Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bad conditions May 29 and Christine's fall

Our group of 11 just got down from Whitney Trail last night. We stayed at trail camp and summitted on Friday. The conditions were rough. We had crampons and ice axes and got to use them, a lot. I will up load pictures and video later today to help better describe what we saw. See some pictures here.

We left out of Trail Camp a little late around 6:30 a.m. The cables were icy but passable. We often scrabbled over rocks to avoid as must snow and ice as possible, some was unavoidable. The top of the chute was sketchy and ice axes and crampons made it fairly easy.

It snowed 3 inches on us between Trail Crest and the summit. Visibility was only 50 feet so the view from the top was less than spectacular. In the blowing snow we actually could hear the people at the summit before we could see the cabin.
Because the conditions were worsening, we only stayed long enough for a quick picture and celebratory tear or two from my wife. Very Sweet.

The path completely disappeared as it snowed 3 more inches on the way back to trail crest. It was white, wet, and slippery.
At trail crest , we found the path across the top of the chute all but disappeared. There was a backlog of hikers without crampons and axes just standing there in the snow. It was obviously that there was a coin's flip chance a hiker would slide off the mountain with just hiking shoes and poles.
Our group actually roped up and helped our wives across and then began ferrying equipment back and forth to get some of the other hikers across the chute.

It is amazing how grateful people are for a little help at 13500 feet in a snow storm.

After a dozen or so trips back and forth, most of our group headed down the 97 switchbacks. My two brothers-in-law, Ryan and Michael lead the train of 15-20 hikers down the mountain. I guess they looked like a very slow moving train waiting for the track to be laid. - Ryan carefully cutting our foot holds and paths through the new snow and ice.

I left my wife in the charge of Michael and stayed at the chute to wait with an extra pair of crampons for my other brother-in-law Matt who needed them. As I waited the conditions improved slightly and I helped a couple more groups across.

As I was helping husband and wife couple across, Christine, the wife, slipped. Without an axe to arrest herself she began careening down the 1000 ft chute on her back - head first. Her husband and I shouted for her to spread out her arms hoping to avoid her tumbling and to right herself. Amazingly she heard us and because of the new snow was able to stop herself 150-200 feet down the mountain. She was lying sideways and terrified.
Her husband was calm and collected for a guy who just saw his wife fall off the mountain. I left my crampons with him and told him to wait for Matt and glissaded down to her.

Now I'm sure that BobR or some of you other semi-pros would make fun on my technique. I have only glissaded a couple times before and never a semi-rescue. I understand how to self arrest but that’s about it. So I kind of made it up as I went along. I tied off to Christine with my 25 ft rope and calmed her down a bit. I did a quick evaluation and she seemed to be not hurt except for a small cut on her hand.

Although Christine was very brave, talking her into sliding down -on purpose- took a little coaxing. With me and my ice axe as a break, she could slide and I could stop her. It took about 15 minutes to slowly make our way down. It took a lot of effort and proper technique to slow down in some spots.
Christine’s husband Mario, meanwhile, used the crampons left him and stayed there for a couple of hours helping people across. Very cool. I bet his words of caution to other hikers was convincing. “Ya, be careful in this spot, this is where my wife FELL OFF THE MOUNTAIN.”

Christine and I carefully walked back to trail camp to wait for our groups to slowly make their way down the snow/ice/slush covered switchbacks.

Everyone made it down safe in our groups. We even took a few pictures at the bottom. After talking more with Christine and her group, we found out that they had ice axes and crampons – but left them in the car because someone at the bottom said they probably wouldn’t need them.

Many new hikers arrived up to trail camp that night without ice axes and crampons. I actually sold my crampons to a guy - could have sold 20 pair.

That night it snowed a bit at trail camp, nothing much and was gone pretty quickly. We headed back down and managed the couple snow crossings with ease. (5 hours of practice the day before). Overall it was a great time on Whitney, but we all feel blessed no one was hurt or worse.

Well, sure, plenty of room for improvement there... But I think you did your best to improvise with what you had, and made an effort to help those who were even less prepared. Props to you for that. Maybe sign up for Kurt's snow travel class--you'd get a lot out of it.

Steve,

For sure, as I was sliding down the chute with Christina tied in below me, I was thinking "there is probably a better way to do this". My chest and arms are still sore from holding the axe underneath me in the self arrest position in the icy parts. I would have probably paid $1000 to have Kurt's class taught to me about half way down the chute.

I'm the woman who was hiking solo that day. I was crossing the path just ahead of Christina and only heard her scream. I think you saved her life, possibly, and I commend you for all the help you gave those many who did not have crampons. I asked one person why they were up there without them and he said "because I was told not to bring them if I didn't know how to use them." I am sure the intention of that warning was to keep them off the paths without them!! Anyhow, my first time on the summit...guess I will have to do it again when the sun is shining. I don't ever want to cross those switchers in those conditions again!


photo of the hikers being led across

I was also on Mt. Whitney Thursday -- Saturday and think the weather surprised many hikers. I noticed many groups without crampons and ice axes, and even saw a couple of hikers in shorts and running shoes! I also think it is a big no-no to hike and camp solo because if something happens there is no one there to help.

Very glad Christina is OK . Thanks Doug

I also was on the summit on Saturday. We climbed the chute and arrived at the summit at 12:00. At that time the blizzard was in full force. We glissaded back down the chute and was back at camp at 4:30pm. On the way up we passed many people who were not prepared. The worse situation was a young man wearing a long sleeve shirt, shorts, no hat or gloves and a small hatchet for an ice ax. I saw him pass our camp so I assume he made it off the mountain safe. This weekend was another reminder how fast conditions can change on a mountain.

Wade
Great job. There are a lot of people who were lucky and very fortunate that you were there to assist. Sounds like you did all the right things.Good thing for many or BobR and his training groups may have been pressed into real rescues.
Good reminder that it is still Winter in the Sierras but regardless of the season or month it can snow and become a winter-like experience in a Sierra moment.

It always amazes me that some people will take safety advice from utter strangers--whether it's at the car at the bottom, or on a message board. Or that a person would give utter strangers such advice, when he doesn't have a clue as to their skill or experience level. Specifically: advice regarding what the conditions will be in the next day or two, when they'll be there; and based only on what they were a day or two earlier, when he was there.

I'm as experienced with the conditions up there as much as anyone, and have gone to up twice in the last 2 ½ weeks. Took ice ax and crampons both times, but never got them out. I wrote to another message board member, a couple of days ago, that I would probably be going again soon. I told him "I'll take crampons and ax this time, too. One never knows."

There are two seasons in the Sierra Nevada when the conditions are pretty predictable: winter and summer. In between, they can be either winter-like or summer-like, changing from one day to the next, even from early in the day to late in the day. The Boy Scout's motto applies.

Great job you and your party did.

Thank you Wade for making BobR recent statement a truism, "[M]ost of these "accidents waiting to happen" never do." Thank God, no one was seriously injured.

Just a bit of advice to the inexperienced going snow on these slopes, do not go higher than you can safely descend.

i have tears running down my face reading that story!
i would have needed new pants if i were christina! you did a great thing going down there to help her! I am always amazed at how helpful people are in the backcountry.
wow, what a story! you are a hero!

Great job! I passed your group on friday. I was on my way back down to the trail crest. Conditions were difficult at best. And I did take my crampons/ax and used them! Very glad everything turned out OK!!! (I was wearing the red coat)
(PS: also wish to say that I appreciate this board and all the people who give advice/info to Newbies like me....THANK YOU!)

My husband and I attempted Whitney on May 30 without crampons or ice ax precisely because we read on here that without the proper training in using them, they could actually be more dangerous. We hadn't known that May was still "winter" on Whitney when we requested our permits, lack of foresight to take a mountaineering class, and having only a short time left in California we decided to give it a go with Microspikes and turn around if we thought we couldn't safely make it.

When we got to Trail Camp to set up our tent, I got a headache so we decided to nap for a bit and see if I felt up for a summit attempt. 3 hours later my headache had not gone away (I was most certainly adequately hydrated) and I started having some chest pains. Thinking this was altitude sickness + hearing about Friday's rescue and seeing that Saturday conditions were the same as the day before, we decided it would be best just to enjoy the scenery at Trail Camp instead of risking a higher ascent. My husband was bummed but at least we were able to enjoy our trip and what we DID accomplish rather than regretting that we tried to do something beyond our skill/comfort level. Oh, and by evening my symptoms resolved with just 220 mg naproxen.

Got to use the Microspikes on the way down--easy to put on/take off & easy to walk in but it was still slippery on some of the snow. Trekking poles do NOT help much when crossing the snow, either. Next trip we take will either be in MUCH warmer weather or after learning how to use winter gear.

Several hikers have stated that they did not bring ice ax and crampons because they were told it would be more dangerous to use them if unexperienced than to not have them. I would agree with this statement but the advise that is implied and should probably be stated is do not proceed if conditions (snow or ice) exist that would require crampons and ice ax. In other words, don't depend on an ice ax and crampons if you do not know how to use them and don't proceed if you need them and do not have them.

I have a list of mountaineering quotations for appending to an email, now and then. Here is what Smoke Blanchard wrote, upon listening to his tutor, Gary Leech:

"He told me an ice ax ranked as the mountaineer’s first, main, and almost only tool. It served as his horse and saddle and bridle, his helmet and breastplate and gauntlet, his shield and buckler, his halberd and dagger and club. He showed me how the ice ax could be used to spread beans on bread, then the slice could be balanced on the flat side of the pick and this delicacy suspended over a fumarole long enough to prepare a warm brunch. Before he had finished indoctrinating me in the uses of this versatile implement, I knew I could best a bear with it. I believed a good man with an ice ax could solve any problem. That was before I had seen an income-tax form or fallen in love."

"That was before I had seen an income-tax form or fallen in love."


HILARIOUS!

Incredible story and an example of how wonderful the mountaineering community is! Hats off to Wade and all involved in the effort to avoid what could have been a major disaster. Thank you from all of us who have ever needed a helping hand on the mountain for whatever reason.

We too were on the mountain this weekend and conditions were indeed worse than we had expected but fortunately not worse than we were prepared for. Glad we brought full winter gear even though we didn't expect to need it- would rather carry it and not need it then not have it when needed. Life and limbs are worth the added couple of pounds of an ax and crampons!!

We hung around camp on Friday because of the weather hoping Saturday would be better. It started out sunny but turned uglier as the day wore on though we did successfully and safely summit (and return to our camp) but conditions were bad and we saw many ill prepared.

We saw a couple roped together at the summit around 3:00 pm and they passed our camp (near Consultation Lake) after 9 pm and were still heading down to the Portal. They had been at it since midnight and were completely wiped but refused to stop as they only had a day permit. Does anyone know if they made it back to the Portal safe and sound? Appreciate any info. Thanks and happy (and safe) trails....

> I asked one person why they were up there without them and he said "because I was told not to bring them if I didn't know how to use them." I am sure the intention of that warning was to keep them off the paths without them!!

> My husband and I attempted Whitney on May 30 without crampons or ice ax precisely because we read on here that without the proper training in using them, they could actually be more dangerous.

> don't depend on an ice ax and crampons if you do not know how to use them

I may get some disagreement here, but I just CRINGE when I see people writing here telling those without experience to NOT use an ice axe or crampons.

First of all, let's separate crampons from ice axe. Is there anyone here who can tell me that it is better to go without crampons if the person has never used them? Just how hard is it to learn how to strap them on and start walking??? Even a beginner is infinitely safer on a slippery icy slope with crampons than without them!!!

Second, with ice axe use: Yes, it is far better to have had training in the use of one. It is far better to have had experience practicing self-arrest with one.  However, even beginners can be given the basic pointers on the use of an ice axe, even on the Whitney trail, and they become far safer than those going without one.

I will grant you that training and experience helps immensely, but telling people not to touch the equipment is the WORST advice of all.

Here is the video from the British Mountaineering Council, titled "How to ice-axe self arrest". I believe that even a novice will be far better served, if he/she would watch this video and then take some time to practice a self-arrest, than leaving an ice axe in the car since they have never tried it.


 

Right on Steve!! If someone can't figure out how to "use" crampons then I would really have to question how they got as far as they did. I am a big believer in learning proper use but with crampons even a novice is better with them then without!

As BobR said and many others, conditions change all the time. On the way up the mountain, crampons and axes were very optional. It was good weather and smooth climbing. Then the storm blew in, dropped 6 inches of snow and caught many hikers unprepared.

It could have just as easily been a nice day and hiking without equipment would have been almost a non-issue (depending on experiance level). I guess ice axes and crampons in the spring are like seatbelts, life insurance, and parachutes - they don’t do a lot for you until you need them. But then, you really need them.

Christine emailed me to say thanks to our group for the help on the mountain. Very thoughful. She said that she will try and post here about the experience from her perspective.