We are so excited to announce that we have received a permit to take another team to the highest point in the continental United States, the summit of Mount Whitney! This is one of the most iconic hikes in the United States and we only have a few spots on our permit. This trip will absolutely sell out, so register today.
Dates: July 10-14
The trip will depart from Reno Nevada airport. Team members are responsible for arranging their own transport to and from Reno. Team members must arrive in Reno before 3:00PM Pacific Time on day 1 and should not plan to leave before 3:00PM on day 5.
Cost: $1,450
- A non-refundable $500 deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team. This team is extremely limited in size by our permit, so we are requiring a larger deposit to secure your spot on the team.
- $1,450 is due before June 15th, 2023.
What is included:
- Dinner in Reno on night 1; Snack lunch on day 2 & restaurant dinner on night 2 at Lake Tahoe; Early dinner in Bishop on day 3; Trail lunch and celebratory burgers after the climb on day 4.
- All transportation to and from Reno airport.
- 2 nights of hotels in Reno, NV and 2 nights of hotels in Bishop, CA. Hotels are double occupancy. If you would like a single occupancy, we can accommodate this for an additional $300.
- Trekking permits and fees.
What is NOT included:
- You are required to bring your own day pack and trekking gear (rain shell, headlamp, clothing layers for cold weather, etc.)
- You are responsible for your own breakfast each day and all trekking snacks (we will provide a sample list of what most trekkers will be bringing).
Trek Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
Summiting Mount Whitney is a challenging endeavor when undertaken over multiple days; however, due to the nature of our permit, we will be attempting a 22 mile round-trip to the summit and back from Whitney Portal in a single (very very long) day. Many people summit Whitney in this manner, but it is much more demanding than a multi-day attempt, so we are requiring all members of our team to be in peak physical condition.
We expect to depart Whitney Portal on summit day at ~1:00AM (yes you read that right). We will trek in the dark and ascend nearly 7,000 vertical feet to the summit before making a u-turn and retracing our steps back to Whitney Portal. We expect summit day to take us somewhere between 12 and 16 hours of steady hiking.
This adventure will be incredibly physically demanding. We are recommending that at a minimum all team members be able to cover a full marathon distance (26.2) in less than 7hrs (16 minutes/mile) as a benchmark before attempting a single summit of Whitney. If an individual cannot complete this distance at brisk walking pace on flat ground at sea level, we don’t think it is wise to attempt Whitney. Of course, team members do not need to demonstrate this fitness at the moment they apply, but this is our minimum expectation by the start of the adventure. we recommend you take the season of preparation seriously. We suggest that all members of our team devote themselves to a season of physical training that should include a mix of smaller training hikes, strength work, and significant cardiovascular exercise.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (July 10)
Team members arrive at Reno airport no later than 5:00PM Pacific Time. Team members are free to arrive the day before, but they will be responsible for their own food and lodging. Upon arriving in Reno, the team will gather for dinner and spend the night in a hotel.
Day 2 (July 11)
We will wake early, grab a quick breakfast at Starbucks and make our way to the Mount Rose trailhead where we will hike the 11 mile roundtrip to the summit of Mount Rose. This will serve as our primary acclimatization hike for Mount Whitney. After we finish the hike, we will head down to Lake Tahoe for a nice sunset dinner on the lake. After dinner, we will make the 1 hour drive back to Reno to our hotel.
Day 3 (July 12)
After a quick breakfast in Reno, we will make our way down to Bishop, CA at the base of Mount Whitney where we will grab a very early dinner (around 3:30PM) and try to be in our hotel beds as early as possible to be ready for an incredibly long day on Mount Whitney.
Day 4 (July 13)
We will set our alarms for 12:45AM and I expect us to be hiking by headlamp on the trail by 2:00AM. We will all be carrying a day pack with some additional layers, rain gear, and the ability to carry 3 liters of water (camel back or water bottles are both fine). We will watch the sunrise from the trail over the beautiful Sierras as we make our way above the tree line, through the 97 switchbacks, and ultimately to 14,505ft and the summit of the highest mountain in the continental United States. We will spend a few moments on the summit taking pictures and taking in the views before heading back down the trail. Each breath will get a little easier as we get back down the mountain and when we arrive at Whitney Portal we will enjoy a celebratory burger before heading back to our hotel and a much needed shower.
Day 5 (July 14)
We will wake up early and make our way back to Reno to catch our return flights. Flights will need to be scheduled no earlier than 3:00PM Pacific Time.