California’s Mt. Whitney isn’t for the inexperienced, o ut-of-shape or unprepared. Though 1,000’s of people attempt this popular summit every year, hiking Mt. Whitney is a seriously challenging endeavor, with thin, oxygen-poor atmosphere, unpredictable weather, and often difficult terrain.

It isn’t so much the distance as it is the elevation gain that defeats most hikers. Simply put, anyone who fails to spend a day or more acclimatizing to the thinner air is going to get very, very sick. Even acclimatized hikers sometimes fall prey to Mountain Sickness.

Weather on Mt. Whitney can turn nasty very quickly, with thunderstorms being an almost daily occurrence. Expose terrain puts hikers in danger of lightening strikes. Winter hikers have to contend with snow and ice, but then so do many summer hikers.

Even though the trails are well maintained, a certain level of physical fitness is required just to go the distance. Of the 2 major trails, Mt. Whitney Trail is by far the more forgiving. The North Fork Trail “Mountaineer Trail” is awfully steep and strenuous.

Nevertheless, Mt. Whitney is hardly Everest either, and any fit and prepared hiker is sure to enjoy the spectacular experience of ascending to the summit. This is usually 2-day affair, but real hard-cases (or head-cases) may attempt the 24 up and down thing. Either way, hikers need to get their permits in order about 6 months in advance.