Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion How are switchbacks declared passable?

Who makes this decision? Does some random soul just end up being the first one to use the switchbacks and then later reports, yes, I was able to make it?

From http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/4904/4, Climber Joe made an observation that the chute is getting worn down fairly quickly. Has there been a time where the chute is no longer passable but the switchbacks are not passable yet?

It looks like everyone is using a single glissade trough this year. They should branch out and try different ones. Eventually using the same groove will melt it down to rocks, and then using it will be painful and dangerous.

Many people would prefer to use the switchbacks, so a few hardy souls will go up as far as they can. If it's too tough, they bail and move west to the "chute" (actually the snow slope). At some point, people will succeed all the way on the switchbacks, and lots of people, then most people, will take that route. I think it's a word-of-mouth message that is passed among hikers sharing notes in Trail Camp.

If there is too much snow on the switchbacks to make them unusable, then there will be enough snow on the slope to climb up and glissade down.

During the winter, the chute is the clear choice. It takes you directly to Trail Crest with no route-finding problems, and it is much faster than the switchbacks. It also offers the opportunity to glissade or even ski down. The switchbacks are difficult to find, let alone follow, in the winter. However, given enough determination, the switchbacks are always passable.

Little by little, the chute melts out, and rocks get exposed. It becomes dangerous to glissade and easy to punch through and scrape your legs. At the same time, the switchbacks get better as the snow melts.

Mountaineers will use the chute as late into the year as it is safe to do so. Hikers will head for the switchbacks as soon as possible. There is no single day when everybody switches from the chute to the switchbacks.