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Lauren Hirsch

I just summited Whitney with my Boyfriend on 6/19/18 we had prepared for snow with ice axes and crampons (which you can rent in lone pine or bishop) but we didn’t need the extra snow gear and ended up stashing them amongst some rocks to lighten our load. There was some snow along the cables and a bit further up around the crest but honestly it was manageable with sturdy boots and some hiking poles. As we descended Whitney, all the snow we passed was turning to slush and melting away. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the snow was gone in a few days. We took extra strength Tylenol to help with the altitude sickness at about 12,000 ft which helped me a lot. Definitely stay hydrated, bring electrolytes, and tons of food. We took small breaks every hour to hydrate and eat even though we weren’t hungry once we got passed 12,000ft. After slaying the 99 switchbacks, the air felt heavy and it was very difficult to breathe. We had to take a lot of breaks for the last two miles. Pace yourselves if you need to, there’s no point in over exerting yourself. Overall incredible hike with amazing views. We started at 12am in the morning and didn’t get back until 11pm. My boyfriend is not an experienced hiker at all nor experienced with higher altitudes and he did great, just needed lots of rest stops. This isn’t your walk in the park, but your efforts will be rewarded not only with bragging rights but also incredible views while ascending and descending.