Mount Whitney Ascent with Horsepack Support
Fresno, CA
Trip Highlights
- Horsepack Supported
- Summit Mount Whitney
- Explore the High Sierra
- Alpine Peaks & Lakes
- Awe-inspiring Views
- Fascinating Natural & Cultural History
Description
Climb Mount Whitney (14,505′), the highest summit in the Continental USA, and explore the remote backcountry wilderness of Sequoia National Park! Pack stock will carry the bulk of our gear and supplies, allowing us to hike with light day packs. Hiking from camp to camp along dramatically scenic high country sections of the famous John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails, this trip features the best of the Sierra. Foxtail Pines, pristine meadows, and alpine lakes define this remote mountainous region. Standing atop the highest peak in the contiguous USA is an exhilarating experience like few others, and getting there over 7 days in the wildly scenic high country of the Sierra makes it a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
This trip is operated in partnership with Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides: a permitted outfitter on the Sierra and Inyo National Forests, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
$5380 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 4
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
This trip features mostly moderate hiking distances on moderately rugged terrain that includes on-trail and off-trail sections. Backpack weights are on the light-moderate side at 8-12 lbs. The summit of Mount Whitney involves an extreme hiking distance coupled with extreme elevation gain/loss. It is possible to stay in camp on the summit day if you opt out of that day’s hike.
Hiking Distances:
Up to 16 miles
Backpack Weight:
8-12 pounds
Terrain:
Significantly Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
Up to 4270 feet
Heights Exposure:
Moderate
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THIS TRIP
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 8-12 lb backpack for 4-6 hours (however, on the Mount Whitney summit day, we will likely be hiking for 10-12 hours)
- Maintaining balance and footing on terrain that can be uneven, steep, rocky, snowy, or muddy
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this High Sierra stock-supported trip a solitude 3. Expect hours of solitude at a time.
We require a minimum of 4 guests to confirm this trip. If a trip date is not confirmed yet, you can register and will be notified when the trip is officially confirmed. We recommend not making final travel arrangements until your trip meets the minimum number of guests and is confirmed.
In most cases, if a trip does not reach the minimum number of guests, you may choose to transfer to another trip date or another trip, be refunded your payments in full, or you may have the choice to pay a supplemental fee to run the trip with fewer guests. We make the final determination for these trips 65-60 days before the departure date.
PRIVATE TRIPS
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
PRIVATE RATES FOR THIS TRIP
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4 People: Rate x 1.25
- 5+ People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
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ITINERARY
Day 1
Today we’ll begin with pick up at the Fresno Airport or Fairfield Inn and Suites Fresno Airport at 1:00 PM, and transfer to Lone Pine, CA. With views of Mount Whitney to the west, Lone Pine offers a foreshadowing of our upcoming adventure. We’ll check into our lodging, and then you’ll meet your guide and group for an orientation at 6:00 PM. Dinner is on your own tonight, though typically groups choose to eat together.
Day 2
- Drive Time: 45 minutes
- Hiking Distance: 4 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1516 feet
- Elevation Loss: 217 feet
We’ll meet for breakfast in the lobby at 7:00 AM, which is a great opportunity to ask your guides any last-minute questions you have. After breakfast we will drive to the the trailhead, which provides stunning views of the Owens Valley below. Today’s hike is a great warm up, to get our legs moving and find our “trail groove.” It takes us up and over Cottonwood Pass. Tonight’s camp is at Chicken Springs Lake, where we’ll settle in for our first backcountry dinner prepared by your guides.
Day 3
- Hiking Distance: 9 miles
- Elevation Gain: 732 feet
- Elevation Loss: 2228 feet
Today starts with a delicious breakfast and hot tea and coffee. We’ll break camp and follow the famous Pacific Crest Trail through majestic Foxtail Pine forests. Tonight’s camp is on the majestic shores of Rock Creek.
Day 4
- Hiking Distance: 6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 942 feet
- Elevation Loss: 1769 feet
Today takes us up and over the relatively mild Guyot Pass to Crabtree Meadows where we will make an early camp in preparation for our “alpine start” for the Mount Whitney summit tomorrow morning.
Day 5
- Hiking Distance: 16 miles
- Elevation Gain: 4270 feet
- Elevation Loss: 4270 feet
Our morning starts with a quick breakfast and an “alpine start,” meaning a pre-sunrise departure from camp for the summit of Mount Whitney. The hike is invigorating, as we climb higher and higher for panoramic views of the mountains and deserts that surround us in all directions. After enjoying the breathtaking views from the highest point in the USA outside of Alaska, we’ll head back back down Crabtree Meadow. This evening we’ll enjoy an early, celebratory supper and memorable sunset over Mount Russell and the Kaweah Crest.
Day 6
- Hiking Distance: 11 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2392 feet
- Elevation Loss; 1877 feet
Waking with an extraordinary sense of accomplishment, we’ll begin our descending hike back southward through Sequoia National Park. An alternate route than how we arrived will provide us with new scenery as we explore the headwaters of Rock Creek near Soldier Meadow.
Day 7
- Shuttle Time: 4.5 Hours
- Hiking Distance: 9.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1302 feet
- Elevation Loss: 2192 feet
Packing up camp one last time, we’ll enjoy a meadow breakfast together, then begin our exit from the High Sierra via Cottonwood Pass, which will get us back to our vehicle at the trailhead. Together we will have a last celebratory lunch together prior to being transported back to Fresno.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Horsepack suupport to transport the majority of gear and food
- Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
- Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
- High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use) – or bring your own.
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast on Day 2 through breakfast on the last day
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device (InReach Explorer or satellite phone)
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Waterbottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Day 1 dinner
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-15% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What to Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs or Mountain Hardware tents
- Sierra Designs, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware synthetic-fill sleeping bags (or bring your own)
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Mountain Safety Research cooking stoves
- Mountain Safety Research cookware
- Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
Guest Packing List
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with a detailed packing list specific to this trip (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, a recommended clothing system, a headlamp or flashlight, a hydration system (water bottles and/or bladder) and other items specific to each trip.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
Trip Logistics
How Do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
This trip originates at the Fairfield Inn or Fresno Airport in Fresno, California with pickup at 1:00 pm. Your guide will transport you to Lone Pine, CA where we will lodge the first night and have our Orientation Meeting. During orientation we will review the packing list, communicate the next day’s logistics and answer any last-minute questions you have.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Start/End Times
This trip originates at Best Western Frontier Motel in Lone Pine, California on Day 1. The trip concludes at the finishing trailhead by 2:00 PM.
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Essential Eligibility Criteria (“EEC”) have been specifically identified to help you understand the skills and abilities necessary to participate on each Wildland trip, and they apply uniformly to all potential trip participants, irrespective of the presence or absence of any disability.
Once you identify a trip in which you may be interested, please carefully review the EEC and itinerary details. If after reviewing the EEC that apply to your desired trip, you determine you need an accommodation in order to meet the EEC, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your requested accommodation.
The EEC exist for your own safety and the safety and enjoyment of all participants. If you are unable to meet the EEC for the trip, with or without an accommodation, you are not eligible for that trip. If you register and arrive for a trip for which you do not meet the EEC, you will be disqualified from participation on the trip and will be dismissed or evacuated from the trip without a refund.
Weather in the Sierra
Being a high mountain environment, the Sierra Nevada Mountains are prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. This is an exciting aspect of being in the mountains. On trips in June, snow is a possibility, and the rest of the summer rain is always a possibility on your trip. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). See below for average summer temperatures:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | ||||||
|
Month
|
Valleys
|
Alpine
|
||||
|
hi
|
low
|
hi
|
low
|
|||
|
January
|
49°
|
26°
|
45°
|
25°
|
||
|
February
|
55°
|
28°
|
46°
|
26°
|
||
|
March
|
59°
|
31°
|
48°
|
27°
|
||
|
April
|
65°
|
35°
|
54°
|
30°
|
||
|
May
|
73°
|
42°
|
62°
|
37°
|
||
|
June
|
81°
|
51°
|
71°
|
46°
|
||
|
July
|
89°
|
57°
|
77°
|
50°
|
||
|
August
|
89°
|
56°
|
81°
|
53°
|
||
|
September
|
82°
|
51°
|
71°
|
46°
|
||
|
October
|
74°
|
39°
|
62°
|
37°
|
||
|
November
|
58°
|
31°
|
51°
|
29°
|
||
|
December
|
48°
|
26°
|
46°
|
25°
|
||
Accommodations
Best Western Frontier Motel
1 Night
The Best Western Frontier Motel in Lone Pine, California is a perfect jumping off point for this trip. This accommodation is clean, well-run and reliable. All rooms have private bathrooms and wifi, and the hotel has a swimming pool, hot tub and continental breakfast.
Backcountry Sleeping
5 Nights TENT CAMPING
Sleeping on llama treks is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and synthetic-fill sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
Backcountry Cuisine
FRESH & DELICIOUS
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your trekking guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
Amazing Campsites
IN THE ACTION
Campsites vary by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your trekking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
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