hightinerary - Aug 9, 2011 1:32 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2013
Changing Lanes
After hiking up the Mt. Whitney Main Trail numerous times over the years, I switched to the Mountaineer's Route to avoid the crowds.
Vitaliy M. - Jul 8, 2011 10:02 am Date Climbed: Mar 13, 2010
A lot of fun
Winter ascent in a wind storm. Conditions in the final chute weren't great so we went up the rock rib to the left (cl 4 or so). Was a lot of fun.
zoomloco - Jul 7, 2011 12:28 pm Date Climbed: May 29, 2011
Anything to avoid the whitney trail
In any season, in any conditions, do this route and not the Whitney trail. This was my 3rd time on the route. MR is best in winter when its all snow, also easy in summer though there is a lot of rock knocked loose by other climbers in the gully. In spring there is actually mixed climbing (snow + icy rock) so a rope is actually recommended for this season for the upper 300', though I guess you could always take the variation to the right to avoid this. Cool to camp on the summit (in the hut) in the snow.
pingzingr - Jul 4, 2011 12:58 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2011
3-day trip on Whitney
Received walk-in permit Friday morning and departed the Portal for Upper Boy Scout Lake. Summited Saturday and returned to Upper Boy Scout. Hiked out Sunday morning. Snow conditions were quite soft and we were postholing up the chutes. Almost easier to use the rock/scree to move up to the Notch unless you leave EARLY for the summit.
haishan - Jun 20, 2011 5:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2011
ski descent
Didn't technically finish the route... a day tour to the top of the snow, a hundred feet or so short of the notch. Skied thru post-holed mank in the upper couloir, and good summer snow down to lower Boy Scout. 10hrs car-to-car, a great day to be out.
Moogie737 - Jun 19, 2011 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2009
To Kent Ashcraft's memory
Led to Iceberg Lake by Kent's son, Andrew. To the summit with Brent. Main trail down. One hour on top, all to ourselves!
saltlick - Jun 15, 2011 9:19 pm Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2011
Car-to-Car
Perfect conditions - warm and calm the whole way to the notch, and firm enough snow for a relatively easy ascent. Clouds rolled in around 12, and it snowed on us as we glissaded the route around 2, but we still got great views and fairly epic sunburns!
Perfect conditions, although it felt a bit warm. Drove to the portal, camped at Iceberg one night, summitted and hiked out. We rapped off the summit to the notch instead of downclimbing.
First attempt was two years ago, bailed on our summit to assist with an accident on another team.
Ricky - Feb 15, 2011 9:30 am Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2010
Far better than the trail
A somewhat strenuous day hike from the portal(5:00am-3:00pm). It was a fun scramble and not very crowded. I think I saw 5 people on the route total, and one of them was going for Russell not Whitney. When I went down the trail it was a different story. I saw easily over 100 people.
Went with a CMC group. Camped at UBSL. Top couple hundred feet of mountaineer's gully was melted out. Final 400 in fine shape, though a bit of scrambling at the start. Descended via the north face traverse.
mtndonkey - Dec 7, 2010 12:22 am Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2007
Fun spring route, nothing technical but some nice steep snow at end. Great hike in and a super scenic camp site!
JustinW - Jun 20, 2010 12:35 am Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2009
MR
What he said! Great climb overall.
nickL - Jun 12, 2010 4:34 pm Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2009
Fall MR
Great conditions on the way up, camped at Upper Boyscout lake and had great snow conditions all the way to the top the next day. That night, not so much. Wind picked up and flattened our tent at 2:00 am. Crappy night of redoing and tightening guylines only to have them rip completely off the tent fabric. Good thing we both had bivy sacks!
hightinerary - Aug 9, 2011 1:32 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2013
Changing LanesAfter hiking up the Mt. Whitney Main Trail numerous times over the years, I switched to the Mountaineer's Route to avoid the crowds.
Vitaliy M. - Jul 8, 2011 10:02 am Date Climbed: Mar 13, 2010
A lot of funWinter ascent in a wind storm. Conditions in the final chute weren't great so we went up the rock rib to the left (cl 4 or so). Was a lot of fun.
zoomloco - Jul 7, 2011 12:28 pm Date Climbed: May 29, 2011
Anything to avoid the whitney trailIn any season, in any conditions, do this route and not the Whitney trail. This was my 3rd time on the route. MR is best in winter when its all snow, also easy in summer though there is a lot of rock knocked loose by other climbers in the gully. In spring there is actually mixed climbing (snow + icy rock) so a rope is actually recommended for this season for the upper 300', though I guess you could always take the variation to the right to avoid this. Cool to camp on the summit (in the hut) in the snow.
pingzingr - Jul 4, 2011 12:58 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2011
3-day trip on WhitneyReceived walk-in permit Friday morning and departed the Portal for Upper Boy Scout Lake. Summited Saturday and returned to Upper Boy Scout. Hiked out Sunday morning. Snow conditions were quite soft and we were postholing up the chutes. Almost easier to use the rock/scree to move up to the Notch unless you leave EARLY for the summit.
haishan - Jun 20, 2011 5:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2011
ski descentDidn't technically finish the route... a day tour to the top of the snow, a hundred feet or so short of the notch. Skied thru post-holed mank in the upper couloir, and good summer snow down to lower Boy Scout. 10hrs car-to-car, a great day to be out.
Moogie737 - Jun 19, 2011 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2009
To Kent Ashcraft's memoryLed to Iceberg Lake by Kent's son, Andrew. To the summit with Brent. Main trail down. One hour on top, all to ourselves!
saltlick - Jun 15, 2011 9:19 pm Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2011
Car-to-CarPerfect conditions - warm and calm the whole way to the notch, and firm enough snow for a relatively easy ascent. Clouds rolled in around 12, and it snowed on us as we glissaded the route around 2, but we still got great views and fairly epic sunburns!
jpsmyth - May 12, 2011 1:25 am
Great climb on MRFollowed Mount Russell with MR on same trip
badmajick - Apr 21, 2011 12:02 pm Date Climbed: Apr 17, 2011
Finally did it!Perfect conditions, although it felt a bit warm. Drove to the portal, camped at Iceberg one night, summitted and hiked out. We rapped off the summit to the notch instead of downclimbing.
First attempt was two years ago, bailed on our summit to assist with an accident on another team.
Ricky - Feb 15, 2011 9:30 am Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2010
Far better than the trailA somewhat strenuous day hike from the portal(5:00am-3:00pm). It was a fun scramble and not very crowded. I think I saw 5 people on the route total, and one of them was going for Russell not Whitney. When I went down the trail it was a different story. I saw easily over 100 people.
GigaMike - Feb 8, 2011 12:46 am
Always a great climbI have been up the MR many times, all seasons and all conditions and it's always a great climb.
rhyang - Dec 20, 2010 11:52 am
June 2005Went with a CMC group. Camped at UBSL. Top couple hundred feet of mountaineer's gully was melted out. Final 400 in fine shape, though a bit of scrambling at the start. Descended via the north face traverse.
mtndonkey - Dec 7, 2010 12:22 am Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2007
ColdCold day alone on the summit. Always a fun route.
RyanCampagna - Sep 14, 2010 12:49 pm Date Climbed: Sep 12, 2010
30th birthday trip2nd time on the summit, first up Mountaineer's route. camped at iceberg lake on Saturday night, hit the summit early sunday morning. Awesome trip!
Day Hiker - Sep 6, 2010 3:43 pm Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2010
MRWith Rick Kent. Whitney summit #21; first time up MR (finally).
catullus - Jul 6, 2010 8:28 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2010
independence day summitdid the mountaineer's route at a leisurely pace, spending two nights at iceberg lake. snow was perfect going up to the notch.
davidvdr - Jul 1, 2010 11:18 pm Date Climbed: Apr 16, 2010
Great way to get off the beaten pathThe route had about 8 inches of fresh pow on it...I think I started 3 separate mini avalanches...fun. At least the ice at the top was covered up.
rockrat2 - Jun 20, 2010 9:09 pm
fun routeFun spring route, nothing technical but some nice steep snow at end. Great hike in and a super scenic camp site!
JustinW - Jun 20, 2010 12:35 am Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2009
MRWhat he said! Great climb overall.
nickL - Jun 12, 2010 4:34 pm Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2009
Fall MRGreat conditions on the way up, camped at Upper Boyscout lake and had great snow conditions all the way to the top the next day. That night, not so much. Wind picked up and flattened our tent at 2:00 am. Crappy night of redoing and tightening guylines only to have them rip completely off the tent fabric. Good thing we both had bivy sacks!