Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports July 9th Trip Report For Dayhike Till Trail Camp

We 3 friends attempted the dayhike at July 9th. Due to our inadequate preparation and inexperience with high altitude, we could only go upto Trail Camp and back. But upto whatever we went it was a great experience. Here is a detailed report of the trip in my blog, if you are interested -

http://ashikuzzaman.blogspot.com/2010/07/first-attempt-to-summit-mount-whitney.html

-- Ashik
A newbie hiker and wannabe mountaineer

Nice report, Ashik.

Mt Whitney will always be there, so after you gain more experience, you will be better prepared.

Some suggestions:

Take some practice hikes. They will help you find what to carry and what not.

Try climbing Mt Dana at Tioga Pass in Yosemite. You start at 10,000 elevation, and climb to 13,500. It is also a good hike to do the weekend immediately before a Whitney climb, since that will also help with acclimatization. And it is reachable in about 4 hours from the Bay Area.

Next year, if you try Whitney again, you should spend more than 24 hours at Whitney Portal, or better yet, higher up at Horseshoe Meadows (or someplace similar), so you body can adjust to the altitude.

Take only foods that you really like to eat. Eat snacks and drink often while climbing.

Do not carry too much water. Until you get to Trail Camp, a liter at a time is all you need. Filter if you need to, but many of us don't even treat the water.

You should be able to hike with a day pack that weighs under 10 pounds.

Well your trip serves as a great training tool for you. Now you know first hand the effects of altitude on your body and the importance of pounding down calories in any form of food to sustain your energy requirements.Another thing you hopefully learned is that you don't have to carry all your water with you because it is everywhere along the trail in the form of fresh mountain streams.Every trip is a learning experience and there is no failure in any Whitney attempt.Just experience for the next attempt.

I'd like to jump in on what Steve and Rod had to say about food to bring on the day hike to the summit.
I'm making my first attempt (going solo) to day hike the main trail in late August. Staying at Horseshoe Meadows the weekend before (2 days, 2 nights). Then it's WP camp for 3 days. I'll get in days hikes to get used to the climate while I'm there.
What is recommended to eat the day before I go up? Then for the day of the hike itself, I hear about bringing foods and snacks that you like. But carbs and calories are mentioned as a must too. Any suggestions on what types of things I should bring?

Thanks for the tips on filling up my water along the way. That will help keep my pack weight down.
Your advice is greatly appreciated.