Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Tips for a solo ascent

So my hike is coming up in 2 weeks and I am a tad bit nervous. Why? because, truth be told I haven't been training as much as I had hoped and also because I have never ever camped or hiked in the wilderness solo before! I have only 1 overnight permit that I got by sheer luck so not really possible to invite anyone else.

I am doing 5 mile hikes everyday now after work and on the weekend about 6-8 mile hikes in the canyons.

My plan is to take it slow on Day 1 but Day 2 is going to be brutal... 5am start, reach summit perhaps at 10am, head down starting 11am and finish 6pm or so. That's 13 hours of hiking, yikes!

Some of the things that scare me are - weather systems that move in nearing the summit, bears attacking me at Trail camp or Whitney Portal, getting seriously sick with altitude sickness (although I am taking Diamox so I am optimistic!)

Don't push yourself. #1. Stay safe. #2. Have fun, enjoy yourself. #3. Treat your hike as a training hike for next year, if you reach the summit, Great, if you don't you can come back next year with valuable knowledge and experience for a successful summit.

Bears never go above Whitney Portal, so that's one worry you can forget. Bears don't attack people at Whitney Portal either -- they only sneak up and steal their food. If you are starting your hike in the dark (which you shouldn't be since you are backpacking) you will be just fine on the bear issue.

With your shorter hikes on a regular basis, you should be ok with the long day. Your legs will be really tired, but you will be surprised what the body can do.

Trident777

You worry too much...let it go. Look forward to the challenge that will await you.

You have no control over other people, places, or things. Bears will be bears. The weather? My wife and I live in Oakhurst and looking from my vantage point in Fresno, it looks wicked. But that is now. Two weeks from now, there may not be a cloud in the sky.

The mountains don't care...You summit, you summit. If you don't, it is not failure. One thing you must have in your "positive attitude" is "Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try."

You're getting closer to the "try" part...so follow some sage advice...

Pace, pace, pace...
Nibble, nibble, nibble...
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!!!


We look forward to your trip report!

Just go

do not let this happen (from a bigger mountain) by overthinking:

Expeditions are born in the minds of men and more of them die there than are defeated by avalanches, bad weather, and misfortune combined.
Nicholas Clinch, A Walk in the Sky page 15.

thanks all for the words of encouragement, just what I needed to hear. Yep, I will not push myself beyond my abilities just so I can summit, if I don't then I can try again another time

I guess I was getting too wrapped up in the "what if I don't make the summit, it's failure" type of thinking but I know I shouldn't think of it that way.

Do you really only have 2 days for the trip? Seems like pushing it on day 2 is your biggest worry. Could you take more time?

Observations...

You are going 5 miles per day. This is more than enough exercise. Your first day is 6 miles, +3,600' and you have all day to do it. Hike out to Lone Pine Lake...have a meal, lounge around and take a nap. This is the hardest part of your trip.

The first part of your second day is 5 miles, +2,800' or so with a 15# pack, whose weight is constantly decreasing and returning to Trail Camp. The hardest part of this day is going Lower Trail Crest to Trail Crest. The adrenaline is gone and this 1/4 mile stretch seems to go on forever. From Trail Crest to Whitney Portal is all downhill...a controlled fall. I never have a problem descending.

Driving home at the end of this can present a problem...if you are tired, stop and nap for 15 minutes.

Bears ain't a problem at Trail Camp...marmot are. Do not leave food laying around or it will gonzo. I lost all my breakfast foods once when I forgot to put them back in my canister.

I normally stop off at the Whitney Hostel at the end of a multi-day hike and shower. It's $5....and feels good and refreshes me for my drive home.

paul

thanks to all I am staying the night in Lone Pine after the hike so thankfully do not have to do the 5 hour drive back to LA after Day 2