| elevation: |
14,505 feet (4,421 metres) |
| location: |
California, USA |
| range: |
Sierra Nevada |
| coordinates: |
36° 34' 42.9? N 118° 17' 31.2? W |
| first ascent: |
1873 |
 |
Mount Whitney is the highest point in the Continental United
States. It is located at the boundary between Inyo County, California and Tulare
County, California. The western slope of the mountain lies within Sequoia National
Park.
Mount Whitney was named after Josiah Whitney, the chief geologist of California.
It was first climbed in 1873 by Charles Begole, A. H. Johnson, and John Lucas
(fishermen who lived in Lone Pine, California.)
Mount Whitney is less than 90 miles from the lowest point of the United States,
in Death Valley, and immediately rises just over 2 miles (~3300 m) in elevation
above the floor of the Owens Valley. The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135 mile
(215 km) running race from the bottom of Death Valley and ending at an elevation
of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal, the trailhead for Mount Whitney.
It is possible to hike up Mount Whitney from Whitney Portal. The hike is 21.4
miles (34.4 km) round trip and 6100 feet (1900 m) of elevation gain. There are
two places to camp on the trail. Outpost Camp is the lower of the two, while
Trail Camp lies just below a long series of switchbacks up a steep face.
The steep eastern side of the mountain offers a variety of climbing challenges.
The "Mountaineer's Route", a Class 3 gully to the north of the east
face, was first climbed by John Muir.The East Face route, first climbed in 1931,
is a classic easy climbing route of the Sierra; mostly Class 3, with the hardest
parts at only 5.4 (YDS). Other routes range up to 5.10 in difficulty.
Climbing Mount Whitney: The Mountaineer?s RouteSan Francisco Chronicle Jun 16 2010 5:50AM GMT
Higher calling: How to climb Mt. WhitneyLos Angeles Times May 8 2010 8:21PM GMT
New Articles: Keep Your Hands Warm for Winter Climbing1/0/J/9/-/-/DenaliClimber2_MikePowell_Getty_2.jpg5center/p
pIf you're ice climbing or mountaineering in winter, it's easy to get cold hands
Climbing Mount Whitney: Highest Mountain in the Lower 48Mount Whitney in California’s Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. Because of that distinction, Whitney is also one
David Whiting: Climbing Mount Whitney's Mountaineers RouteOrange County Register Jul 31 2009 3:36AM GMT
Chadron resident part of Mount Whitney expeditionChadron Record Jun 24 2009 3:46AM GMT
Whitney HooseUrban Climber Magazine May 28 2009 11:32PM GMT
Books: Above All: Mount Whitney and California's Highest PeaksYubaNet Oct 18 2008 11:38PM GMT
Digression: Mount Whitney, Age and AMSInfectious Greed Oct 12 2008 4:53AM GMT
Digression: Mount Whitney and AMSInfectious Greed Oct 12 2008 4:23AM GMT
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