Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board mountaineers route

have done the normal route durring the day and with lamps at nite, is the mountaineers route do able with headlamps?
is the route well worn?

Throcker,
MR is mostly hikeable at night until Iceberg lake. My partner and I hiked Whitney Thursday-Saturday (March 20-22). We got a late start Thursday afternoon and made it to LBS lake at almost 2200. After summitting on Saturday, we departed our Iceberg lake camp at 1710 and made it to the car around Meysan parking area at 2335.
Navigation was most difficult below LBS lake as much of the snow had melted, making the trail hard to follow (keep in mind, it was our first time on the MR). I highly recommend not going past Iceberg lake at night, especially past the notch. We were sweating it enough in the daylight. It might not be as hairy once the snow is gone, but I bet patches of concealed ice go easily unnoticed with just a headlamp.
I'd also like to say thank you to the members of the California Mountaineering Club who also summitted Saturday. Your climbing suggestions made a difference.
Dustin

I had been up the mountaineers route quite a few times before trying it in the dark. I was heading out early in the morning on the way to Russell. I found the section just after leaving the Whitney trail up until the Ebersbacher ledges not easy to follow in the dark. That is no surprise, since the first time in the light we got semi lost twice, not sure where to go. It took us that first time 5 hours to get to Lower Boy Scout Lake, after starting at the wrong river and hiking half way up that forbidden "inviting canyon going off to the left" going up onto Thor's. Above lower Boy Scout Lake up to Iceberg lake would be no real problem. Above there I would not do it in the dark. We had a group a few years back up by Iceberg trying to come down in the dark....very hard to see and rough going.