 2, 2016 3:58 pm Date Climbed: May 17, 2015
Mountaineers Route
Two day summit bid. Not much snow until Iceberg Lake at base of couloir. Scrambling up the snow-covered rocks just below the summit was interesting and fun. Brought a 70m rope and used it to protect the final few hundred feet and made one rap on the descent (not totally necessary but nice to have).
Went up the Mountaineer's Route yesterday. Fun way to the summit.
DukeJH - Sep 12, 2016 11:26 am Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2016
Mountaineer's route
Ascended the Mountaineer's Route from UBSL after summiting Russell and Carillon the previous day. Avoided weather on the mountain but broke camp in graupel and snow.
After a failed attempt last year (2015) due to the tail end of a hurricane passing through CA and NV creating flash flooding we returned and were successful via the Whitney Trail. Fun and long hike. Beautiful area! Started at the TH at 3:30 AM and back at 4 PM. Stopped at Badwater Basin on the way home for the low point. Almost 15,000' elevation difference and almost an 80 degree difference!
nayrb - Sep 3, 2016 8:17 am Date Climbed: Sep 20, 2010
Up and Over Mount Whitney
The summit of Whitney found us (Bill, Brent, & myself) ... one cold morning in Sep of 2010. This was 2nd attempt on Whitney since I didn't summit in 2008. Did the 40-mile-ish route around the back side ... then up (summit) and over to the Whitney Portal. Great trip!
awilk7 - Aug 22, 2016 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2016
Inspiring
With a few weeks notice, I was able to join a group of family/friends on their day-use permit for hiking in the Whitney zone. Starting from the Whitney Portal trailhead at 4 am, all of our party except one were able to summit via the Whitney Trail. Rob was down with a nasty head cold and decided to stop and recover partway up the mountain.
The trail up was long, but never steep or tricky. The snow on the 99 switchbacks had melted just enough by our summit attempt on the last day of June to easily pass on the inside of the chains. We did also encounter snow at the main summit block, but were able to easily traverse the short section with hiking shoes and trekking poles.
I reached the summit at 12:40pm, but immediately took a couple of pictures, signed the register, and left as thunder rumbled for the first time in the distance near Lone Pine Peak. We quickly worked our way off the summit block and back toward Trail Crest, but were hit with marble-sized hail along the way. We were lucky that the storm was only producing cloud-cloud lightning as we made our way back down along the high ridge.
Rain fell intermittently from Trail Crest down to Trail Camp, making certain rocky sections of trail somewhat slippery, but not terribly so.
We were somewhat surprised by the weather. Though we did know well enough to expect a chance of lightning on any summer afternoon up there, the forecast for the summit even the night before had called for clear conditions all day. Clearly, the unstable air mass had not yet moved out.
If in the future I am attempting Whitney as a day hike, I plan to start even earlier (or move faster) to make sure to be back below Trail Crest by noon.
Diesel - Jul 22, 2016 12:22 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2016
Via Mountaineer's route
Successful attempt after a faild attempt in 2015 when I had to turn back from the top of the chute due to lighting and heavy rain. This time, good weather, although very sunny and hot. This route is much shorter that Whitney Trail, but much slower going. After 6 days of intense hiking, it took 6 hours to the top and 5 back to Whitney Portal.
Romain - Jul 15, 2016 2:14 am Date Climbed: May 14, 2008
East Buttress
With R. Zeithammer. Much lower temps than the day before. Great climb.
BooRadley - Jul 21, 2017 1:06 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2017
Mt. Whitney Trail HikeThere's something incredible about descending from the High Sierras after ascending in the dark when the towering rock formations were silhouetted by darkness! Awesome day up the Mt. Whitney Trail to the top of the continental United States. Took the shoot up to the ridge but the switchbacks appeared to be melted out as well.
Ben FR - Jul 17, 2017 12:45 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2016
TrailRapid ascent up the trail. Beautiful day and weather. Total time car to car was 9hr30min. Approx 5hrs up and 4hrs down with 30 minutes enjoying the summit.
kaylam87 - Jul 4, 2017 11:08 am Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2016
End of the HSTTwo friends and I hiked the High Sierra Trail, and our sixth day included a Whitney summit! We started from Guitar Lake, made the summit, and camped at Trail Camp. The weather was beautiful, and there were lots of people on the mountain.
Glenn - Jun 7, 2017 2:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2010
First Summit of Mt WhitneySummit Via Horseshoe Meadow and out the portal. Spent several days hiking before reaching Guitar Lake. Met up with a guy named Mel Turner and we summitted together. Storm came in - we had to hike to low camp for the night then out next day.
Glenn - Jun 7, 2017 2:27 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2013
Summit Via Horseshoe MeadowThis was my third summit of Mt Whitney. Hiked from Cottonwood Lakes to the Summit and out the portal (43 Miles) in 2 1/2 days. Man I was getting it for sure...
orbitor - Mar 27, 2017 3:23 pm Date Climbed: Mar 22, 2014
Mountaineer's RouteThree-day spring climb in preparation for Rainier a few months later. Camped at Upper Boy Scout Lake for two nights. The snow was in good condition up to Iceberg Lake and in the chute. Fixed lines for the last 400 from the notch. It was glorious to have the summit just to ourselves.
rossrleone - Dec 12, 2016 9:10 am Date Climbed: Sep 18, 2015
amazing when you go with a photogrpahereasy but long walk up the cow path. t shirt weather on top. she was kind
Yulia Zi - Nov 30, 2016 1:21 am Date Climbed: May 14, 2016
May Summit via Whitney TrailMy first true summit and a summit registry entry. Was quite an intense climb due to the lot of snow and ice on the ridge to the summit.
Getting up to the high camp was an adventure on its own with people getting tired, lost, angry.
I did catch a summit fever though after climbing this beautiful California queen of a mountain.
nader - Nov 28, 2016 1:54 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 1993
Mt. WhitneyOriginal log has been deleted. Here it is again.
bkrause - Nov 9, 2016 8:01 pm
Dreaming of a fifth time1972 with my father via the Mount Whitney Trail
1977 with Chip and Dave upon completion of the John Muir Trail
1981 with John Oliver via the East Face
1981 with John Oliver via the East Buttress
climber46 - Oct 24, 2016 7:58 am Date Climbed: May 30, 2006
Lower 48 highpointSummited 5/30/2006, a high snow year via the main trail. I camped at trail camp. Awesome experience. You can read my trip report for more detail on summitpost.org.
jmizz - Oct 2, 2016 3:58 pm Date Climbed: May 17, 2015
Mountaineers RouteTwo day summit bid. Not much snow until Iceberg Lake at base of couloir. Scrambling up the snow-covered rocks just below the summit was interesting and fun. Brought a 70m rope and used it to protect the final few hundred feet and made one rap on the descent (not totally necessary but nice to have).
ljwolfeman - Sep 22, 2016 1:13 pm Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2003
main routeGreat trip. Thirteen years ago to the day. Excellent weather. 3 am start. Still remember it like it was yesterday. Hankering to go back soon.
wanderweg83 - Sep 20, 2016 12:24 pm Date Climbed: Sep 19, 2016
Mountaineer's RouteWent up the Mountaineer's Route yesterday. Fun way to the summit.
DukeJH - Sep 12, 2016 11:26 am Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2016
Mountaineer's routeAscended the Mountaineer's Route from UBSL after summiting Russell and Carillon the previous day. Avoided weather on the mountain but broke camp in graupel and snow.
josephbschmitt0415 - Sep 7, 2016 4:38 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2016
Conitnental US High and Low In One WeekendAfter a failed attempt last year (2015) due to the tail end of a hurricane passing through CA and NV creating flash flooding we returned and were successful via the Whitney Trail. Fun and long hike. Beautiful area! Started at the TH at 3:30 AM and back at 4 PM. Stopped at Badwater Basin on the way home for the low point. Almost 15,000' elevation difference and almost an 80 degree difference!
nayrb - Sep 3, 2016 8:17 am Date Climbed: Sep 20, 2010
Up and Over Mount WhitneyThe summit of Whitney found us (Bill, Brent, & myself) ... one cold morning in Sep of 2010. This was 2nd attempt on Whitney since I didn't summit in 2008. Did the 40-mile-ish route around the back side ... then up (summit) and over to the Whitney Portal. Great trip!
awilk7 - Aug 22, 2016 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2016
InspiringWith a few weeks notice, I was able to join a group of family/friends on their day-use permit for hiking in the Whitney zone. Starting from the Whitney Portal trailhead at 4 am, all of our party except one were able to summit via the Whitney Trail. Rob was down with a nasty head cold and decided to stop and recover partway up the mountain.
The trail up was long, but never steep or tricky. The snow on the 99 switchbacks had melted just enough by our summit attempt on the last day of June to easily pass on the inside of the chains. We did also encounter snow at the main summit block, but were able to easily traverse the short section with hiking shoes and trekking poles.
I reached the summit at 12:40pm, but immediately took a couple of pictures, signed the register, and left as thunder rumbled for the first time in the distance near Lone Pine Peak. We quickly worked our way off the summit block and back toward Trail Crest, but were hit with marble-sized hail along the way. We were lucky that the storm was only producing cloud-cloud lightning as we made our way back down along the high ridge.
Rain fell intermittently from Trail Crest down to Trail Camp, making certain rocky sections of trail somewhat slippery, but not terribly so.
We were somewhat surprised by the weather. Though we did know well enough to expect a chance of lightning on any summer afternoon up there, the forecast for the summit even the night before had called for clear conditions all day. Clearly, the unstable air mass had not yet moved out.
If in the future I am attempting Whitney as a day hike, I plan to start even earlier (or move faster) to make sure to be back below Trail Crest by noon.
Diesel - Jul 22, 2016 12:22 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2016
Via Mountaineer's routeSuccessful attempt after a faild attempt in 2015 when I had to turn back from the top of the chute due to lighting and heavy rain. This time, good weather, although very sunny and hot. This route is much shorter that Whitney Trail, but much slower going. After 6 days of intense hiking, it took 6 hours to the top and 5 back to Whitney Portal.
Romain - Jul 15, 2016 2:14 am Date Climbed: May 14, 2008
East ButtressWith R. Zeithammer. Much lower temps than the day before. Great climb.