Mount Whitney, Sierra Nevada, 7 Day Guided Climb with Horsepack Support

Your trip begins at the Dow Villa Hotel in Lone Pine, CA. Plan to arrive at the hotel before 6 pm so you can meet your guides and group for your trip orientation. If you’re flying to the area, the closest airport options are LAX (Los Angeles) and LAS (Las Vegas). We recommend renting a car to travel to Lone Pine and the trailhead, as there are not public transportation options. On Day 2, you will follow your guide in your own vehicle to the starting trailhead, where it can stay parked for the duration of your trip. We will exit the trailhead by early afternoon on the final day.

If you’re flying to the area, the closest airport options are LAX (Los Angeles) and LAS (Las Vegas). We recommend renting a car to travel to Lone Pine and the trailhead, as there are not public transportation options.

Mules will be carrying all of our equipment and your personal gear each day. Each person is allowed to bring a maximum of 15 lbs of personal items to be carried by the mules. We won’t be hiking with the mules and perhaps not even camping with them depending on the day. You will need to pack your personal belongings (not including tent, sleeping bag & pad) efficiently into one mid-sized compression sack or duffel, weighing no more than 15 pounds. You are welcome to pack anything extra in your daypack.

In your daypack, you’ll want to have water for the day (about 2-3 liters), raingear (a must in the Sierra), sunscreen, a warm insulating layer, sunglasses/hat, blister/first aid care. You can pack anything extra in your hiking backpack as well, such as a camera, binoculars, field guide, etc. Keep in mind that you won’t have access to the rest of your belongings that the mules carry until you arrive at camp each evening, so make sure you have what you need for the day. Everything else can be packed with the mules! Each person is allowed to bring a maximum of 15 lbs of personal items to be carried by the mules.

If you’re a solo traveler and have requested to borrow a tent from SYMG, you will receive your own single tent for the backcountry portion of the trip (hotel accommodations are shared unless you request to pay extra for a single supplement). For those that are traveling with friends or family members, we’d ask that you consider sharing a tent with someone you’re traveling with to save space and minimize our impact on the campsites that we use.

Your guides work very hard to provide an exemplary trip experience for you, and it is customary to give them a gratuity for a job well done. Tips are shared between your guides. 10-20% of your trip cost is recommended and cash or check is preferred (there is an ATM at the Wyndham if needed).

It is also customary to tip the packer. A tip of 3% of your trip cost is recommended, tips can be given directly to the packer on the last day at the trailhead (cash is preferred).

SYMG supplies the following group gear:

• Cooking gear, pots, and pans

• Utensils, plate ware, and drinking mugs for each person

• Stoves & fuel

• Water filters (hand pump)

• Maps & compass

• Emergency/first aid gear

• Bearproof panniers for food and scented item storage

• Bathroom kit (shovel, toilet paper, etc)

During the summer months of June through September, average temperatures in the backcountry (7,000-10,000’) range between 65-75°F during the day and 30-40°F at night. Generally, July and August are the warmest months, while June and September have cooler temperatures. Multi-day storm systems are rare, however, rain or snow showers can happen any afternoon in the summer, so it’s important to bring proper rain gear.

This trip is designed as a challenging backcountry experience, so we recommend having hiking and camping experience before embarking on the Mt Whitney With Horsepack Support. The most successful people on this trip are comfortable hiking 8-10 miles multiple days in a row on varied terrain with a light daypack on (~10-15 lbs).

If you don’t have this experience, we recommend committing to a detailed training plan. Ultimately, the more you train, the more fun you’ll have and the more successful you’ll be!