Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports 5/31 Summit Dayhike

Hi everybody, just wanted to let you know what I saw on the trail this Saturday. We began hiking at 3 AM from the portal, and arrived at trail camp around 7. We decided to take the chute, although many people took the switchbacks and said they were doable. We went up the chute using microspikes and trekking poles, and were at trail crest after about an hour and 45 minutes. This was almost 9 AM. The snow in the chute was just getting slushy at this point, which made the last 50 yards difficult. We summited around 10:45, and did not use microspikes for any of trail crest. We returned down the chute by walking with our microspikes and then slowly glissading towards the bottom where it was less steep. We finished our hike at 4 PM, 13 hours total. Let me know if you have any questions.
Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the conditions update. Did anyone say anything about how bad the snow/ice was at the cables?

I didn't hear any specific details about the cables but looking at them from the chute they seemed to be melting out quickly. One group that did the switchbacks said they were sure that the switchbacks were easier than the chute.

Choosing between the chute and the switchbacks depends on conditions, equipment, and your skills. Climbers with mountaineering boots, crampons in case they need them, and experience climbing steep snow, will prefer the chute any time there is enough snow. Hikers with lighter boots, Microspikes, and less experience, will prefer the switchbacks.