Mt. Whitney - End of Dec - Any takers?

[lukas]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to climb Mount Whitney via the MR sometime between Christmas and New Year. My original plan was to climb Mt. Whitney from Dec 27 - 31 (I'm flying into Vegas on the evening of the 26th). The winter ascent gives plenty of time for weather delays/acclimatization. If we have extra time, we can always check out death valley. Welcome the new year in Vegas After that, drive over to Colorado and spend some quality time at Ouray Ice Park before flying back home from Denver on Jan 5. If there is time, I'd love to pull off a peak in Colorado as well Let me know if this sounds like something you may be interested in... Perhaps we can co-ordinate something.

[spiderman]

That sounds fun! I wish that I had time to head to California over Christmas. That route must be fun in the snow.

I am sure that you are knowledgeable about winter climbing and well qualified to do the MR route in winter. Nevertheless, I wanted to post this link to Rockwell's assessment of avalanche and winter dangers on Whitney. They are good resources for other people planning trips.

http://www.californiamountaineer.net/Wh ... 282006.pdf
http://www.traditionalmountaineering.or ... arning.htm

[lukas]

Those are great links and resources. Thanks for posting! The second link really underscores the fact that this isn't just a simple walk up the mountain....

[ThuChad]

How many days were you planning on the climb taking?

[lukas]

I'm thinking 3 days if the conditions are favorable (2 if we are feeling really good). I'm open to other timelines as well... PM me if you are interested and had a different schedule in mind.