Reaching the summit of Mt. Whitney is one factor. Reaching the security of your automobile afterward is one other. The 21.4-mile round-trip hike has an elevation acquire of over 6,000 ft. Close to the summit, the air is skinny, and the terrain could be snow-covered in locations and icy.
It’s a harmful climb that claims lives yearly. In 2025, there have been 5 fatalities on the mountain, the deadliest yr of the final decade. In 2026, Whitney has already claimed one life close to the summit on Jan. 19.
Regardless of the risks, between 25,000 and 30,000 individuals efficiently hike Mount Whitney yearly. It’s considered one of California’s most iconic and well-liked mountains, drawing hikers and climbers from world wide. The allow system is lottery-based and allots round 100 day permits and 60 in a single day permits every day.
If you’re hoping to climb Mount Whitney, the allow lottery for 2026 lately opened, however there are a number of components price contemplating earlier than you apply. GearJunkie spoke with specialists from the Inyo County Search and Rescue (SAR) and native guides concerning the most secure occasions to hike the mountain and suggestions for making certain success.
Mount Whitney Allow Lottery
When to Climb
Maybe crucial consider making certain your security on Mt. Whitney is the time you select to go. With elevations over 14,000 ft, snow, ice, and winter storms can pose critical security threats relying on the season.
Hikers can enter the allow lottery from now till March 1, and might request dates from Could 1 to November 1. Registration is easy and requires just some steps on the Recreation.gov web site.
The interval from Could to June “tends to have the best accident and fatality charges within the allow season,” in response to Inyo County SAR. Snow and ice nonetheless cowl Whitney throughout this time-frame, and climbing the mountain requires alpine expertise and specialised gear.
July to August is normally one of the best wager for good situations. Whereas afternoon thunderstorms can occur, excessive climate is much less doubtless throughout the summer season. Inyo County SAR says that the majority rescues throughout this time are resulting from high-altitude illness somewhat than falls. If you happen to lack mountaineering expertise, this 2-month window is the most secure time to pick in your lottery entry.
With shorter, colder days, mountaineering Whitney from September to October can pose further hazards. Winter storms are attainable, and most rescues stem from hikers being unprepared for the climate.
Group Measurement & Composition
The dimensions and composition of a gaggle are additionally vital to think about when planning a visit up Mt. Whitney. GearJunkie spoke with Natalie Brechtel, a mountain information with years of expertise on Mt. Whitney and a background in wilderness drugs. She beneficial stepping into small teams with individuals who have comparable priorities — don’t go alone and don’t go together with massive teams.
Bretchel mentioned that the perfect group measurement is about “having a sufficiently small and devoted sufficient group to remain collectively — of us who’re clear about their goals and priorities.”
“It’s good to be choosy about your mountaineering companions,” Inyo SAR confirmed. “Solely go together with individuals whom you may belief. Random meet-ups usually tend to name for a rescue than teams who’ve hiked collectively many occasions.”
Even when your group is mountaineering at completely different paces, don’t break up up. Inyo SAR estimates that soloists and individuals who have break up up from their group make up about 50% of all rescue deployments in a given yr.
Staying Protected Whereas Climbing Mt. Whitney
The Largest Dangers
Inyo County SAR deployed groups to 24 incidents on Mt. Whitney in 2025, in response to statistics offered to GearJunkie. Ten rescues had been for solo hikers or hikers who had break up up from their group. Eight had been for medical points stemming from altitude illness.
Whereas Inyo SAR additionally receives many requires exhaustion-related issues, this doesn’t technically qualify as an “emergency.”
“We merely do not need the mandatory capability to answer all exhaustion calls,” a consultant mentioned. “Additional, all we might do is accompany them on their stroll down on their very own ft anyway.”
Altitude Illness & Acclimatization
One of the crucial frequent causes individuals name for assistance on Mount Whitney is altitude illness. When ascending to too excessive an altitude too rapidly, the physique can battle to regulate to the decrease oxygen ranges within the air, in response to the Cleveland Clinic.
Signs embody complications, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and bother sleeping. Extra critical penalties can embody high-altitude cerebral edema and high-altitude pulmonary edema. The one treatment is to descend to a decrease altitude.
Final August, a hiker known as Inyo County SAR for assist as a result of he “was unable to proceed descending after pushing for the summit in a single day with little relaxation or acclimatization,” the company mentioned.
Brechtel notes that giving your self time to acclimate is crucial. “What I believe will get missed is how large of a leap going from sea degree to eight,000 ft is on the physique. It places large calls for on our system. So, one thing so simple as spending two nights at 8,000 ft with a day hike larger is extremely useful at giving the physique time to regulate,” Brechtel mentioned.
Whereas everybody responds to excessive elevations in a different way, 1 to 4 days of acclimatization is an effective benchmark.
One other key a part of acclimatizing is treating your physique effectively. Folks want satisfactory sleep, hydration, and high-carb meals. Alcohol can exacerbate altitude issues, and is usually beneficial towards whereas climbing a peak like Whitney.
For more information on acclimatizing, try this in-depth information from Princeton College.
Coaching & Health
Whitney’s excessive elevation, coupled with the 21-mile hike in and 6,000 ft of elevation acquire, makes it a critical alpine goal. Brechtel famous that on a regular basis health isn’t any indication of how effectively you’ll do on Whitney. She’s had shoppers who’ve run marathons and who’ve nonetheless struggled on the path.
A typical error she sees is hikers focusing an excessive amount of on endurance. Whereas, after all, it is a issue, on Whitney, individuals’s legs usually give out earlier than their cardio does.
“I believe what usually will get missed is that it takes numerous leg and core power to hike the steeper jap Sierra trails,” Brechtel mentioned.
If you happen to stay in California, Inyo SAR instructed mountaineering mountains like Mount Wilson, Gorgonio, Cucamonga, and San Bernardino in the summertime or fall for coaching.
If you happen to don’t stay in a mountainous space, don’t fear. Elevation change or a hill (or perhaps a stairmaster) plus a pack will work if there are not any alternate options. After years of mountaineering Whitney with 45- to 50-pound packs, Brechtel says nothing prepares you in addition to mountaineering steep trails with a pack on, plus some leg power coaching.
Enough Gear
Past the apparent gear (see our listing of 10 Necessities for Mountain climbing), climbing Mt. Whitney would possibly require different specialised gear, relying on what time of yr you go.
“So many accidents come from the shortage of expertise with any of this gear and judgment about when to make use of it,” Brechtel mentioned. For instance, she factors out how many individuals confuse microspikes with crampons when packing for Whitney.
“There are many on-line retailers who promote spikes as ‘crampons,’ even after they aren’t really crampons. Spikes are inadequate on mountains; they’re made for flat trails,” Inyo SAR mentioned.
An ice axe and self-arrest coaching are additionally vital, as snow and ice are current on Whitney even in the summertime and fall. Inyo’s SAR workers additionally recommends all the time bringing a water-resistant jacket, even when the forecast appears to be like clear.
Falls
Mount Whitney’s 99 switchbacks are one of the crucial well-known (and harmful) sections of the path. In 2.2 miles, hikers acquire roughly 1,800 ft in a collection of grueling switchbacks. Falls usually occur when individuals attempt to go up the snow to keep away from the switchbacks.
In truth, final November, a hiker known as SAR for that very cause. They had been going up off-trail, on the proper aspect of the 99 switchbacks, after they fell on ice and sustained accidents. The part of the hike close to the highest sees comparable incidents.
“The place of us encounter uncovered rock scrambling, in the event that they attempt to keep away from this, they traverse a patch of snow which may final all season and in addition turns into very slippery,” Brechtel defined. Understanding transfer securely on agency snow with huge fall penalties is crucial to stopping probably deadly falls.
Planning & Mentality
One of the crucial vital components in a profitable Whitney hike is having sufficient time to finish it. On the day of the hike, begin early and depart your self loads of time to finish the path earlier than dusk.
It’s vital to have a cutoff time. If you happen to don’t hit the summit by your pre-planned cutoff, it’s time to show again, it doesn’t matter what. The velocity you deliberate on going would possibly turn into fairly completely different than the velocity you really hike on the day.
“It’s good to make your individual selections about turnaround occasions and getting again in response to your individual velocity,” in response to Inyo County SAR; in addition they level out that it’s vital to cross the snowfield at Path Crest earlier than the solar goes down.
“While you ascend the mountain, this snowfield could be smooth. Nevertheless, it solidifies as temperatures get cool within the late afternoon,” Inyo County SAR mentioned. It turns into extraordinarily harmful and slippery to descend that snowfield in the dead of night, and no summit is price your life.
“Turning round will not be a failure, however an indication of knowledge,” Inyo SAR mentioned. “Mountains like Mt. Whitney should not the place to seek out out what you’re able to.”
For extra details about climbing Mount Whitney and to use for a allow, verify the Recreation.gov web site.
