My husband used to climb Mount Whitney regularly when he was younger and decided this year it had been too long since he had last ventured up--so he decided to take the trek once again...this time, with me in tow. We headed up via the Mountaineer's Route. I had no idea what I was in for or how challenging climbing Whitney would be--I had only heard a few stories in the past. MW is the highest summit in the continental US at around 14,500 feet. If you've ever climbed Half Dome in Yosemite, the trailhead of MW starts at around 8,000 feet, which is close to the elevation at the top of Half Dome. Crazy? Yes. Intense? Mmhmm. Amazing? Most definitely!
Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the top, but the journey was beautiful. I couldn't believe how much the terrain vastly changed from mile to mile. During the climb I swore I would never attempt it again (it was painful at times!), but now that it is after the fact...I may reconsider another attempt. Maybe...
It was a day of firsts for me--using an ice pick, putting on crampons, glissading...there's something about learning and experiencing new things that keeps me going. Time to train for the next adventure!
