We have been prepping for Mt. Whitney the last couple of months and dreaming of it for much longer. This is the highest peak in the lower 48 states standing at 14,505 ft. The journey was humbling and we wanted to share some tips for a successful summit while it’s fresh in our minds!
SUMMIT WHITNEY in two days:
⭐️ HYDRATE - we drank a gallon of water everyday for at least the week leading up to the summit day. Drink often while hiking as well as it helps with altitude sickness.
⭐️ FUEL - you’re burning a lot of calories so make sure to eat enough. Bring things you WANT to eat on the trail but also things that are quick and easy to put down like energy gels or protein bars.
⭐️ CONDITIONING - you should do as much cardio as you can with your backpack at the weight you expect to carry on the trail. Stairs, longer hikes with 4,000+ ft elevation gain and leg strengthening exercise are all important.
⭐️ACCLIMATE - we live at sea level in WA so it was hard for us to train for that altitude. We did our best just trying to get our cardio in. We did arrive at the Whitney Portal a day before and hiked to Lone Pine Lake at 10,000 ft. Then, we slept at Whitney Portal (8,000 ft) to help acclimate as well.
⭐️ SLOW & steady pace was our focus. The key for me was to not let my heart rate go over a certain number and to not over exert myself and burn out. Honestly the trail was never really steep at all but the altitude effected me quite a bit. Who cares if people pass you! Take breaks often.
⭐️ CAMP - a lot of people do this in one day starting usually around midnight. I am so glad we were able to take our time and do this in two days. We slept at Trail Camp about 6 miles in and were able to further acclimate at 12,000ft which I think helped! On summit day, we started at 3am and got back to our car at 4pm.
⭐️ VISUALIZE - honestly, visualizing myself up there and having a PURPOSE for doing this was huge motivation. For me, I kept saying to myself “for Vesper” (my puppy that passed away a couple of months ago).
Let us know if you have any other questions or tips to share!
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#backpacking #mountains #hiking
27 июл 2022
