Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Winter Access Forum Main Trail in January 2007

I am planning my trip to Whitney in the first half of January (my annual winter trip). I am assuming to stay there 3-5 days on the standard route. I would appreciate for current information related to the weather and snow conditions (especially on the chute) as the time comes.

Even though I have never had any health symptoms that would have prevented me from climbing, I am aware that once up there, anything may happen. Is there any type of medicine that would be wise to take just in case of any unexpected (but possible) health malfunction (such as Pulmonary Edema, for instance)?

Thanks a lot

MRCS:

I will be on the mountain the second week of January for my annual winter trip as well but will be taking a different route.

I have been checking conditions on an on-going basis for the past few weeks, and I advise you do the same. The Home page of this website has links to weather information for the portal as well as the summit.

If you go to the Message board, someone will inevitably post something related to conditions. You can get a ballpark idea of what to expect --- but, as always, expect and plan for the worse. When you arrive in Lone Pine, the ranger station usually has some 1-2 day old beta on conditions, but to get the best beta is to happen upon climbers descending the day you're going up. Stop and chat with them. They are your best resource.

The standard route doesn't have a "chute" per se. I think you might be thinking of the Mountaineer's route. But .. the 99 switchbacks is the first place where snow tends to load. (It's the leeward side of the mountain.) I've seen the switchbacks in a myriad of conditions, from post-holing snow to firm ice. Plan for everything and bring the protection to back it up.

Since you'll be on Whitney for such a finite amount of time (and you'll mostly be at a relatively low elevation), I would strongly advise you to not bring any meds for High Altitude illnesses. If you start seeing symptoms, your best bet is to descend at least 2,000'. But, if you really have your sights set on taking some meds with you, Diamox is good to take BEFORE you ascend to higher elevations and BEFORE major symptoms kick in. Keep in mind that it is a diuretic so you'll have to pound some serious water with it. If in a desperate bind, and if you can get it, Dexamethasone (a steroid) is a decent, TEMPORARY drug used solely for emergency situations. It is usually administered by a trained professional, a WFR or equivalent. So again, I strongly advise against the drugs.

Safe climbing, my friend.

Nathan

Nathan (Thanks for your input)

Mountaineering route would be perfect in certain conditions. I attempted once in winter and due to the huge snow amount and avalanche activities I backed up and took the "Trail" instead. For some reason (for the last few years) any time I attempt climbing Whitney in winter I have very nasty weather (deep and powdered snow, whiteouts, could, etc.). Honestly, I started liking such conditions and this became a main purpose of my annual winter trip to Whitney. I see this area (the trail) as reasonable safe but at the same time giving me quite a nice workout and excitement, if bad weather permits. I treat this trip as training, keeping in touch with elements, and I do it usually solo. However, while climbing I take risk only if necessary (I do not care about summiting anymore but the experience).

I love solo climbing but more and more often I am bored being completely alone on the mountains for several days, especially while hiding from storms for a couple days. There is nothing to do and no one to talk. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to coordinate time schedule with others. So I keep climbing solo. (Maybe not this time though.)

My perfect conditions for this route (main trail) would be enough snow to completely cover the trail (no trail, no switchbacks) and clear enough weather on the entry day (It is somewhat discouraging getting into the mountain with an active storm.); otherwise, I may try Mountaineering route. In this case I would like to have a nicer weather and the "chute" to be "frozen snow" (so I could place my axes with being confident they would hold me). Do you think I may get such conditions in this January? There is still about two weeks.

Regarding the medicine, I am on the end of the line of people who would take anything unless no other choice left. However, many things have happened in the past few years that brought my awareness and concern (including stories from this Forum). I started asking myself a question if something unpredictable (but possible) happens to me in the deserted mountains, should I try to save myself using only my skill and experience or have something like medicine on site. Due to the rough conditions I may not be able to, for example, descend 2,000 feet in a required time range. I know that regardless if I tell rangers "do not come for me", they will activate the search. So I want to do anything (sorry cannot stop climbing) to lower the possibility of others to be involved in my rescue.

Here is an example of unexpected injury.
The last summer I experienced something I only read about and really did not understand how dangerous it could be if being in completely different circumstances. I was "lost" on the top of Mt Shasta for about eight hours in whiteout. The funny thing was that the only top of the mountain was in trouble. I climbed down and up about 1,000 feet elevation a few times just to discover I was on the wrong side of the mountain. My climbing pal was out of control screaming occasionally that we were going to die and wanted to do crazy things (he never experienced such conditions). So to be able to see what I was stepping on (the slope angle) and keep eyes on my buddy (he was disappearing frequently with no warning) I took my sunglasses off. Finally I managed getting out of clouds at the right exit but while approaching my tent I started having pain in my eyes. Soon later I was not able to open my eyes. I suffered from huge pain. It was like having billion of sandy particles in my eyes. My buddy kept giving me some pain killers he got from other climbers. Due to my continuing inability to see the next day, he started arranging help for my evacuation. But this was something I had a hard time to accept, not too mention it would be too embarrassing. So I decided to try one more time to open my eyes and check if I could keep them that way for few seconds; I used my fingers to force it. I realized that I was able to survive on my own and immediately called off any of the arrangements he started. I only asked him to pack everything and give me my stuff. I was walking down the snow with my eyes closed most of the way, but it was only the Avalanche Gulch route, the very easy one. I realized that if it happened on the more serious mountain/route, especially with no one around, the consequences could be even fatal. The point of the medicine here is the fact that a doctor gave me something that completely enabled my eyes to be 100% functional for about few hours. These few hours might sometimes save a climber's live and SAR efforts. But she said there was no way I could get this drug legally for my emergency climbing kit.

Concerning the Main Trail conditions, you can look at my posted TRs for January 5 and 6.

I'll have a TR regarding the bushwhacking required to get up to LBSL, probably tomorrow. There's too much snow to climb the EB Ledges safely and not enough to make an ascent up the drainage directly. The North Fork still needs a couple of feet of snow sloughing off of the cliffs to make it an "easy" climb.

Thanks Richard ... much appreciated! Yeah ... I had my doubts about the EB ledges and your pictures confirmed those doubts; thanks. Looks like it's going to be a cold one this weekend ... system from Alaska moving in!