Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board First time on Whitney

I'm an avid backpacker, but my experience has been limited to the AT in GA/NC. Labor day weekend will be my first in the Sierras, doing a guided trip up the Whitney MR. Besides a my regular running and aerobic training regime, I would appreciate any helpful hints/pointers to prepare.

I'll be doing the mountaineering route at the end of this month. I've been doing alot of 2-3 hour hikes up and down a hill in OC called Dreaded Hill. Running for an hour 3X a week. At least twice a week I do a 15 mile rounndtrip hike up Saddleback Mountain. I hope this will be enough to prevent me from curling up into a fetal position above 11,000. But I will be spending a week hiking around the Cottonwoods area before the hike. So this should help with the altitude.

What company is guiding you up the mountain?

If you can manage to get to Mt. Washington and do a couple training hikes, that would assist you greatly. You need to exert yourself actually hiking, running or stairmaster isn't enough.

I also find doing chin ups helps with strengthening the same muscles you'll utilize with poles.

Unfornately, there is not much you can do to prepare for the altitude in the east.

Best of luck, and enjoy it!!
Lance

Appreciate everyone's comments. Figured there is nothing I can do about the altitude. Will have one night at Horseshoe Meadows and one night at UBS to acclimate before summit day. Will see what happens.
Ken - booked my trip through REI, I believe the guide service is SMC.

Axel, your running and other training will be the greatest help to you on a Whitney hike since you've not hiked in the Sierras previously. Hiking the balds in GA/NC don't mimic hiking in California at all (sad, but true). Not only is the terrain completely different, but so is the altitude, obviously, and the way trails are strutured in the south and east.

Hiking Mt. Washington isn't a bad idea but the summit is still 2,000 less than Whitney Portal. The Tuckermine Ravine route is completely unlike Whitney's trail structure and so is the Ammonoosuc route.

If you're only familiar with hiking in the Whites and on the AT, then there is some good news about hiking Whitney:

1. There are switchbacks on trails in California and the ones on Whitney are gradual. There is none of this "straight up the mountain" hiking that is ubiquitous in Vermont and NH, or in the Balds.

2. The trail conditions are much superior to most anything you get in the east. There is the bouldery section on Whitney known as the grand staircase, but it's short in duration. The backside of the trail is rocky but still not like trail conditions that are standard in the east.

3. The beauty and uniqueness of the Whitney trail will keep you mentally on track. Even though the Whitney trail is not spectacular by Sierra standards, it's still will blow away anything you've seen on the AT in the South.

Drink a lot of fluid, this will help ward off altitude symptoms. Drink MUCH more than you're accustomed to and begin the night before the hike. Drink 24 ounces of fluid the morning before you start out.

Also, the heat is peculiarly intense at altitude. The descent may be unpleasant when you're not accustomed to it. Even if it's only 75 degrees outside, the sun will feel much more intense.

Best of luck and let us know what happens on your hike.

Did my first day-hike last Tuesday. I'm 43 years old and I live at sea level. I rode my bike a few times up an 800 foot hill behind my house. The extent of my acclimation was going up over Tioga Pass on Sat, hiking White Mt on Sunday, then sleeping at the portal on Mon. night. I did not train for this trip at all...the heat wave we went through here in CA had me sitting in front of a fan for two weeks previous. I suffered no altitude symptoms, loved the climb, but had pretty sore legs for two days afterwards. I used Motin and Tylenol on the way up, and poles were useful. My biggest contibuting factor in making the summit, I believe, is going up with my wife and some friends who have done it before, and having 3 days free of children, to do nothing but walk. When all you have to do is walk, as a parent, that's an easy day...even 22 miles! Good luck, if I can do it, anyone can.

Lemme second the recommendation that you drink PLENTY of fluids. I don't know how others feel about this, but it's my non-expert opinion that the majority of 'altitude sickness' cases where people report pounding headaches and feeling sick are more likely just dehydration and improper fueling.

The air up there is dry as a bone and your body is working a lot harder even just standing there. Drink frequently and bring plenty of easily digestible carbs.

Also, go slow. Really slow. I'm not in that great of shape, but I made it to the top by plodding along at a nice consistent 1mph pace. Slow and steady. If you can go faster, great, but don't push it.

Good luck and have a good hike.

Axel,

Agree with the hydration recs. If I might add, continue hydrating for days after your hike. That keeps the soreness to a minimum as it continually washes out the lactic acid.

sounds to me like you are doing enough already. There is good value in backpacking on the AT in GA/NC (I do in VA)

the limiting factor at altitude is acclimatization and that takes a varying length of time from person to person. From mountaineering medical literature it is said that better fit and younger people are actually at a DISADVANTAGE because they are in such good shape that they barge ahead and actually exacerbate the problems of altitude. So if you are reasonable fit and not grossly overweight, and if you acclimatize quickly (up to Mother Nature and a proper ascent schedule), then your running and aerobics should suffice. Diamox and hydration as mentioned are important.