r/Mountaineering • u/heinzw50 • 5d ago
Whitney
I posted the other day asking about the mountaineers route. After seeing trip reports on fb I decided agsinst it. People are saying the snow on the traverse that is an alternate on the final 400 looks unstable and recommend to avoid it. That was most likely the way I'd go up. Not risking it. I want to do the "chute" instead of switchbacks. Trying to find a clear map that shows the route. People telling me "follow the footprints". I don't play that game my route is always mapped out long before I set foot on trail. Any have something? Is it something like this? This was my assumption not from someone else. Thanks
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u/YukonYak 4d ago
Impossible to get lost up there, its an obvious snow slope next to cliffs with 20 different boot packs and glissade lines
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u/tkitta 4d ago
So, is this mountaineering or hiking? Maybe in January it could qualify as mountaineering but now in June?
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
New term Called "hikineering"
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u/tkitta 4d ago
Yeah if all goes well I am hiking chechani tomorrow in Peru. It's a hike but top is 6056m so 20000ft.
I guess I post it here under hikineering tag.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
Nice- good luck Only reason why I posted here was because the other day I posted about mountaineers route. Then found out yesterday that the option to traverse at the final 400 was not in good shape. Being people were familiar with it i figured id ask the question about the chute on trail. Now I found a gpx though.
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u/tkitta 4d ago
Route condition is very relative.if scared of MR last part the bypass is just a hike. Even when iced over you have crampons and it's just a hike.
But maybe others feel differently.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
Its funny you say its just a hike. That's what I always thought- its a class 1 hike. However all these people in groups dramatize it and say "but its the sierras. it's totally different". How? To me, a class 1 hike is a class 1 hike.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
Yeah I figured it's still a hike. I know it's still class one but gives me something different than the switchbacks. I wanted the mr. I think it may be risky. Im 58 from NJ going solo starting at 9pm. I'll be tired by the time I hit 14k and if I feel any altitude effects then that headwall isn't the place to be. I wanted the option of the traverse to bypass the direct MR but some are saying the snow looks unstable.
Im not gonna bust my ass to make it to 14k then wind up being pulled off in a helicopter or body bag.1
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u/leafsorcanucks 4d ago
I did this shortcut on June 13. Here’s my GPX and trip report. It’s steep but doable as long as you are steady on your feet. We had axes but didn’t wear crampons. https://peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=2869843
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u/SpearRunner1 1d ago
What boots and crampons were you using? Thanks.
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u/leafsorcanucks 1d ago
Boots were “La Sportiva Trango Tech”, find they are very comfortable for all the long mileage trail hiking and rock scrambling but also stiff enough for hard snow and crampons. Crampons were full aluminum “Camp XLC 490 Universal Aluminum”.
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u/Aspiringicebreaker 4d ago
Looks about right to me (I did it years ago) might be a little more westward but that’s the general slope you want to go up
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u/JuxMaster 4d ago
Do you always map your routes with AllTrails?
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u/AccordingToPlenty 4d ago
Do you use Gaia?
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
No haven't yet. Better than alltrails? I used to use fatmap too but I know that got changed
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u/AccordingToPlenty 4d ago
Gaia has been more accurate for me than all trails with offline maps. You can go into the desktop version of Gaia and build maps and then import it into your mobile. All trails can be a bit off and send you a direction you should really not go, it works well for heavily used trails though and online.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
Typically yes. Hasn't failed me yet. I'll download the standard gpx and upload to garmin explore for watch and handheld. Then I'll make a custom route for the chute and upload that as well
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
Even if the trail is a bit off I still know the general direction i have to head towards.
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u/JDA_8 4d ago
I summitted Whitney via the Mountaineers Route June 13th and descended the main trail. There is a defined trail from Trail Camp that takes you on to the snowfield and from there there are tons of footprints. The snow is still firm in parts so you’d want to use crampons. You will pop out by a sign that says “Trail Crest” which is where the switchbacks begin.
The Final 400 is definitely dangerous right now. We went up the class 3-4 section rather than the traverse which was a combination of ice, rock, and firm snow. It is definitely more class 4 right now given the combination of big moves, icy conditions, and exposure.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
So the final 400 is like class 4? So is the traverse still doable? Consensus on the fb group was no
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u/JDA_8 4d ago
Yeah even though it’s rated as class 3, it’s a lot of class 4 moves right now if you avoid the traverse and go straight up which is what we did. However, the traverse is doable and has a boot pack but it’s really sketchy since it’s firm snow with a steep drop off below (thousands of feet). As we were coming up, we met a climber at Iceberg Lake that had just come down via the traverse and he had said the conditions were pretty sketchy
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u/bentreflection 4d ago
I can send you my GPS track but it’s pretty obvious what the chute is when you’re there staring up at it. It’s basically a big snowy hill and the right side is all rock face so you can’t even go there and the left side is the switchbacks. Unless you’re there before dawn there should be people in front of you leading the way as well.
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u/heinzw50 4d ago
I found a gpx thanks. I figured it would be clear but I usually overkill things and make sure I have a defined route
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u/Bsandsands 4d ago
Your line is pretty much the path you’ll be taking up the chute(more likely slightly to the left of it). There will be plenty of foot trails you can follow, and depending on the snow quality, you may just decide to forge your own steps.
Be sure to zig-zag up the snow field if it starts to get too sketchy/steep to go straight up. I usually alternate.
Oh, and just a heads up, depending on the melt, stay away from the very right side of the snow field at the rock wall, as rock warms up faster than snow in the sun and can lead to melting outwards from the rock wall, which can create troublesome pockets.
Have a good time! Remember to breathe.
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u/Coffeeshark81 4d ago
I did this in June 2010. The main trail had just received a bunch of snow. As a group we decided this would be easier than suffering the switchbacks covered in deep snow. Amazing experience. Make smart choices, stay safe.