Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board The Chute (main trail)

I'm planning to summit on June 12 (most likely solo) through the main trail. I was wondering if anyone could point me to some links on the "chute" to get to the Trail Crest, from Trail Camp ? I summited last year via the main trail, but I took the cables and switchbacks then (it was late September). But it seems like the Chute is the way to go in mid June.

I've searched around for more info (maps, trail description etc) on the Chute, but I couldn't find quite what I was looking for. The info. i am interested in, are:

- How long is the Chute ?
- How steep is it ?
- Is there a map of the chute/how do I locate it ?
- Is an ice-axe strongly recommended or can one do with crampons and hiking poles ?

Also, any rough idea on what would be the likely temperature in Trail camp around June 12 ? Freezing/above/below ? (of course, I'll be looking at weather forecasts before I leave).

Thank you.

How long? About 1,400' from the time you exit the trail. About 1,000' from where it gets serious.

Steep? Someone posted 61% grade at the top. That makes it very steep, especially if you are a noob looking down it.

Map? It's on any map of the area. Mt. Whitney 7.5' USGS Quad or the WPS Whitney map would be best.

Trek Poles/ice axe? If you fell, the only way you could arrest your fall is with an ice axe.

Weather? Who knows? It could very nice day with temps at the peak in the 50s or miserable. Check the NWS prior to your trip. I've experience mid-teens at 11,000' in mid June at night. The one predictable thing about the Sierra weather is its unpredictability.

I'm heading up the day before you on June 11th this year (also most likely solo).

I'm not sure where a 61% grade comes from - It didn't seem nearly that steep when I climbed it last year. I'd guess no more than 30-40% maybe I'm way off base.

It's basically a large, very obvious snow slope above trail camp to the right of the switchbacks you climbed last year and left of the east face of Mt. Muir. It's about an hour to the base of it from trail camp though distances can be very deceiving up there and it looks much closer. Climb it at sunrise and you're in for a real treat.

Last year with less snow in winter and a warmer spring I saw several people climb it without an ice axe. I would not have felt comfortable doing so though and I cannot recommended it.

Best of Luck!

Thank you wbtravis and cbear !
@cbear
I'll be camping @ trail camp on June 11, are you summiting on June 11 as a day hike?

Here is a picture of "the chute" taken May 14th. I read somewhere that it is 2.2 miles from Trail Camp to Trail Crest.

Conditions change daily. Pay attention to what people like Doug Sr. and those who've gone up the chute recently say about the snow conditions. Good luck, be safe.

A 60% (percent) grade would be about 31* (degrees), if I converted that right. They are not interchangable terms.

Thank you Tracie & Brian. Yes, %grade = 100*(opposite/adjacent) => tan_inverse(0.6) ~ 31 degrees.

For going up the Chute, vs switchbacks when dry, would you say this is comparable mileage to the summer/dry route?
or, do you shave a few miles off by using the chute(similar to when doing Gorgonio's north face in the snow cuts off a few miles compared to the normal summer route?)

Now that you have your trig down, here are some adjustments for your thinking.

From 3800 meters (12,469 feet) the distance to the top is 1,162 feet, with a rise of 1,131 feet. Your trig will show an average slope of 44 degrees. Go up another 100 meters (328 feet) to 3900 meters (12,796 feet), and the distance to the top is only 760 feet, but the elevation rise to the top is 804 feet, or 56 degrees.

From 4000 meters (13,124 feet), the distance to cover is only 216 feet, but the rise in height is 476 feet--a 66-degree slope from the 4000-meter (13,124 feet) elevation. Definitely an adenaline rush from Trail Crest.


When looking down from Trail Crest at 4145 meters (13,600 feet), the initial drop off is steep--at 66 degrees.

Have fun with the math and above all, be safe, which I see you are preparing for. If there are ice conditions in the Chute, you should have an ice axe and know how to use it. You can leave it behind if we should get a good warm-up and the ice is gone. Unfortunately, in past seasons some have hit the ice and lost control and ended up in the rocks with bad results. Not good. Maximize your safety for the Chute and don't under-estimate the steepness of the slope or possible ice conditions. We want to hear a good TR from you.

RAC, there is a big difference betweet the Chute and the 97 switchbacks. (Not 99 as some think.)

Both have the same elevation gain--about 1600 feet--from Trail Camp, but the switchbacks are 2.1 miles with a slope of about 8 degrees, compared to less than a mile going straight up.

You can see and print my map of the switchbacks here.

ok, thanks Wayne, so it looks like going up the chute, shaves about 2-2.5 miles off roundtrip?

Hi Did I see the rock band showing in the photo Tracie posted? Or the old trail in the lower section of the chute? These are the things you want to watch for in the photos , when the rock band shows you can walk up the rocks and stay off the snow and when the trail (old) shows in the lower section you can use that to avoid the snow in the boulders.

Look close at the topo of the chute and you will see a different slope on the Northly section and also this area will stay in the sun longer so the slope may ice later.


The "butt tracks" others have made are a trap! Stay out of these and when you cross over them do not step in the track . They could be frozen and you could take a fall . The chute is about like a low angle Black Diamond ski run , except the surface is broken and rocks can be just below the surface .The bottom is loaded with large bouders to help you slow down if you slip.

The condition on the slope can change quickly , soft snow during the morning sun and ice later in the day . The top of the slope may not be the same as the middle or lower sections . Thanks Doug

Has anyone done any ONE DAY trips up Whitney lately under the current conditions? Wanted to assess feasibility.

We did it has a daytrip in late 2007 with the switchbacks covered with snow, requiring crampons, but there was no deep snow to contend with before then.

I dayhiked with a group this past Saturday (5/21). We went up the mountaineer's route and down the main trail side. We glissaded from trail crest. Snow coverage above 11,000 feet is quite heavy for this time of year. There's so much snow that I suspect the switchbacks won't be useable till the end of next month. The slope (it's not really a "chute") below trail crest had a foot or more of soft fresh snow on top of what was already there. This makes it difficult to ascend but fairly safe for descent. That said however the conditions have likely already changed and can go from soft to hard in just an hour or two when the slope goes from sun to shadow. You don't want to be caught on that slope when it ices up without the appropriate gear. Thus minimum gear includes crampons and ice axe. Poles are also useful but don't leave the axe behind. As Doug mentioned be wary of existing butt slide tracks. They tend to ice up rather quickly. Also, be extra careful on descent. It can be a bit of guessing game about whether to glissade or walk down with crampons on.

From trail crest to the summit the trail has quite a bit more snow than I've seen in quite a while. There's been enough traffic here already so nothing too much to be concerned about. A couple things to watch out for though. North of the JMT junction and Mount Muir there are a few places with enough snow on the trail that you'll want to watch your step. Also there's a large sheet of snow on the SW side of the summit (where the trail makes a switchback toward the west). There were some spots on that slope that were surprisingly hard. Use crampons if necessary.

-Rick

Thanks for all the info. Wayne, really helpful, but I think there is some confusion, correct me if I am wrong.



Are you saying, it takes 1162 feet, along the slope, to get to Trail Crest, from Trail Camp, via the Chute ? But in response to RAC's question you seem to indicate that it takes about 1 mile, to get to Trail Crest, from Trail Camp, via the Chute (as opposed to 2.3 miles via the cables). Which of these two is it actually ? If it is the latter (1 mile along the slope), then the slope only turns out to be 12-13 degrees on the average. (sin_inv(1131/(1600*3.33)))

If it is indeed the former, it seems to be pretty steep. (gaining equal distance both horizontally and vertically !!)

also, many thanks to Doug and Rick for your insightful comments on trail conditions on the Chute, points well taken.

Wayne's calcualtions is based off the horizontal distance not the distance along the slope.

Btw, the average slope is probably closer to 30. Nowhere on that slope will it be more than 50 degrees (unless there is cornice at the top).

I went up the chute with my 11 year old daughter in mid-June, 2005. It was not steep at the bottom, but progressively became more steep as we ascended. We both used crampons, ice ax and a hiking pole. It was only when nearing the top of Trail Crest that I felt that a slip would necessitate the use of an ice ax, but the snow was relatively soft at that time of the day and not particularly icy. We started out at 8 AM and it took me 3 hours to reach the top of the chute, slow by most calculations. At the top the tracks led to an opening near Mt. Muir to reach Trail Crest, and there were some large boulders to negotiate to get there. The back side had some particularly steep sections that necessitated traversing some steep snow fields - a slip here in my opinion would have been worse than a slip in the chute and would haver resulted in contact with large boulders just a short distance below. Ice covered some of the trail on the back and necessitated very care foot placement so as not to fall. Coming back to Trail Crest and looking down on the chute was particularly daunting but once we got started, it was not particularly difficult.

thanks GigaMike and CuriousG!

I hiked up the chute yesterday. It was my first time at Whitney and I was a bit anxious about locating the chute since I heard that the cables were covered in snow (you can barely see the cables peeking through the snow. The chute is very easy to locate since it's just west of the cables-since everyone takes the chute, there's a clear trail in the snow from Trail Camp leading up to the base of the chute. The chute is a tough climb and I really felt the elevation gain from Trail Camp to Trail Crest. You will want wear crampons and bring an ice axe. Of course, the fun part is that you can glissade down (carefully!) on the way back down the chute.