have no experience above 7000ft elevation.
No better advice than Doug, copied here from his post at
Winter conditions Whitney OK so now the hard stuff I had dinner with two young men the other night they had just traveled cross country from Death Valley and ask what I thought about the summit section? My answer was in the positive with a few thoughts about gear weather and conditions , we had just had a storm and another was due to be a cold front with summit temps below zero with high winds . They said they had limited gear and no experience with higher elevation travel. I said you should be fine to the Portal and maybe to Outpost Camp but beyond that the world takes on a new meaning. No trail markings, high winds and very cold with only a few hours of day light and very little chance of help from others.
Many people experience say 10,000' or travel to Mammoth and reach 12,000' on a lift but the world again changes from the 12,000' to the 14,500' now you are tired cold and have many miles to go before you sleep and the luxury of just sitting under a tree and taking a break is gone during the winter .Every thing you do has to be planned and with a back up plan to protect yourself from the elements. This plan can not fail.Many people gain this experience over years of winter travel and can enjoy the conditions and spend many days out in the weather .You need the experience in a safe zone until the skills are honed and the gear is tested.
These young men were strong enough to do the distance but lacking in the experience for the Mountain and made the choice of coming back when the weather was warm and the trail was dry.
