Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2016 (Out-of-Date)

This is "the chute", part of a steep 1800ft/550m climb using crampons, ice ax and a lot of breaks. It would take over two hours to reach Trail Crest. Those wide dig outs in front are from glissading, which I would find on the return was the only way down in the mid-day sun.

Past Trail Crest and on the way to Whitney. So many places like this on this stretch, grabbing to rocks and inch past with the vertical drop always present. Walking on a thin ledge of snow on the edge of a long vertical drop. This is why crampons and an ice ax should be used. It's on one of these narrow trails I caught my crampon on my snow pants and literally almost tumbled off the cliff