Whitney Mountaineer's Gear Checklist
The Mountaineer's Route up Mount Whitney leaves the crowded main trail for the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, so the pack is about snow, rock and finding the way. Climbers carry an ice axe and crampons when the chute holds snow, a helmet for loose rock above Iceberg Lake, and a GPS track for a hard-to-follow approach. The Forest Service ties the route to the Mount Whitney Zone, which means a permit, bear-resistant food storage in the Mount Whitney area, and packing out solid human waste. One August climber found a long, slow day with no snow on the route.
What shapes your gear on Whitney Mountaineer's Route
- Route and elevations
- One August 2020 climber started at Whitney Portal at about 8,265 feet and logged 5-plus miles and 6,300 feet of gain to the summit at 14,505 feet. His waypoints were Lower Boy Scout Lake at 10,347, Upper Boy Scout Lake at 11,338, Iceberg Lake at 12,642 and the notch at 14,146. He descended the main trail, about 11 miles.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
- Time on the route
- The same climber needed ten hours to the top and 6.3 hours down, reaching the car around 10 pm in the dark. A 1996 poster said the climb itself takes only about two hours once you are at Iceberg Lake and that most of the work is getting there.
From Oregon Hikers Forum and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
- The approach
- The route follows the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek past the Ebersbacher Ledges. A 1996 poster said even experienced climbers wander at the start while picking a side of the creek. A June 2004 report found a trail that crossed the creek twice, lost the way into alders and willows, and met higher creek flow at 2 pm on the way down.
From Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread) and Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004)
- Snow, by season
- An April 2006 ski party skinned to about 12,000 feet, then put on crampons and carried axes up a couloir that steepened to about 45 degrees, after warm weather sent slides across the approach. In June 2004 the chute was about 80 percent snow, soft at 7 am. In August 2020 the climber met no snow or ice. A 1996 September poster needed no axe but warned of a little ice about 30 feet below the top of the scramble.
From Turns All Year, Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004), Oregon Hikers Forum and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
- Permits and quota
- The Forest Service sends climbers who approach by the Mountaineer's Route to an overnight permit for the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, which is not in the Mount Whitney lottery. A day-use Mount Whitney Zone permit is valid for the climbing routes too. From May 1 to November 1, 60 percent of the quota opens six months ahead and 40 percent two weeks ahead. The fee is $15 per person plus $6 per permit.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mount Whitney and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
- Camps
- People camp at the two Boy Scout lakes and at Iceberg Lake. The 2006 ski party camped near Lower Boy Scout Lake, a June 2004 climber used Upper Boy Scout Lake, and the Iceberg Lake bivy sites were free of snow that June. A 1996 poster went to Iceberg both times because the early start only matters for getting back to Whitney Portal by dark.
From Turns All Year, Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004) and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
What the agency requires on Whitney Mountaineer's Route
A Mount Whitney Zone or North Fork wilderness permit
It is against Forest Service rules to enter the Mount Whitney Zone at any time of year without a valid wilderness permit. The Forest Service says climbs like the Mountaineer's Route, the East Face, the East Buttress and Mount Russell need the overnight North Fork permit for an overnight approach, or a day-use Whitney Zone permit for one calendar day. Groups may not exceed 15 people.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations, U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mount Whitney and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
A bear-resistant container for food and scented items
Inyo lists the Mount Whitney area among eight areas where bear-resistant containers for food and scented items are required. The Forest Service publishes a map for the exact boundary, so check where your camp falls.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations
A way to pack out solid human waste
Solid human waste has to leave the Mount Whitney Zone with you, and the Forest Service also asks you to pack out all trash and leftover food.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations
A liquid-fuel or gas stove, not a fire
Campfires are prohibited year-round above 10,400 feet south of the Humphreys and Emerson ridgeline, and the Mount Whitney area has its own closure map. Gas, petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel stoves are allowed.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations
What hikers carry on Whitney Mountaineer's Route
An ice axe and crampons when the chute holds snow
The April 2006 ski party switched to crampons and axes at about 12,000 feet. A forum poster who climbed the route said microspikes will not do there and that crampons and an axe call for real experience. One 1996 poster took both on a July trip and used them. Late-season climbers reported none was needed.
From Turns All Year, Mountain-Forecast, Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread) and Oregon Hikers Forum
A climbing helmet
A frequent Whitney climber lists a helmet among the must-haves, citing falling rock, slips and falls. A climber planning an April 2023 solo ascent also listed one, along with an axe, crampons and avalanche gear.
From Mountain-Forecast and Reddit r/Mountaineering
A gas or liquid-fuel stove, and bottles to refill at seeps
The Forest Service bans campfires at this elevation, so cooking means a stove. A June 2004 climber found water running in the cliff band below Iceberg Lake, and an August 2020 climber filled his bottles from seeps just below the lake.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations, Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004) and Oregon Hikers Forum
Skis, skins or snowshoes in spring
The 2006 party skinned and skied the couloir. The April 2023 solo planner listed snowshoes and maybe skis. Neither would be needed by late summer.
From Turns All Year and Reddit r/Mountaineering
A GPS track or route notes for the approach
The route is easy to lose near the ledges and the creek. An August climber leaned on videos for the ledges, and later used GPS to find the turnoff to the old trail in the dark. A 1996 poster said to note where the chute meets the summit area so the descent starts in the right place.
From Oregon Hikers Forum and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
A headlamp for a long day
The August climber took ten hours up and came down the main trail past sunset, switching to a headlamp about an hour after the sun went down and to red light once the trail got rough.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Whitney Mountaineer's Route
Trusting the guidebook description of the approach
A June 2004 climber said the trail did not match his guidebook, lost the way into alders and willows, and wondered how anyone manages the ledges in the dark. Another poster recommends staying south of the creek until the crossing for the ledges.
From Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004) and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
Planning on a fast day
The August 2020 climber from sea level needed ten hours to the top, so he walked the last miles of the descent after dark, as he had expected. The chute alone took him over two hours.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
Microspikes as the only traction
Opinion splits on the main trail, but on the Mountaineer's Route a forum poster says microspikes are not enough and a self-arrest tool is the real safety item.
From Mountain-Forecast
Climbing the cliff directly to Iceberg Lake with a full pack
A 1996 poster found it awkward and unsafe with a pack, and preferred a steep pebbly path left of the cliffs.
From Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
Gear questions for Whitney Mountaineer's Route
What permit do I need for the Whitney Mountaineer's Route?
For a night out, the Forest Service says to request an overnight permit for the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, which is not in the Mount Whitney lottery. A one-day push needs a Mount Whitney Zone day-use permit. Both carry the $15 per person fee.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mount Whitney and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
Do I need an ice axe and crampons for the Whitney Mountaineer's Route?
It depends on the season. Spring and early summer climbers used axes and crampons, a June 2004 climber found the snow soft enough to skip crampons, and an August 2020 climber found no snow. A forum poster says microspikes will not do on this route.
From Turns All Year, Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004), Oregon Hikers Forum and Mountain-Forecast
Where do people camp on the Whitney Mountaineer's Route?
At Lower Boy Scout Lake, Upper Boy Scout Lake and Iceberg Lake. The Forest Service asks for existing sites at least 100 feet away from trails and water, and campfires are banned at those elevations.
From Turns All Year, Climber.org: Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004) and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations
Do I need a bear canister for the Whitney Mountaineer's Route?
The Forest Service lists the Mount Whitney area among the Inyo areas where a bear-resistant container for food and scented items is required. Check its map for where your camp falls, then carry one if it applies.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations
How long does the Whitney Mountaineer's Route take?
Plan for a full day. One August 2020 climber took ten hours to the top and 6.3 hours down the main trail. A 1996 poster who camped at Iceberg Lake said the summit then takes about two hours.
From Oregon Hikers Forum and Climber.org: Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread)
Sources
- Mount Whitney · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Wilderness Regulations · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Wilderness Permits · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Mt. Whitney Mountaineer's Route, 8/6/20 · Oregon Hikers Forum, adamschneider · Trip report
- Mt. Whitney: Mountaineers Route (5-6 Jun 2004) · Climber.org, Bill Strand · Trip report
- Whitney Mountaineer's Route (22 Sep 1996 thread) · Climber.org, Jim Ramaker · Forum thread
- April 29-30, Mt. Whitney Mountaineer's Route · Turns All Year, ericfrench · Trip report
- Mount Whitney climbing notes shared by Mountain-Forecast users · Mountain-Forecast · Forum thread
- Mt. Whitney Mountaineers Route April 1 - Thoughts? (r/Mountaineering) · Reddit r/Mountaineering · Reddit thread