Climbing Mt. Whitney

by Croft, Peter; Benti, Wynne; Dawson, Glen

• ISBN13: 9781893343146
• ISBN10: 1893343146
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-10-18
• Publisher: Spotted Dog Pr

Summary

Foreword by Glen Dawson Introduction by Peter Croft Chapter One The Story of Mt. Whitney The Characters Who Came Before Us Chapter Two Mt. Whitney Natural History Primer Geology Flora & Fauna Chapter Three Gearing Up for the Mt. Whitney Trail What You Really Need to Know Before You Go Weather Getting There Parking Proper Storage of Food at the Trailhead Bear Canisters The Essentials Water & Electrolytes Campfires & Cooking Stoves Food Clothing Footgear GorTex Sleeping Bag, Tent or Bivy Sack Pack Flashlight, First Aid & A Camera Wilderness Sanitation Mountain (Altitude) Sickness Training For Altitude: White Mountain Peak Chapter Four How to Get a Permit Reservations Are Required! When to apply Where to apply Reservations and fees Processing Fee Phone Reservations Walk-In-Permits Chapter Five Mt. Whitney in a Day Preparation & Training Physical Training The Alpine Start ¥ Start Slow ¥ Drink Often ¥ Snack Often Gear: Keep it Lightweight Pacing on the Climb The Mt. Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal Chapter Six Other Trails & Cross-Country Routes The Long Way to Whitney Giant Forest to Mt. Whitney Mineral King to Mt. Whitney Cedar Grove to Mt. Whitney Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney Horseshoe Meadow to Mt. Whitney Moonlight Hike The Whitney Circuit Hiking with Dogs Chapter Seven Technical Routes Mt. Whitney and Mt. Russell Rating the Climbs The Roman Numeral System Climbing Equipment The North Fork Approach Mt. Whitney Vicinity Keeler Needle, V5.10c East Face III, 5.7 East Buttress III 5.7 aka Peewee Route Mountaineer's Route~Class 3 Mt. Russell (14,086O) Mithral Dihedral III 5.10A Fishhook Arete III 5.8 South Face~Right Side Class 3 East Arete~Class 3 Chapter Eight Up the East Face by Norman Clyde Bibliography Index About the Authors

Author Biography

Peter Croft Peter Croft grew up on the west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. As a child he hiked and camped with his families, developing his love of the outdoors. Since then Croft was drawn to the mountains, wherever he could find them.Over the last thirty years he climbed from Alaska to Mexico, from Norway through Europe to the Greek islands in the Mediterranean-Sea. He dodged aggressive kangaroos at Mount Arapiles in Australia; has secretly hiked Kauai's famously rugged Napali Coast when high surf-the most colossal mountains of water he had ever seen, closed all access; has made trips to the Karakorum and the Himalaya, seeing firsthand the tallest mountains on earth. The Sierra Nevada with its good weather, beautiful trails, lush meadows and firm granite has enchanted Peter Croft like no other place in the world. Considered one of the leading alpinists today, Croft spent many years climbing Yosemite+s big walls and is most famous for his fast-paced one-day traverses of entire mountain ranges. He has appeared in numerous films. In 1991 he was awarded the prestigious American Alpine Club Underhill Award for outstanding achievement in mountaineering.Croft lives with his wife Karine and dog, Peewee, in Bishop, California right on the doorstep of the High Sierra. Even that doesn't seem close enough.- Wynne Benti Wynne Benti has hiked to the summits of several hundred peaks, mostly in the Great Basin, Mojave Desert and Colorado Plateau. She has canoed the trail of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid along the Green River and the 500-mile trail of the Sourdoughs along the Yukon in Canada. Author of Favorite Dog Hikes In and Around Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Benti also has edited and published books by Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell. She lives on the North Fork of Bishop Creek with Rosy, her Australian cattle dog.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Glen Dawson	9	(4)
Introduction by Peter Croft	13	(6)
Chapter One The Story of Mt. Whitney	19	(12)
The Characters Who Came Before Us
Chapter Two Mt. Whitney Natural History Primer	31	(10)
Geology	31	(4)
Flora & Fauna	35	(6)
Chapter Three Gearing Up for the Mt. Whitney Trail	41	(20)
What You Really Need to Know Before You Go
Weather	41	(2)
Getting There	43	(1)
Parking	43	(1)
Proper Storage of Food at the Trailhead	44	(1)
Bear Canisters	45	(1)
The Essentials	46	(1)
Water & Electrolytes	46	(1)
Campfires & Cooking Stoves	47	(2)
Food	49	(1)
Clothing	49	(1)
Footgear	50	(1)
GorTex Sleeping Bag, Tent or Bivy Sack	50	(1)
Pack	51	(1)
Flashlight, First Aid & A Camera	51	(1)
Wilderness Sanitation	52	(2)
Mountain (Altitude) Sickness	54	(4)
Training For Altitude: White Mountain Peak	58	(3)
Chapter Four How to Get a Permit	61	(4)
Reservations Are Required!
When to apply	62	(1)
Where to apply	62	(1)
Reservations and fees	62	(1)
Processing Fee	63	(1)
Phone Reservations	63	(1)
Walk-In-Permits	64	(1)
Chapter Five Mt. Whitney in a Day	65	(14)
Preparation & Training
Physical Training	68	(4)
The Alpine Start	72	(1)
Start Slow
Drink Often
Snack Often
Gear: Keep it Lightweight	73	(1)
Pacing on the Climb	74	(1)
The Mt. Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal	75	(4)
Chapter Six Other Trails & Cross-Country Routes	79	(10)
The Long Way to Whitney
Giant Forest to Mt. Whitney	79	(1)
Mineral King to Mt. Whitney	80	(2)
Cedar Grove to Mt. Whitney	82	(1)
Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney	82	(1)
Horseshoe Meadow to Mt. Whitney	83	(1)
Moonlight Hike	84	(1)
The Whitney Circuit	85	(2)
Hiking with Dogs	87	(2)
Chapter Seven Technical Routes	89	(30)
Mt. Whitney and Mt. Russell
Rating the Climbs	89	(1)
The Roman Numeral System	90	(1)
Climbing Equipment	91	(2)
The North Fork Approach	93	(4)
Mt. Whitney Vicinity	97	(14)
Keeler Needle, V5.10c	97	(4)
East Face III, 5.7	101	(6)
East Buttress	107	(4)
5.7 aka Peewee Route	111
Mountaineer's Route—Class 3	109	(2)
Mt. Russell (14,086')	111	(8)
Mithral Dihedral III 5.10A	112	(3)
Fishhook Arete 1115.8	115	(2)
South Face—Right Side Class 3	117	(1)
East Arete—Class 3	118	(1)
Chapter Eight Up the East Face by Norman Clyde	119	(7)
Bibliography	126	(1)
Index	127	(5)
About the Authors	132