Mount Whitney
Description
WikipediaMount Whitney (Paiute: Tumanguya) is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It lies in East–Central California on the boundary between Inyo and Tulare counties, and 84.6 miles (136.2 km) west-northwest of North America's lowest topographic point, Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The mountain's west slope is in Sequoia National Park and the summit is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail, which runs 211.9 mi (341.0 km) from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The eastern slopes are in Inyo National Forest in Inyo County. Mount Whitney is ranked 18th by topographic isolation and 81st by prominence on Earth.
First ascent
Best months
Hiking score 0–100 · 10-yr climate averagesNeighbouring summits
| Name | Elevation | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeler Needle | 4,350 m | S 171° | 0.3 km |
| Crooks Peak | 4,330 m | S 163° | 0.5 km |
| Lewis Peak | 4,292 m | S 161° | 0.6 km |
| Aiguille Extra | 4,267 m | S 165° | 0.7 km |
| Aiguille du Paquoir | 4,270 m | S 175° | 0.9 km |
| Aiguille Junior | 4,243 m | S 179° | 1.2 km |
Routes of ascent
| Route | Network | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Muir Trail | rwn | 343.9 km | — |
| Mount Whitney Trail | rwn | 28.2 km | — |
| Mount Whitney Mountaineer's Route | lwn | 8.4 km | — |
Climbing routes
nearest first| Route | Area | Grade | From summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SouthWest Edge | Mt. Whitney | 4b | 22 m |
| East Face | Mt. Whitney | 5a | 22 m |
| Happy Cowboy (Whitney Edge Traverse) | Mt. Whitney | 1 | 22 m |
| SouthWest Ridge | Mt. Whitney | 1 | 22 m |
| Hairline | Mt. Whitney | 6b+ | 22 m |
| The Mountaineer's Route | Mt. Whitney | 1- | 22 m |
| North Face | Mt. Whitney | 5b | 22 m |
| Left Wing Extremist | Mt. Whitney | 6c+ | 22 m |
| Cardiovascular Seizure | Mt. Whitney | 6b+ | 22 m |
| East Buttress | Mt. Whitney | 5a | 22 m |
| WNW Edge | Keeler Needle | 1- | 347 m |
| Blood of the Monkey | Keeler Needle | 7b+ | 347 m |
| Harding Route | Keeler Needle | 6b+ | 347 m |
| WNW Edge | Day Needle (aka Crooks Peak) | 1 | 455 m |
| Beckey-Reese East Face Direct | Day Needle (aka Crooks Peak) | 6b | 455 m |
| East Face | Aiguille Extra | 6a | 722 m |
| East Face | Aiguille Junior (pk 14000+) | 5b | 1.0 km |
| Pinnacle Pass - South side | Pinnacle Ridge | 1- | 1.1 km |
| Pinnacle Pass - North side | Pinnacle Ridge | 1+ | 1.1 km |
| Traverse of Pinnacle Ridge | Pinnacle Ridge | 4a | 1.1 km |
| Mithril Dihedral | Mt. Russell | 5c | 1.3 km |
| Bloody Corner | Mt. Russell | 6b | 1.3 km |
| Coyote Crossing | Mt. Russell | 6b+ | 1.3 km |
| Star Trekkin' | Mt. Russell | 6b | 1.3 km |
| North Face | Mt. Russell | 4c | 1.3 km |