Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports summit in microspikes and trek poles 6/29/17

summit 6/29/17- i slept at trail camp overnight 6/28 into 6/29. left camp at 5 am, headed up chute. Hillsound trail crampons (microspikes), and trek poles ONLY. climbed halfway up chute, felt totally unsafe without real crampons and/or ice axe, so traversed left towards switchbacks. that was scary. got to rocks, and scrambled till i found switchbacks uncovered. scrambled around, cutting up wherever i could find exposed switchbacks. got almost to top ridge, and started heading right towards trail crest. crossed over the snow towards the top, till crest. walked to summit, arrived about 9 or so. back down to crest, and wasn't even trying to go down chute from top without the axe! traversed across ridge till above where switchbacks are. cut down wherever i could see switchbacks. finally got to cables, which were still covered in snow, but was able to hang onto them from outside and across. found more clear switchbacks and cut down them till i felt i was low enough to slide without an axe safely. again, i did it w microspikes and trek poles only, but would've felt safer w the axe. but if anyone feels nervous about descending chute for whatever reason , maybe explore this route. the rocks were a little loose and gravelly cutting switchbacks but i felt more comfortable this way. hope this helps!

Great information. Do you have any pictures of the switchbacks? particularly the cables, or the ones covered in snow near the top?

Apparently nobody bothers to take and share pictures anymore.

Mauricio Puerto posted on Facebook on July 5: "Update on the 99 switchbacks. I went up via the chute and down the 99 Switchbacks. I think about 80-85% of the trail is clear. Lots of dangerous areas like the cables and higher up some of the snow crossing to connect back to the trail. If you fall and slide you will be sliding into rocks on a 45 to 50 degree slope crossing sideways.

I ran into a couple that were going up at around 12:30 and the female fell and it look like she dislocated or fractured her wrist. I offered to carry her pack down to but they refused and wanted to push on. I don't understand why people refuse to call it a day when it was completely obvious that the right thing was to go back down.
Anyway if you decide to do the switchback make sure you skills are good to go."

Too complicated. I would love to share mine.

I talked to the same couple. They refused even though her wrist was probably broken or severe sprain with dislocation.