Last Friday, I climbed Mt. Whitney with a group from the Merrill Lynch office in Brea (the office I used to work at). Mt. Whitney is in the Eastern Sierras about 3.5 hours from Orange County. It is 14,495 feet above sea level--the tallest point in the lower 48 states. We started hiking from Mt. Whitney Portal at 5:30 am and reached the summit at 11:30 am--an elevation change of 6,130 feet. The group hung out at the top for approximately an hour and then started the descent. Inclement weather looked like it was rolling in so we decided to get the hell out of dodge. We were off the mountain/trail by 5:30 pm. Total distance covered was 21 miles; total time was 12 hours. Not bad for a first timer.
This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Not only from a physical standpoint but also being able to appreciate natures awesome beauty. I met some really interesting people throughout the day from all over the world. A lot of people have asked me if it was like doing a marathon. My reply is that its maybe not as physically or cardiovascularily challenging but definitely no walk in the park. The mental aspect of it is in my opinion more demanding. The duration along is trying enough not to mention being out in the elements. One area specifically that I want to comment on is "97 switchbacks" just above Trail Camp. The is a series of literally 97 switchback above the timberline prior to summitting to Trail Crest at 13,650 feet. It is very exposed and all rock. I compare it to mile 20 in a marathon--you just have to "plug in" and focus. It took us about 1.5 hours to get through this section and it was gruelling. The positive was that once we reached Trail Crest, we only had another 1.9 miles to the top but believe me, the last 1.9 miles was not clear sailing. In fact, this area consisted primarily of large rock where you were basically boulder-dashing. The fall off was straight down--pretty scary!
Nevertheless, reaching the summit was surreal. I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Like I mentioned above, climbing Mt. Whitney was an experience I'll remember forever. I highly recommend it!
Last Friday, I climbed Mt. Whitney with a group from the Merrill Lynch office in Brea (the office I used to work at). Mt. Whitney is in the Eastern Sierras about 3.5 hours from Orange County. It is 14,495 feet above sea level--the tallest point in the lower 48 states. We started hiking from Mt. Whitney Portal at 5:30 am and reached the summit at 11:30 am--an elevation change of 6,130 feet. The group hung out at the top for approximately an hour and then started the descent. Inclement weather looked like it was rolling in so we decided to get the hell out of dodge. We were off the mountain/trail by 5:30 pm. Total distance covered was 21 miles; total time was 12 hours. Not bad for a first timer. 
This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Not only from a physical standpoint but also being able to appreciate natures awesome beauty. I met some really interesting people throughout the day from all over the world. A lot of people have asked me if it was like doing a marathon. My reply is that its maybe not as physically or cardiovascularily challenging but definitely no walk in the park. The mental aspect of it is in my opinion more demanding. The duration along is trying enough not to mention being out in the elements. One area specifically that I want to comment on is "97 switchbacks" just above Trail Camp. The is a series of literally 97 switchback above the timberline prior to summitting to Trail Crest at 13,650 feet. It is very exposed and all rock. I compare it to mile 20 in a marathon--you just have to "plug in" and focus. It took us about 1.5 hours to get through this section and it was gruelling. The positive was that once we reached Trail Crest, we only had another 1.9 miles to the top but believe me, the last 1.9 miles was not clear sailing. In fact, this area consisted primarily of large rock where you were basically boulder-dashing. The fall off was straight down--pretty scary!
Nevertheless, reaching the summit was surreal. I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Like I mentioned above, climbing Mt. Whitney was an experience I'll remember forever. I highly recommend it!
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