Hi all. Here's a few questions from a first-timer attempting Mt. Whitney.
1. From what I've been reading, the final 400' can be tricky in the winter time. Looks like there are two different paths: the more direct and possibly technical, and the walk around. Is this correct?
2. For those of you who have tackled the final 400' in the winter, did you need/bring rope? I know this question is subjective to the current conditions and might be impossible to answer now, but I'm thinking more in general terms.
3. If we went up the MR but down the main trail, would that negate the need for rope (if it was otherwise recommended to bring)?
4. Sounds like the MR is easy to follow even though it's not very marked? I have a GPS but seems like most people do not bring one. Any suggestions?
Here's our tentative plan. Please fill free to give advice/shoot holes in our schedule. My friend and I are planning on flying in to Vegas on 27 Dec, getting a rental car and driving 4ish hours to the Whitney Portal (or as close as we can get to it with the road conditions). We are going to stay a night or 2 to acclimate. For the first day, we are going to try to make it to Iceberg Lake, but will settle for HBSL or LBSL if the trail is slow-moving. Second day, we are going to try to make it up the summit and then at least back down to where ever we set up camp, if not all the way back to the portal.
Here's some background on my friend and I. We are both novice mountaineers for sure. We've primarily done hiking in the Smoky Mountains, as well as a summit of Mt. Rainier. We are both comfortable with crampons, ice axe, self arrest, and fixed lines. We aren't so comfortable with single roping it up a level 5 route.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Rob
