Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board whats faster

Have done the normal path up the mountain several times.
Is the mountaineers route shorter ?
If all hikers are in good to excellant shape what is the difference in the routes?

The approach to the MR is sometimes difficult to follow since there is no official trail up through the maze of willows and ledges, and the couloir itself is much steeper with at least preceived exposure for non-climbers. Hikers may be intimidated by these airy views, and rock fall hazard is much greater as well.

thanks bob, everyone in the group is a experienced hiker and climber
What is the difference time wise and distance
please

Hello Throcker, the North Fork Trail is considerably shorter than the tourist trail, and considerably steeper. The time it will take will depend upon the speed of your party. How fast did you do the tourist trail? Are you intending a one-day (recommended) ascent of the Mountaineers Route? The distance is about 6 miles each way, almost 6,000 feet of gain, and I did not find the trail difficult to navigate at all. The most important thing to do is to stay on the north side of Lone Pine Creek when you leave the tourist trail. The last time I went up to Iceberg Lake, it took us 3 hours from the Portal, and then we went up the East Face and down the Mountaineeers Route. Took us around 7 hours car to car.

Distance up the Mountaineers route is less than four miles, Time is longer than the main trail for most hikers and most are lost the first time and turn back before reaching Lower Boyscout Lake. Try to plan your trip with a group that has done the trip many times and take notes. Good Luck

The MR is listed as 9 miles RT in Paul Richins, Jr.'s Whitney guidebook.

Bill

Wow, 8 miles, 9 miles, 12 miles RT so who is right or is there a few different ways to do MR?

More confusion on the MR distance. I plotted the route on the topo and then measured it with a engineering plan wheel. i came up with 7 miles. My method won't account for subtle details like switchbacks, so i know its slightly longer. Two years ago some guys with hand-held GPS units said based on thier way-points its about 8 miles. after having hiked both the Main Trail and the MR, somewhere between 7 and 8 miles seems right. As the previous members have pointed out the MR is much steeper and much more arduous hiking than the Main Trail. There is more route finding required, more exposure, and more potential for rockfall from above. I recommend that you allow a few more hours than you would for the Main trail. Happy hiking,
-Rick

I just thought I would throw one more number out on the table. The "Mountain Lore From The Whitney Store" 2nd edition states that it is 3.4 miles each way. I figure a few wrong directions and turn arounds along the way could add more distance.

The mountaineer route is about 4 miles each way. There are so many different paths to follow up to Iceberg Lake that the 3 miles to that point is only an estimate. Beyond Iceberg, there is no marked path so distance varies much more. I have seen people plow straight up on hands and feet. I usually try to zig-zag up the right side of the couloir, making my distance about twice as long. If it is one mile, it certainly feels like much, much more. Don't forget about having to make up hundreds of steps every time the rock slides down under your feet.

Wow, html is back!!

Here are some pics from last year's hike (Click on the photo for slide show):

http://www.hikergallery.com/wm1.htm
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Out of curiosity I have compared going uphill, staying on the trail and doing the hike straight up, to see which takes longer. Funny thing is that it always seems to take the same amount of time. It has to do with the physical effort of lifting your body higher and higher. On the trail you walk faster but go further. Going straight up you slow down. Our group took about the same amount of time getting to the top of Whitney on the trail and a few years latter up the Mountaineers route (about 8 hours). Coming down took us about 5 hours on both trips. I think the Mountaineers route may be slower if you haven't been there because you may spend more time trying to figure out what route to take. As far as how long it is...who knows. Looking at the map it looks like about 4 miles as the bird flies. If there were a regular trail there 6250 feet verticle rise would translate into about 600 feet per mile or a little over 10 miles, just like the regular trail. I once told someone the Mountaineers route was only about 5 miles and they thought it would be easy...wrong assumption

Our map shows that the distance from the trailhead (Whitney Portal Store) to the base of Mt. Whitney is 2.96 miles. The distance from the base of Mt. Whitney to the summit is 1.16 miles (6134 feet). My fifth grade daughter Katherine informs me that by the Pythagorean Theorem the distance from the trailhead to the summit is 3.18 miles " as the crow flies." Covering 4 miles on an ascent on the Mountaineers Route is consistent with this calculation.
As for hiking up the MR for the first time, it can probably offer a challenge from the route finding aspect, even if one studies all the maps, books, trip reports available. Doug Sr.'s suggestion to climb in the company of a knowledgable person on the first attempt should be appreciated. In fact, during my first attempt in the second half of last September Doug Sr. graciously invited me to tag along with him as he ascended the summit via the MR.. Specific shortcuts, footholds, handholds, etc were pointed out. We left at dawn and were back before dinner. I feel maybe now I might be ready to try it on my own. PS- For those who tire of the Main Trail and seek a little more adventure, the MR presents a wonderful opportunity...And Thanks, Doug.

My first time up the Whitney trail, I strayed off the trail accidentally a little above Mirror Lake. That trail is huge an easy to follow. The Mountaineers route offers multiple routes, and even if you have been there before you don't end up taking the same exact route up or down. There are often multiple little use trails winding through the rocks. It sure helps to have a little extra time or go with someone who has experience to save you any extra effort. I find off trail the mileage figures break down into how much verticle rise you have to cover and how much loose scree there is. Low numbers like 3 1/2 or 4 miles make it sound way easier then it really is. Very strenous is the way the forest service puts it.

Both routes are the same, the only difference is the scenery. during permit season the scenery on the main trail includes more people.
Depends on when you go, but with no steep snow, if you start from your car at Whitney Portal and start walking up, it will take about half of the day to get up and about half of the day, times 0.75, to get down. the mountaineers route gives you access to some more interesting options, including Mt. Russell.