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My boyfriend and I are new to mountaineering and are planning to climb 3 14er peaks this summer. We have experience in backpacking and quite comfortable with back country camping. I applied for a Whitney permit this season and was very excited to get one. However the date we got is May 21st. We are planning a 3 day trip in order to properly acclimatize and make the trip enjoyable. We are also equipped with the right gear/clothing with the exception of crampons and ice axes. Ive been reading countless information on a summit in May via the Whitney trail and have gotten mixed reviews for skill level as well as if crampons and an ice axe are needed. With the recent storms it seems there might be quite a bit of snow in a month. We are very active outdoors and I feel we are fully capable making the climb but with the recent weather would like any input if this trip is suitable. My concern is safety and have no intentions of putting myself in danger to fluff my ego. Will crampons and ice axe be necessary and if so do I have any business renting them if I have no previous experience? We have a trip planned to do a Denali prep course on Rainier in March where we will learn all winter mountaineering skills. We were just hoping to get some altitude this summer to help increase our success on Rainier.

Congrats on hitting the mountains.

The weather is always changing up there, so you would be best to check back at SP and the Portal Store sites http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/ boards for updates on weather and conditions much closer to your trip. Based on how early your permit is, I can promise there will be ice on the switchbacks. As you will find in your research, there is a section of switchbacks between Trail Camp and Trail Crest that ice is present regularly through July,or even later depending on temps. For the MT, this will be one of your principal areas of concern. I have hiked the MT in May, June and July and ice was present each time, in varying degrees (see below). The unique weather conditions of each season will dictate how much. I would definitely not recommend relying on crampons and ice axe unless you are familiar with using them on mixed conditions.
The Portal Store will usually have a message board thread devoted to first timers and to current conditions. I know that walk-in permits during mid-week are a good possibility in Aug and Sept and you would have weather more conducive to trail hiking and a WT largely free of dangerous trail ice/snow, so that could be something you consider as well.

If altitude acclimitization is chief among your goals this summer, I could also recommend White Mountain Peak in the E Sierra. The TH has a high altitude (11800'), which assists in acclimitization and a 2400' gain to the 14,200' summit. You would need to check the WMRS website http://www.wmrs.edu/road%20status.htm for when the Road is open to the TH.

I would check the Portal Store board and SP for weather updates as your May permit draw closer. Cheers.

Switchbacks in July

Steve1215 wrote:-

of course it wouldn't hurt to rent/buy crampons and ice axe and start practicing...RIGHT NOW


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You're right; Kurt Wedberg was who I was trying to think of! He has always got great TR on the Portal site.

Mt.Shasta is closer to Sacramento than Lone Pine and is a great place to prepare for your Whitney & Raineer trips. Shasta would also enable you to check out your boots,clothing ,and equipment before you go to Whitney & Raineer and to get some altitude.

A few people have died between Trail Crest and Trail Camp on the way down due to lack of crampons and ice ax (search WhitneyPortalStore.com forum.)

Using crampons on snow is very easy; on ice you need to be more careful. As long as you don’t attempt anything technical you should be fine.

As of ice ax, the most important skill is self arrest; you need it if you want to save your life while sliding down (especially out of control). The switchbacks area or the direct slope to/from Trail Crest (the ridge) may become your primary safety obstacle.

Check out these videos “How to use ice ax”:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+ice+axe&oq=how+to+use+ice+ax&aq=0&aqi=g2&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0l2.2387.18216.0.21783.17.17.0.5.5.0.276.1247.8j3j1.12.0.

Anytime I intend to climb a snowfield on a steep enough terrain (when a fall may be fatal), I ALWAYS TAKE CRAMPONS & ICE AX, even if I decide not to use them. Mountaineering itself is a relatively dangerous activity, why to take additional risk?

Thank you for all the great information! This definitely was the clarity I needed. I didn't want to make an assumption that I was capable of something I have no experience in. We also have White and Shasta on our agenda for this summer so i'm glad to hear they are suggested. I did find a one day intro to mountaineering through Shasta Mountain Guides that would provide the basic skills needed when we make that attempt. I do realize how potentially dangerous this sport can be and want to make sure I make the right choices.

simonov wrote:You have the permit. I'd say make plans to go. Forget about the crampons and ice axe for now. If you come to spots on the trail where they are necessary, just turn around. You would still have a great weekend on Whitney even without summiting; and the mountain will always be there later.

NOT sage advice! It's never the same going up as going down, you may find yourself in serious trouble trying to downclimb something that was simple to get up. Get yourselves some 10-point crampons and simple trekking axe and play on minor slopes somewhere before hiking all the way to Trail Camp and having to bail over basic gear.
I second Shasta for sure! Have fun!

It may or may not be safe to go without basic tools (i.e. crampons and ice axe), which is different from you being comfortable (i.e. confident) on the route. IMO, you need to be comfortable and be on a safe route. There's no sure way of knowing except getting out there.

If you're determined to go without crampons and an ice axe, I recommend Kahtoola Microspikes and trekking poles.

Steve1215 wrote:=

just buy basic crampons and "trekking" ice axes NOW...go practice on some low-angle slopes of frozen snow...contact Sierra Mountaineering International for the last minute trail conditions....


THEN GO FOR IT !!!!!!!!!

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UH yep! That's what I said! It's not K2 for X's sake, but going without them is risky.

I would also recommend doing White Mountain Peak. It should be nearly snow free by the time May rolls around and the trail is almost comically easy. It's literally a road all the way to the summit. The only challenge is the altitude. The views make it well worth the "climb".

Mount Whitney is also painfully easy. Invest or rent some crampons and learn how to use them. Because there are so many absolute morons hiking Whitney people tend to be very conservative in their recommendations. Turns out crampons and ice axes aren't rocket science and anything you'll be crossing on the Whitney trail will be low angle.

While it was a dry winter no question (55% of normal snowpack) I would encourage you not to underestimate the switchbacks in early season if you plan on using them. If you plan to use the switchbacks instead of the slope to their right, have a good understanding of the conditions at the cables. Granted, climbers will be opening up the switchbacks shortly, however this section is always tricky in early season and with the wind and lack of snow this season promise to be quite icy. It's far from a difficult climb, as others have mentioned. However this section turns climbers away every year, or forces them to make an ill-advised traverse to the slope.

Road is also open now too, great news!

This incident happened a week ago not exactly on the Main Trail but not far from the summit of Mt Whitney on the short ICY section, and the guy saved his life from free fall by implementing self arrest with his Ice-Ax, the only skill that may save a climber’s life in such a situation.
http://whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=83075&page=1&fpart=7

Ashley:

I am probably old enough to be your father. I am very cautious, but not timid.

Although I have never been on Whitney, I suggest that you take a skills class or two from SWS up on Mt. Shasta before you tackle something that you might get killed on.

Either that or turn around if the terrain looks dicey.