Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Fall Conditions on the Main Whitney Trail

For those of you interested in trying to climb Mt. Whitney this fall you should be aware of current conditions, and more importantly how to interpret those conditions to help you decide how to make decisions with safety in mind.

Snow is now present on Mt. Whitney and it will not melt away until late spring or early summer. You can count on negotiating a snow covered trail from, at minimum, somewhere above Trail Camp until Trail Crest. From the cables until Trail Crest there are hazardous areas where a slip can turn into a fall that can lead to an injury or fatality. This section is part of what most of us refer to as the “99 Switchbacks”. When the area receives more storms, you can count on snow lower and higher on the route.

Given these conditions there are certain things to keep in mind if you decide to attempt climbing Mt. Whitney via the Main Trail. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start:

(1) Recognize that your ascent will take longer than it would if the trail was dry. Plan extra time into your itinerary to account for this.

(2a) Realize that current conditions require climbers to have learned and practiced several mountaineering skills which include self arrest with an ice axe (this is how you would attempt to stop yourself in the event of a slip on the hard snow and ice), how to walk with crampons on, and how to efficiently climb up and down snow covered slopes.

(2b) This means that ski poles are no substitute for an ice axe. Ski poles are great aids in walking. Ascending a route they are like a portable hand rail. On a descent they help reduce some of the jarring to hiker’s knees. They will do nothing to help stop a person in case of a fall. Yes, some ski poles are made with self arrest grips. This is no substitute for an ice axe.

(3a) The slope between Trail Camp and Trail Crest is north facing. This means it loses sun exposure early in the day. You can be on this slope during a warm sunny day and find the snow comfortable to walk on, but once the sun leaves this slope the snow will become firm, hard, and slick. It will stay that way until the sun hits it again, which might be the next day, or it might take several days if clouds obscure direct rays from the sun. Even with direct sun exposure the conditions could still be firm, hard, and slick.

(3b) Be prepared to climb on firm, hard, and slick snow. If you find yourself on this slope after 2:30 PM (when the sun begins leaving this area) you need to be prepared to negotiate increasingly firm, hard, and slick snow conditions.

(4a) Sliding down the snow on your butt (commonly called “glissading” among the mountaineering community) from Trail Crest is not a safe option. It doesn’t matter if you see tracks from people who have previously done it. Among those who contributed to glassade tracks in previous seasons include several people who lost their lives from the decision to glissade there.

(4b) People have tried glissading here for years. Understand that this slope is subtly angled in such a way that it can pull an unsuspecting mountaineer slowly to the left, which can make you slam into the rocks at a high rate of speed. There have been many injuries and fatalities due to people glissading here.

(4c) If you decide to glissade anywhere on any mountain remove your crampons. Glissading with crampons is never an option. You run a high chance of injuring an ankle, a leg, or worse. It is poor mountaineering technique to glissade while wearing crampons anywhere at any time.

(5a) Remember that the summit should not be your primary goal. Your first goal is to get back to the parking lot safely. If you can stay within a good margin of safety then the summit should be your second goal. This means that just because somebody else decided to ascend in questionable conditions it should not determine what you decide to do. You need to make your decisions based on your known skills and the ability of your group.

Climbing up a mountain is optional, descending is mandatory.

Very sage advice, Kurt. I constantly re-emphasize the first law of mountaineering and its corrolary:

1. The summit is optional. Returning in one piece is mandatory.
1.a) The mountain will still be there next year.

I would add just one comment, which has been mentioned frequently, as well:

6. If you feel you need crampons, you already needed an ice axe.

(My climbing buddy and erstwhile instructor taught me self-arrest BEFORE he taught me to use crampons. Crampons are climbing tools. An ice axe is a safety tool and comes FIRST.)

I would add that a helmet goes along with axe and crampons. Why leave out one's final safety barrier?

Snowing at Whitney Portal on up Sat. Here is a pic just above LBSL and about 18deg.

our view this morning when crawling out of sleeping bags:

Looks like a week of sunny weather coming up (knock on wood). Can someone please comment on whether crampons will likely be necessary on Friday?

Another pic by LBSL, Sat the 11th, Winter is here!

Crampons and axe should at least a part of your gear you bring for your trip up the mountain next Friday, whether they will be necessary is another story entirely...that is how I am approaching my trip to the Sierra on the 17th.

I suggest you frequent this board later in the week to see what others report on conditions. Any information given is a guess.

Like wbtravis says I would definitely bring crampons and an ice axe. Something not be be overlooked too is the knowledge on how to use them. I've seen a lot of people go on the Whitney trail and the forest service has told them they need crampons and an ice axe so they bring them but have no idea how to use that gear. I have seen people trying to strap crampons on boots or even light shoes that aren't designed to accept them. That sharp pointy gear can hurt you if used incorrectly.

If you haven't had training with using ice axe and crampons hire a world class guide for a day of instruction before going for a very reasonable cost: http://www.sierramountaineering.com/snow_travel.html. You will learn a heck of a lot of information you can use on many future climbs. Or hire them to climb the route with you and learn things about Whitney you never knew.

Something is screwed up with that pic...3 girls..and no Bob R. in the middle of them?? Hope Bob is OK..!

Chris

Looks like no snow after last Saturday.. Do we need to bring the Ice Axe & Crampons for this weekend Oct-17 & 18?

If yes, where can I rent these? Nobody rents this out in SF bay area and I am reaching Whitney hostel on Friday night (Oct-17) and starting the hike on Saturday early morning.

Please advice.

No offense Desi, but if you don't know how to properly walk in crampons, and arrest/walk with an axe, it may be a good idea to wait until next summer to climb. That is kinda the purpose of a few of the threads going up right now. It is getting harder and harder to find place to rent axes and crampons, and rightfully so. Many people get themselves into alot of trouble by getting themselves in over their heads because they think that since they have the gear, they don't need the skill.

Thanks Snaps for ur advice. I have been checking the weather for past 2 weeks and I didn't see any snow after Saturday. Even weekend weather looks good. So I just wanted to check whether I need to bring the crampons or not.

Desi - A friend and I hiked up to Trail Camp yesterday. Much of the snow from the weekend's squalls has melted. There are places in the trail where the center is a bit icy from all the traffic. It actually gets less icy the higher you go as there are fewer freeze/thaw cycles. The trickiest footing may be in the parking lot where a bit of black ice remains in a few places.

As for crampons/ice axe - I can only relate what I carry, and you can use the info or not. If I were heading up the switchbacks, I'd have a pair of crampons in my pack in the event there were no dry rocks to rock-hop, especially where the the cables are located. I would expect to carry, rather than wear them, most of the day. As for an ice axe - nope. There's just a dusting of snow - what would I drive the ice axe into? Rather, I'd use my poles to maintain balance. My main concern is not to slip in the first place, and poles go a long way in helping to prevent that.

As I said before, I can only relate what I would carry based upon my own experience. As is often said, YMMV.

Hope this helps.

Kevin,
Did you put on your crampons at all?
Thanks.

No -

Desi,
How many folks in your group?
We are a group of 15 with varied skill-set; Planning to hike on Saturday morning.
Hope to see you there!!!

Anyone know what conditions are like along the mountaineer's route? i'm planning on doing it this weekend and the ranger station isn't answering their phone....

They might be having telecommunications problems. Yesterday when I was there they said they couldn't connect with their server (the one used in permitting) for a couple of days.

The two might be related.

They were experiencing that problem on Saturday afternoon when I stopped by.