Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion First Timer to Whitney but not a newbie

I have had my sights on doing Whitney on 10/3 since June and have been training almost every weekend. Since the Sierra mountains are kind of in my backyard, I have been doing high elevation 10 mile hikes up to 11,000' (5 miles up, 3500' gain) and also 15 mile hikes with about 4,500' gain (but these 15 milers were pretty much starting at the ocean due to the heat in the valley sometimes is to much). I never had any effects (shortness of breath or AMS effects) at 11,000' and actually would do short spurt runs during the hike to see how far I could push my body before the normal effects would kick in. I know that AMS symptoms usually will start around the 12,000' mark and up (based on other postings) but would like some feedback on any additional training that I could do before the whitney hike or if im on the right track for training.

But my main concern is making sure I get enough of the right foods the days before the hike as this will be a one day hike to the summit and back. Since im not much of a big carb eater I know that some 2 day carb loading will be essential along with some substantial proteins and of course hydration, hydration. I don't want to come up short on food during the hike so any feedback on maybe what is good to bring up the mountain would be greatly appreciated but I don't want to pack the whole fridge. My plan is to bring jerky, pb&j sandwiches, Kind Bars and maybe some energy gel packs.

Last is acclimation. I will be staying at the portal campground (8,000') 3 days before the hike. I had to talk my girlfriend into staying at the campground and not staying in Lone Pine because I don't want to sleep at the much lower elevation in LP. Yes, there was a lot of discussion on this topic but I read that your body can and prob will reacclimate while sleeping. She disagreed with me and stated if we go back up and do small hikes around 10,000' we should be fine. Pls give feedback on this heated topic so it can be put to bed.

Overall any guidance on anything will be greatly appreciated as this is one thing that we can mark off our bucket list. If all goes well im hoping to do Yosemite, Half Dome next yr with her (she just has a fear of heights).

Good will hiking!!

Terance: Unfortunately for your relationship, you are right on the sleeping issue. Sleeping down at LP will pretty much wipe out any acclimation you develop by hiking high during the day. Perhaps your BAE has read of "Climb High- Sleep Low". N/A here: that is a Himalayan survival strategy for 19,000 feet and higher, not an alpine acclimation technique. In fact, you should not only sleep at the Portal, you should sleep at least one of those nights, preferably the last, at Horseshoe Meadows, around 10,000 ft.

More bad news: all that training you have been doing, and high elevation work: it is great for indicating how the body will respond at elevation, and it is getting you in basic condition, but it is not acclimating you for either wind or AMS resistance. Its a pretty good indication that you should not expect AMS up to 11,000 or so, but not in any way preparing you physically for that elevation or higher.

ANd finally. More bad news: Heights. There is really no place on the trail that is dangerously exposed, in my opinion, because the trail is generally pretty wide but there are a few spots where it feels like it might be, and someone particularly sensitive to exposure may need some encouragement and support to cross. A couple of stretches on the switchers above and below Trail Camp, and some of the window crossings between Trail Crest and the Summit can trigger fear of heights in some. Just so ya know.

Last, on food: don't count on anything you are not sure you will eat, and will pack easily digested calories. Jerky is yummy, but is it rally a fave? Not that big on digestibility or cals, so unless it is really your go-to, don't rely on it. If this is a day hike, no need to do anything special: what is good to bring up the mountain is something you know you will eat even if the appetite wanes, and provide ready energy: suck it up and carry the carbs.

Oh, and be prepared for reasonable hydration, but don't overdo it. Until trail Camp, there is water everywhere, so dont carry a lot (some don't carry any, or maybe a pint) except above Trail Camp: 3 liters each. And get plenty of salt with it.

Some people can indeed blast up and down the mountain without any acclimatization, although some of those do not feel good, or must descend. Studies have shown that about 40-60% of people get AMS in some degree on long and high dayhikes like Whitney, so it is prudent to reduce that figure.

There are a gazillion medical sources that tell us that sleeping altitude is the best determinate for proper acclimatization. Day hikes help some, but the axiom "climb high, sleep low" actually means something like, "climb high, sleep lower than that days' max height, but higher than the night before." Sleeping at Lone Pine does nothing for acclimatization.

Most people over due the food concerns. Recommendations for a 4000 calorie Thanksgiving bloat fest are not needed or edible by most people. Be sensible. 2000 cal is enough for a Whitney day, unless you are an ultra-marathoner. Eat more when you get back down. Makes it taste even better.

a bit more on my reply.

for the non-believers, sleeping altitude, let's say 10,000 ft, is important because

(1) if staying overnight you obviously spend more total hours of the day at height
(2) importantly, when asleep your respiratory rate falls, your oxygen saturation falls ( even worse if you have sleep apnea at either sea level or up high). Thus, your "effective" altitude rises, and the resultant stimulation of the acclimatization process is improved in a more gentle way than huffing and puffing all day long.

Terance, it wasn't clear from your message what your girlfriend's motivation is for staying in Lone Pine. If it's that she doesn't want to camp for that many days, consider options for staying at elevation that don't involve camping. There are several cabin resorts between 9400 and 9800 feet on Rock Creek Road out of Tom's Place, south of Mammoth. The Little Lakes Valley, just a couple of miles away at the end of the road, is truly spectacular and offers day hikes up to 11,000 feet (Morgan Pass) and 12,000 feet (Mono Pass). My wife and I camp at the Portal the night before the hike, but spending 2-3 nights in a cabin near LLV (we stay at Rock Creek Lodge) is always part of our acclimation plan for Whitney.

I like spending my first night at Horseshoe Meadows. The last night should be at the trail head, since you need to get up super early for a day hike. You don't want to do the extra one-hour drive from HM to WP before the hike.

I bought a cot for the car-camping part, and found that it really beats sleeping completely on the ground.

Regarding food: Make sure you eat most on the way up. If AMS kills your appetite, you'll end up carrying it home. So eat it early, before the appetite leaves.

I think you can see the consensus on sleeping in Lone Pine. Save that for after the hike.

I can’t resist jumping in when the subject is altitude…

The correct sleeping altitude is the highest altitude at which you don’t get sick. Sleep as high as you can the last 1-3 nights. The last night before your climb is the most important.

Don’t stress over the food. Bring whatever you will actually eat when you are tired and possibly dehydrated. The more you hike, the more you will learn what works for you. Just take it easy on the fat, because fat is hard to digest at altitude.