Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Training and Nutrition Guide for Mt. Whitney

I've summited Mt. Whitney four times. Each summit was under 6 hours. Below is my comprehensive training and nutrition guide specifically tailored for Mt. Whitney. Please let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help.

http://alpinesierra.blogspot.com/

Best,

AC

AC, thanks for posting.

Two things regarding your training blog:
You completely missed the importance of acclimatization. Most people need to spend some time between 8k and 10k (maybe 2 nights) before climbing to 14.5k. You may not be affected by the altitude, but most people are.

Carrying 4 liters of water from the trail head is a formula for failure for many people. It is much smarter to carry very little until Trail Camp. Then, the recommendation of many is to carry 3 liters from that point. There are many water sources below Trail Camp where people can get what they need. They can filter or treat, or just dip and drink like a number of people (myself included) do.

Hi Steve!

Acclimatization instructions are at the bottom of the page. It is an absolute must to prevent symptoms of AMS, a condition I've experienced on higher treks in the Himalayas.

Every group I've hiked with brought 4L of water, although 3L is usually sufficient. Many people do not feel comfortable pumping water along the trail, especially near trail camp, because of excess excrement from other hikers/campers. To each their own and pumping water is certainly a viable option (availability permitting) if you do not want to carry the weight. Appreciate the feedback!

Best,

AC

Nice info there, AC.

I'm in the S.F. Bay Area, where the highest peaks are only around 4000 feet. So what works for me is starting out with a few hikes in the area, then driving to the Sierras every other weekend to continue my "stepping stone" practice hikes. Yosemite has Half Dome and Clouds Rest (6000 vertical and 20 miles), while Kings Canyon has Kennedy and Granite Passes (both over 6000 and 23 miles RT), which replicate quite well the Whitney hike (although at a lower elevation of around 10-11k).

I believe it's only about 3 hours from So Cal to the Lone Pine area, which I think would be worth the drive to do a practice hike or two. One can't be too ready for Whitney!


As for diet, I normally do low/moderate carbs with no junk food ever, so for me foods with a lot of fat content (like beef and cheese sticks, nuts, etc) work really well for me for burning energy. But then my body is used to burning fat anyway. Besides, high fat foods are, calorie for calorie, lighter on the trail.

Um, it's more like five hours from San Diego to Lone Pine. Maybe longer, depending on traffic, which seems to get worse all the time. I WISH it was closer!

Well it's five hours from the Bay Area to Kings Canyon. For a hike that actually replicates the continuous elevation gain and distance, it is well worth the drive. I've never done a Whitney Hike without at least one practice hike in the Sierras like that, I'm too afraid of failing if I don't!

As for traffic, there isn't much if you leave around 2-3 in the morning. Just go to bed early if possible. Besides, you may as well practice sleep deprivation because that'll be a part of the Whitney experience.

Yep 5.5 hours from SD, 4 hours from North LA. It's the drive back that takes a while due to traffic.

Fortunately not much traffic driving back into the Bay Area on a weekend night (although sometimes there are backups due to nighttime road work).

I realize that long(ish) drives are not everyone's cup of tea, but if you go with a hiking partner then it's not so bad since you can take turns driving. Besides, I love to hike in the Sierras even if it weren't just a "practice" hike, so it's way worth it to me.