Training for Mt Whitney: How to Prepare for 21 Miles in One Day

There are many reasons people are drawn to hiking Mt Whitney!  It’s not only the highest point in the state of California, but also the lower 48 states!  It towers over iconic state landmarks like Sequoia National Park and the Sierras, and it offers the ultimate bragging rights for hikers as one of the toughest hikes in the United States, especially as a day hike!  Mt Whitney is a formidable opponent at over 14,000 feet in height, over 6,600 feet in elevation gain, and consisting of a whopping 21 miles roundtrip!  Add on to that impressive resume alpine weather and elements, high altitude, and challenging terrain, and you can see why Mt Whitney is such a feat!  Whichever reasons brought you to the start of your Mt Whitney journey, it is imperative to know that when it comes to hiking Mt Whitney, you don’t just wing it!  Besides navigating the annual Mt Whitney lottery process successfully, building a Mt Whitney gear list, and fully familiarizing yourself with the details of the Mt Whitney Trail, the other critical and obvious factor includes training for Mt Whitney and its 21 miles in ONE day!  I live in one of the flattest parts of the country in north-central Texas, and I am here to tell you that anyone with enough intentionality, commitment, and creativity can successfully conquer Mt Whitney in one day!  If you are looking for a simple, straightforward training plan for hiking Mt Whitney in one day, you’re in the right place!

 

Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t make any recommendations on this page that I haven’t tested or personally used!  Enjoy this guide to training for Mt Whitney in one day!

 

 

Training for Mt Whitney in One Day

 

Before getting into the specifics of training for Mt Whitney, you need to have a foundation, and you need to understand and know what your body is capable of NOW.  Training for Mt Whitney involves knowing what your body is capable of, and what you can ask of it, BEFOREHAND!

 

A couple other things to take care of beforehand, before beginning your actual training:

 

• *Understanding the annual lottery – you can’t just show up and hike the standard Mt. Whitney trail.  While there are other ways to hike it (like the technical Mountaineer’s Route, or hiking in the winter – both for very experienced hikers) the way most people approach Mt. Whitney is via the standard Mt. Whitney Trail during permit season.  Before you start training, make sure you actually have the permit!

 

• *Why ONE day? – As you’ll see when you go through the permit application process, you can choose to hike Mt. Whitney as an overnight hike or a day hike.  Your chances are better for a day hike, as there are more day permits given out than overnight permits.  The other advantage is not having to carry your gear, which is why I choose to approach this training plan from the perspective of a day hike.  You’ll still want to train for an overnight hike, but there will be a few extra considerations when attempting Mt. Whitney in one day.

 

• *Get familiar with the hike itself – check out this complete trail report for the Mt. Whitney hike, including logistics, conditions, landmarks, and trail details!

 

• *Establishing a baseline foundation – before jumping into this targeted Mt. Whitney training plan, you’ll want to ensure you are healthy and have a good, consistent baseline foundation in place.  This training plan progresses with incremental increases in volume and mileage, so you’ll want to ensure you have the foundation to build on.

 

 

How Long Do I Need to Train for Mt. Whitney?

 

I just mentioned the importance of assessing your baseline foundation to segway into this very common question – “how long do I need to train for the Mt. Whitney hike”?

 

That answer depends on several factors, such as your background and your experience, age, your current health, injury history, and your current baseline foundation.  You also need to keep in mind that a good training plan is going to increase in gradual INCREMENTS, and you have to allow enough time for that to occur naturally.  I recommend gradual weekly increments in distance and volume between 1 and 2 additional miles per week, as you will see in the free training calendar offered below.  If possible, working in several long practice hikes at each increment when you can is even better.  Gradual increments is the #1 thing you can do to prevent burnout and overuse injuries.  That is why you will see my recommended 16 week training calendar offered below, because I feel 16 weeks is a minimum amount of time needed for targeted training.  However, if your background, current health, or baseline foundation require more, than be sure to allow extra time on the front end of your training plan!  Whatever you do, please do not go from your current longest hike being 4 miles, to deciding to try a 16 mile hike next week with no increments in between!

 

 

Establishing a Baseline Foundation for Hiking Mt. Whitney

 

So what does a good baseline foundation look like?  

Moderate cardio for a minimum of 60 minutes, 3-4 x a week.  Comfortably and consistently.

 

This doesn’t have to be all hiking, but it should include some hikes.  It could also include:

• a 60 minute bike ride with some hills
• a 60 minute trail run
• a 60 minute HIIT workout or strength training workout
• 60 minutes on the elliptical
• a 60 minute moderate hike
• etc

 

What do I mean by comfortably and consistently?  If you’re having to stop every 2 minutes to catch your breath on a 60 minute hike, then keep at it.  If you’ve missed big chunks of time due to illness, injury, weather, etc., then keep at it.  Comfortably and consistently means that you have been doing 60 minute workouts 3-4 times a week for a while, consistently, and it is a comfortable part of your routine.

 

You’ll see that this example training plan is 16 weeks long, but you can absolutely start earlier than that.  I just believe that 16 weeks is a good minimum amount of time to really engage in targeted training for a challenging hike of this nature.  If you need more time to establish a good baseline foundation though, back up your timeline to allow for that.

 

This training plan consists of 2 hiking days a week (1 short and 1 long), 4 cross training / strength training days a week, and 1 rest and recovery day a week.  An extra rest day with only 3 cross training / strength training days is also a consideration depending on the individual.  Of course personal adjustments are natural, but make sure that you’re up for this type of training commitment.

 

 

8 Parts of a Mt. Whitney Training Plan

 

So how do you build the right framework to prepare to climb Mt Whitney in one day? 

First, you need to establish foundational hiking experience.  This goes hand in hand with having a good baseline foundation. Just getting out there and regularly experiencing some hiking, with varying terrain, elevation gain, and altitude if possible, to build that baseline.  Getting to where you’re consistent and comfortable with hiking / moderate cardio several times a week for at least 60 minutes.

 

Second, by preparing to address targeted training in these 8 areas:

 

 

As you train for Mt. Whitney, keep in mind your ultimate goals before hike day.  You should be working towards:

• being able to comfortably complete a handful of long distance hikes that are 15+ miles in length
• include a healthy dose of elevation gain on as many of those hikes as possible
• include high altitude on as many of those hikes as possible
• be able to complete those hikes with sustained, consistent, and comfortable output at a moderate level, while being mindful of pacing.

 

So how do you get there? By addressing each of these 8 areas above:

• #1:Gradually
• #2: Intentionally

 

Before I get into the 8 parts of my Mt. Whitney training plan, here’s a couple more quick things to consider:

 

• If you have a foundation, build on it. If you run, you already have a segway into hiking long distances because you understand consistent, sustained, output and pacing, and hopefully fueling and hydration.  If you cycle, you understand power, awareness, and stamina.  If you are a day hiker or shorter distance hiker, then you understand navigating trail conditions and terrain.  Take stock of where you are NOW and what you can build off of.  Once you have that skeleton in place, you can start filling in the muscles. 

 

• The muscles of your training plan need to be primarily targeted at long distance hiking, naturally.  If you are active in any other way or form, whether its running, weight lifting, cycling, kickboxing, etc., continue to work that into a weekly regimen, as cross training and strength training is so enormously beneficial.  You will see this noted on my training calendar below.  At the same time, start focusing more of your energy on building up your hiking stamina and pace gradually and intentionally.  

 

• As a long distance runner, hiker, and cyclist, I learned early on that the most important thing you can do when training for any big physical feat is to BE INTENTIONAL!!!  It is literally the most important thing I can say as far as sticking with any training regimen.  You will see this rule plastered on all my long distance training guides, from my 16 week half marathon training plan, to my Rim to Rim training plans, to my long distance cycling training plan.

 

• So if you are training for Mt Whitney in one day, go ahead and grab a calendar!  You’ll need it for the next part. Be intentional.  Get ready to literally write down the days you are planning to do your practice hikes for the next 4 months.  If you tell yourself you will do them “when you have time”, you are less likely to do it.  Set aside the time now, in writing, and your other obligations have a way of working with and around your scheduled training.  

 

 

#1: Time on Feet

 

While most people tend to focus on training for the massive 6,000 foot + uphill on Mt. Whitney, I’d argue that the most important thing to train for is time on your feet.  Yes, training for time on your feet is even more important than training for the uphills.  Which is good news for you “flatlanders” out there just like me!  You CAN hike Mt. Whitney in a day even if you don’t live next to 14’ers in Colorado!  I certainly don’t!  All you really, truly need to start training is somewhere where you can hike and work up to 16 – 18ish miles of hiking.  That doesn’t mean you have to have an 18 mile long hike close by – I do dozens of loops on my local 1.5 mile long loop trail frequently, because it has just enough humble elevation gain to add up over a bunch of loops.  Don’t worry, this training plan absolutely addresses the need to prepare for the ascent and descent of Mt. Whitney, but rest assured, if you incorporate all of the above 8 parts into your training, you can train from anywhere!  Starting with time on your feet.

 

The average time it takes to hike Mt. Whitney in a day ranges between 12 – 16 hours, and you need to train your body to be consistently going and giving output in preparation for that amount of time and distance.

 

Your aim should be to gradually work up to your longest training hike being between 16 – 18 miles.  A couple of these distance hikes is even better, if time allows.  Whether you hike 16, 17, or 18 miles for your longest final training hikes may depend on your timeframe, your hiking experience and background, or other personal preferences.  A minimum of a couple 16 mile long training hikes is the sweet spot for me.

 

How do you get to this point in terms of time on your feet?  As I reviewed earlier in this article, you do that by completing at least 1 short weekly training hike, and 1 long weekly training hike.  Both your short and long weekly hikes will increase in distance, but your long hikes will obviously increase more.  You’ll have a chance to grab a FREE training calendar below and see exactly what those weekly increments look like.

 

These mileage increases MUST increase GRADUALLY, in increments.  If you want to get nerdy about it, consider the 10 – 15% rule that many long distance runners are familiar with.  This simply means that your weekly mileage volume should only increase by about 10 – 15% each week.  It doesn’t have to be exact, but this concept helps to prevent overuse and other common injuries, as well as build a solid foundation that will hold up stronger over time.  If you want to not only hike Mt. Whitney, but other bucket lists hikes in the future, take the time to establish your hiking foundation the right way now.

 

 

#2: Training for the Uphills

 

 I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you have to run bleachers or office stairwells to prepare for Mt. Whitney, if you don’t have the natural elevation gain to practice on.  Not that you can’t, but that shouldn’t be the main focus.  Training for uphills incorporates a lot of background, a background that I dive deeply into when I coach and consult with clients.  If you have natural trails to practice on with plenty of elevation gain, then by all means that’s what you should use!  If you can work up to scaling 4 – 5k in elevation gain naturally on trails during the second half of your training plan, then I don’t even see the need to have to use bleachers, stairwells, ellipticals at all, unless you just really want to. 

If you don’t have access to natural elevation gain on trails, there are other ways to get in some practice.  Yes, sometimes that can be bleachers and stairwells, but it can also be gym equipment like ellipticals, stairmasters, and Jacobs Ladders.  Or it could even be doing weighted step ups from the comfort of your own home while you watch Netflix. 

It could also mean needing to use a little investigative skills.  Don’t overlook those humble 1.5 mile long loop trails that may only contain 300 feet of elevation gain.  What does 10 loops look like?  A decent training hike for Mt. Whitney.  While this trail may not jump out at you, don’t miss the opportunities that may be hiding.   I’m speaking from experience here in referencing one of my favorite local training trails – a under-rated 1.5 mile long loop with about 330 feet of elevation gain.

If you can, splurge and make the effort to travel to a “destination” trail with more elevation gain whenever possible, just to get in as much uphill and challenging hiking as possible.

Again, don’t worry if you don’t have natural elevation gain trails to train on by you, there are other ways!  Training for the uphills also involves hiking form, posture, and mechanics, as well as strength training and cross training, which we will get into more coming up.

 

 

#3: Training for the Downhills

 

I won’t go into a lot more in regards to downhill training now, because you will be able to see how you can train for it using stability training, posture, and hiking mechanics, which are coming up next.  I will make a note here though that certain “gear” items are worth considering for downhill training.

 

First off, trekking poles.  This can be lifesavers for rough descents.  If you have existing knee issues or other joint / muscle issues, consider using them.  But make sure to use them in your training hikes, not just the day of your Mt. Whitney  hike.  Getting the “feel” for hiking with poles takes practice.  Make sure that you have them measured to where they create a 90 degree angle with your arm.  Also make sure to shorten them 5-10 centimeters for uphills, and lengthen them 5-10 centimeters for downhills.  Rubber tips on the bottom also help.  My favorite trekking poles are these Black Diamonds, mostly because I love how lightweight they are, and I love the cork handles.  The cork helps to prevent my sweaty hands from slipping around like what sometimes happens with other rubber and plastic handles.  Plus the fact that I’ve had the same original pair of Black Diamond trekking poles for my entire adult hiking career.  Yes, they’re expensive, but I consider them a steal for their longevity and use.

 

Secondly, I never tackle aggressive downhills without taking a couple Ibprofen first.  Same goes for my trail running.  I have found that a couple Ibprofens before any hard, repetitive impact exercise works wonders for preventing inflammation from popping up during or later.  But I’m not a doctor, and you need to always test out what works best for you.

 

Lastly, don’t be afraid to slow your pace on downhills.  No need to fly through them.  This can catch up to you later.

 

#4: Stability Training – Posture, Mechanics, and Form

 

 

 

#5: Strength Training

 

 

 

Strength training could also include workouts like rucking, which I highly recommend!  I started rucking years ago when I wanted to find a way to bring my kiddo along with me on hikes.  So I started hiking with him in an Osprey Poco Carrier.  Turns out, that is rucking, just didn’t know it then.  Now I know there are ton of benefits to rucking, and it is a great form of strength training.  What exactly is rucking?  It’s basically hiking with a weighted pack, or in my case, a toddler in a carrier.  It’s not hard to get started with rucking, and it’s not overly complicated.  You can even branch out into doing other beneficial weighted workouts to prep for Mt. Whitney, like weighted step ups and step downs.

 

 

Walking Backwards

 

Another method of strength training that is specifically tailored to downhill training in particular is walking backwards.  There’s been a lot of recent focus on walking backwards for lengthy and challenging day hikes that contain substantial downhills, so I will address it here.  No, this isn’t a new fad, it’s been around for quite some time and has proven benefits.  Check out this study from 2022 that analyzed the benefits of walking backwards.  It’s been used for rehab purposes for those suffering from knee, hip, and joint pain, and also as preventative strength training too.

 

Benefits from walking backwards include:

• Improved balance, coordination, flexibility, and gait
• Strengthens muscle groups (like the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps) while also activating and engaging them in different ways
• Engages core muscles
• Low impact and low pressure on knees
• Helps prevent joint pain
• Burns more calories than forward walking

 

It’s absolutely worth it to build in some time walking backwards as part of your strength training.  This can be naturally outside on roads and trails with some incline, or on a treadmill.  Just raise the incline, unplug, and walk backwards.  As always, work up in time and incline gradually in increments.  I’d worry less about speed and more about incline and time spent walking backwards.  This is a great overall workout that helps with injury prevention, strengthens for uphills and downhills, and builds stability and good hiking form.

 

 

#6: Cross Training

 

 

#7: Pace

 

 

So as you build up your hiking stamina and endurance with your training hikes, start to focus on your pace.  Start to learn how much output your body is capable of giving consistently at what pace.  Start to gauge when your body actually requires a break.  Start to learn your hiking pace and how much your body can consistently and healthily give over an extended period of time, and be able to maintain.

 

As with everything else, work on your pace gradually and in increments.  Don’t ever try to push your body faster than it is ready for.  When you give yourself enough time to train, your body naturally becomes stronger and more efficient  While pace shouldn’t be the most important thing to focus on, I believe a healthy pace can be beneficial to have on a hike like Mt. Whitney.

 

 

#8: Rest and Recovery

 

 

The taper period also falls under rest and recovery.  This is the period of time 2 – 3 weeks before your Mt. Whitney hike where you scale back the VOLUME of mileage.  I will discuss this in more detail below.  A typical taper period looks like:

• 3 weeks out – 25% volume reduction
• 2 weeks out – 50% volume reduction
• 1 week out – 75% volume reduction

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point, and not sure exactly how to develop your own Mt. Whitney training plan and calendar, good news!  There are a few ways I can support you with this.  I mention these options below because I feel strongly that developing and sticking to a training calendar is CRUCIAL to your success on Mt. Whitney, no matter how you develop that training calendar.  Don’t ever forget, Mt. Whitney can be potentially lethal, and hiking it needs to be taken very seriously!

 

Ways to Help Develop a Mt. Whitney Training Plan and Calendar:

• #1: Visit this sister guide to Hiking Mt. Whitney in One Day.  It addresses logistics like lodging, trail route, trail conditions, landmarks, etc.  

• #2: Receive 1:1 Coaching.  I offer 1:1 coaching services, and part of that package includes developing a detailed Mt. Whitney training calendar, together!  This training calendar will breakdown all your weekly practice hikes, in increasing increments, plus all your cross training and strength training days and rest days.  It will completely take the guesswork out of developing a training calendar.  Plus, there are other bonuses to receiving 1:1 coaching, as you can see in the snapshot below.  You can fill out this INTEREST FORM to get started. 

 

• #3: Consult.  If you aren’t up for a full 16 week coaching package, take advantage of a quick, 30 minute consult to discuss the basics of preparing for a Mt. Whitney hike in one day, including how to train, as well as determining if you are currently ready to execute your hike.  You can fill out this INTEREST FORM to get started.

• #: COMING SOON! – Looking for a simple, straightforward guidebook to your 1st Mt. Whitney hike, including planning, logistics, and training?  The Mt. Whitney Visual Guidebook for 1st Timers covers it all – more than 30 pages of straight to the point, downloadable, clickable resources to help you with all the prep of your 1st Mt. Whitney hike!  Including trail overviews, CLICKABLE gear, snacks, and supplement checklists, CLICKABLE lists of helpful websites and #’s for logistics planning, trail maps and routes, training calendars, customizable strength training workouts, sample itineraries, plus much more!  All the basic info you need all in ONE PLACE!  This visual guidebook will get you started off on the right foot while saving you hours of sorting through online info – GRAB YOURS HERE!

 

 

16 Week Training Calendar for Mt. Whitney

 

You’ve seen how to establish a baseline foundation, and you’ve seen the 8 parts you should focus on when doing targeted training for Mt. Whitney.  Here’s a chance to see a visual of what that looks like – and get your own FREE copy!  Check out this example 16 week training calendar below, based on someone with a hiking foundation of 5 miles!

 

 

Want this calendar as a FREE, handy PDF download?  Get it HERE!

 

*Important Things to Note About this Example Training Calendar Above:

• Assess where you are currently at based on experience, age, physical fitness, etc.  Not every training calendar will be exactly right for you just as it is.  
• It assumes a regular hiking foundation of 5 sustained miles.  If you aren’t there yet, you need to give yourself more time beforehand to develop that foundation.  
• If this progression seems too quick, then allow for more time, possibly 20 or 24 weeks.  Be comfortable with your increments.
• The rest and cross training/strength training days are just as important as training hikes.  
• It is ok to adjust, take a day off, add an extra rest day, etc.  It is important to listen to your body, while remaining intentional.  While the example calendar above has 1 rest day, many people need 2.  That is something to assess on an individual level, and in that case, swap out a cross training / strength training day for an extra rest day.

 

*Want professional coaching and support to help develop your own INDIVIDUALIZED Mt. Whitney training calendar like the one you see above?  Let me help you create your OWN plan for success with tailored cross training and strength training, incremental long hikes, and additional support for gear, fueling, and recovery that work for YOU!  I’ll assess where you are today, and build you a plan to get you where you need to be!  Get started  by filling out this INTEREST FORM HERE!

 

 

As you can see, there is a reason that people sometimes train for Mt Whitney for a year or more.  I myself have a healthy background of challenging, long distance, and high altitude hikes, like Colorado 14’ers, the 50 U.S. state high points, and the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim hike. But I still trained for Mt Whitney for 10 months altogether the 1st time I hiked it.  

 

The reason is that Mt Whitney, or any wilderness hike, should not be underestimated.  You can not afford to make assumptions or be underprepared in any way, and training for Mt Whitney should be taken seriously.  The bragging rights for conquering this peak do not come easy as you can see, but it is so worth it!  But you need to be committed to months of training and preparation beforehand. 

 

As you are working through your Mt. Whitney training plan, that is the ideal time to also start paying attention to 2 other important aspects of training for Mt Whitney: proper fueling and investing in proper gear.  

 

 

Fueling for Mt. Whitney in One Day

 

While you are conducting your long weekly training hikes, start assimilating a “menu” of what “fuels” seem to work best for you.  Not only that, start to answer these questions:

• What meal do you benefit the most from the night before a big hike? 
• What types of meals give you the most energy the next day? (Think healthy carbs, good fats, fruits and veggies, and lean proteins)
• What breakfast foods fuel you the best?
• What’s your optimal fueling window? (Recommended to fuel 2-3 hours before a big workout)
• What “on the go” fuels and hiking snacks keep you from bonking during a big hike?  Which ones settle in your stomach the best?  Which ones sound the best mid hike?
• Which hiking snacks are the most digestible for you while hiking?
• Which hiking snacks or foods do NOT agree with you before, during, or after hiking?
• Which hiking snacks or foods “motivate” you the most?
• What does your recovery snack look like (have a recovery snack within 30 minutes of completing a big hike)
• Which foods or snacks settle with your stomach the best post hike?
• What does your nutrition as a whole look like during targeted training?
• Are you addressing electrolyte / sodium replacement when necessary (especially in hot weather)? What is your replacement strategy (drink powders, tablets or chews, natural electrolytes like coconut water, pickle juice shots, salty snacks)?

 

It is important to have questions like these figured out before the morning of the Mt Whitney hike.  You never want to try something new the day of a big hike.  Know what works for you beforehand.

 

If you want a simple overview of fueling and nutrition for endurance athletes, consider my “Runners Diet: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition and Fueling“.  I developed it for my running clients, but the concepts apply to training for any endurance event.  It addresses in simple terms:

• the 4 categories of fuel your body needs
• the actual percentages of each
• actual examples of foods in each category
• meal ideas for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
• on the go fueling ideas
• diy energy squeezes and gels recipes
• recovery snacks list
• how to recovery properly
• how and when to fuel during a training workout
• and much more!

 

Addressing nutrition and fueling during a tough training period can be one of the best ways to see increased progress and strength, as well as quicker recovery times!

 

What does my fueling strategy look like when training for Mt. Whitney? Or any other big hike I do regularly?

 

I address nutrition as a whole throughout training.  I make sure to get the amounts of healthy carbs, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and good fats throughout and as daily as possible.  I still eat pizza, but I don’t just eat pizza.  There’s more to carb loading than that.

 

I make sure to know what meals fuel me the best beforehand.  Typically it’s about 50% healthy carbs, 25% fruits and veggies, and 25% lean proteins, including some good fats too.  I test them out and stick with what works.  I have experimented for what feels like decades to learn what works for me during a training workout, in terms of on the go fuels.  I do use energy gels, but I also try to get natural energy as often as possible.  Peanut butter and jelly squares, dates, boiled and salted baby potatoes, and bananas are go to’s for me.  For big hikes like Mt. Whitney, I’ll have several options of hiking snacks, to make sure that I’m addressing several areas: the need for glycogen replacement (carbs), potential electrolyte or sodium replacement, and morale boosters.  Typical hiking snacks on a Mt. Whitney hike might look like:

• a couple handfuls of dates
• a handful of trail mix
• olives
• GU energy gels and Honey Stinger stroopwafels
• pickle juice shots
• glucose tabs
• Fritos chips
• boiled and salted baby potatoes
• applesauce pouches
• RX bars
• bananas / apples / oranges
• candy
• electrolyte chews or tablets
• and 2 peanut butter and jelly or meat and cheese sandwiches for my larger “meal” break

 

How often do I fuel during a hike?  Well, most of my fueling background comes from my running background, and there’s a few standard protocols I follow from that.  The body can typically engage in a vigorous, sustained workout (like challenging hiking or trail running) for 60 – 90 minutes before needing to replenish those glycogen levels.  After that, on average you need to get about 30 grams of carbs per hour.   What does 30 grams of carbs look like?  A handful of dates, a banana, or about 1 and a half energy gels.  So if my training workout lasts longer than an hour or so, I replenish during the workout.  And at least once an hour after that.  That’s something I tend to replicate pretty closely on actual big hikes as well.

 

I also make recovery a priority as well!  Make sure to get a recovery snack in within 30 minutes of finishing a tough workout that was longer than 60 minutes.  It can be as easy as a protein shake or glass of chocolate milk, a personal favorite of mine.  My guide above has a whole page length list of easy recovery snack ideas.  If you just finished a 10 mile hike, be sure to do something for recovery right away.

 

Fueling and nutrition was unfortunately one of the last and most neglected areas that I addressed personally as a long distance runner and hiker, and I wish I had sooner.  I saw incredible gains in strength and performance as soon as I made more of an effort, but most importantly, my recovery became so much better.

 

 

Gear for Hiking Mt. Whitney in One Day

 

The first thing to note is that these gear recommendations are aimed at a one day hike.  An overnight hike of Mt. Whitney requires a different gear set, one specifically for backpacking.  You can find a beginner backpacking gear checklist here.  

 

Second, you can find a complete, in depth gear checklist for a Mt. Whitney day hike here. You’ll also be able to grab a FREE gear checklist while you’re there. Below is a summary – because after all, testing out and using your gear during your training hikes is a big part of being fully trained!  Use what you plan to use the day of your Mt. Whitney hike on your training hikes.

 

Collecting an inventory of gear necessary for a Mt Whitney day hike also takes time, so if you are committed to doing this hike, then start investing in all the necessary gear while you are in the process of training. 

 

Recommended Quick Links:

 

• Recommended Trail Runners:  Hoka One One Speedgoats
• Recommended Hiking Socks: Hilly Twin Skin Socks
• Recommended Layering Brand: IceBreaker Merino Wool
• Recommended Outer Shell Jacket: Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket
• Recommended Head Layers: Buff or Smartwool Beanie
• Recommended Day Pack: Camelbak Helena 20 Liter Pack
• Recommended Headlamp: BioLite Headlamp
• Recommended Trekking Poles: Black Diamond Trekking Poles
• Recommended Water Bladder:  Platypus 3 Liter Wide Mouthed Bladder
• Recommended Backup Filter:  Katadyn BeFree
• Recommended Emergency Blanket: Emergency Mylar Thermal Blanket
• Recommended Emergency Bivvy: SOL Emergency Bivvy
• Recommended Emergency Signaling: Emergency Mirror/Whistle Combo
• Recommended Backup Charger: Anker Power Bank
• Recommended Locating Accessories:  Tom Harrison’s Whitney Zone Map, and Garmin’s In Reach Mini

 

>There’s also a bunch of small personal care items that are easy to forget about or overlook when putting together your Mt Whitney packing list.  But together, this handful of items is critical.  Don’t forget: sunglasses for the strong sun, sunscreen, Chapstick, tissues, wet wipes, WAG bag (you’ll get one of these when you pick up your permit), blister protection, and a first aid kit including bandages, disinfectant/antibiotic ointment, and pain relievers.  

 

 

The Days Leading Up to Mt Whitney

 

Those days before hiking Mt Whitney need to revolve around one important question – how acclimated are you?  You should be fully trained by then, if you followed a training calendar like this FREE example.  In the days leading up to your hike, you’ll be in taper mode. The primary goal of the days before hiking Mt Whitney should be acclimation.  How much depends on how prepared your body already is or already isn’t.  

 

If you are coming from somewhere like Colorado and a typical weekend hike for you is at 14’000 feet, then you aren’t going to need much time to acclimate before hiking Mt Whitney.  If, on the other hand, you are like me and coming as a “flatlander” from Texas, then those days prior to Mt Whitney are crucial to acclimation and a safe and successful summit of Mt Whitney.  

 

Let’s assume you are a beginner reading this post about training for Mt Whitney.  Let’s assume you want to do everything you can to have a safe and successful summit.  Even with a healthy background in hiking, I was this way, and Mt Whitney was nonetheless a formidable challenge.  

 

I know vacation days are limited, and it is sometimes hard to get days off, but if you are training for Mt Whitney and getting ready for your hike, try to not only devote time for the day of the hike itself, but also to the couple days before.  If you know that you are someone that needs to prepare themself for the altitude, then I would highly, highly recommend a minimum of 2 days prior to actually hiking Mt Whitney to acclimate on other high altitude practice hikes. 

3 days is even better. 

4 days is what I personally aim for myself. 

Meaning that the whole Mt Whitney hiking process took 5 days for me. 4 days of easy practice hikes at high elevation before the Mt Whitney hike = a successful completion on day 5.  You can see an example of what this looks like below.  

 

 

 

Map of local practice hikes for training for Mt Whitney the days before the big hike!

 

The best thing about Lone Pine is you can literally take one road from its downtown all the way to Whitney Portal and the Mt Whitney Trailhead.  It also puts you in a prime spot to take advantage of a couple great acclimating hikes that are very close by.  Here’s just a few:

 

• Mono Pass:  if I didn’t absolutely love Mt Whitney itself, this hike would have been an easy favorite in the area.  It is located near Bishop, California, about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Mt. Whitney.  Arguably one of the most visually stunning and breathtaking vistas I have ever personally encountered.  Mono Pass also happens to be the highest trailhead in the Sierras that is accessible by car.  The handful of trails that snake around Mono Pass all start out right around 10,000 feet.  Spend a day or a couple here.  Aim to spend a couple hours / couple miles hiking at this altitude each day that you are able to spend here. Specifically, I hiked the Mono Pass from Mosquito Flat Trailhead, which is 8.7 miles in length with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.  Since not over-exerting yourself is important at this point, I only did 3 miles of this total trail.  

 

• Horseshoe Meadow Loop/Golden Trout Wilderness/Cottonwood Lake:  This cluster of trails also contains a handful of high altitude hikes that begin in the 9,000 foot range for their respective trailheads.  The somewhat dicey and curvy mountain road up actually passes the several campgrounds at the entrance to the Whitney Portal, as well as the entrance to the Mt Whitney Trailhead and parking area.  Specifically I hiked Trail Pass and Cottonwood Lakes Trails.  Again, spend a couple hours / couple miles hiking here each day that you are able.  

 

• The Mt Whitney Trail:  unbeknownst to many, you can actually hike PART of the Mt Whitney Trail without a permit.  The first 3 miles from the trailhead to Lone Pine Lake are able to be hiked without a permit, and the advantage of doing an acclimation hike here is first, getting to scope out the “land”, and second, getting to take your time enjoying the scenery and the trail itself without worrying about pace!  For me, it was also fun to be able to bring along my mother to show her the trail I would be hiking solo later!  These first 3 miles will also expose you to the type of grade to expect, and starts off at about 8,200 feet.  

 

 

 

 

 

The main theme with warm up hikes is to acclimate, to spend a couple hours hiking a couple miles each day, for as many days as you can before the big hike.  If you really want to top it off, have some picnics and just hang out anywhere you can with higher elevation.  The more exposure the better acclimated you will be.  This will help you immensely with handling that particular element on Mt Whitney.  The goal is NOT to over-exert yourself with these hikes, so nothing too steep, and nothing too aggressive.  Just warm up at an easy pace for 2-3 miles.  No 11 mile hikes here the day before you hike Mt Whitney!

 

 

The Day Before Hiking Mt Whitney

 

The last part of training for Mt Whitney comes the day and night before hiking it.  On the day prior to hiking Mt Whitney, go for a short, easy hike, like the first couple miles of the Mt Whitney Trail, the portion that doesn’t require a permit.  Spend a couple hours at altitude if you can.  Do some stretches and loosen up.  Eat the foods you know have worked for you in the past before a big hike.  For me, it’s a pasta dish with marinara, chicken, veggies, and rolls on the side, or a good old fashioned burger and fries the night before.  Rest, and do not overexert yourself or put too many steps on your feet.  

 

Lay out all your clothes and gear.  Check them, make sure they work, and pack them.  Lay out the foods you plan to eat for breakfast.  Make sure you have your permit ready.  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  And finally, go to bed early, because you’ll be waking up early. 

 

 

Summiting Mt Whitney will be one of the most memorable moments and one of the most rewarding challenges you will ever undertake!  There are some hikes I swear I’ll never do again, and then there are hikes you start dreaming about doing again the moment you finish.  Mt. Whitney was one of the latter ones 🙂  Enjoy a burger from the Mt Whitney Store at the trailhead afterwards, and savor not only the accomplishment, but the entire journey that it took to get there!

 

 

 

 

Overview of Planning Logistics

 

I go a lot  more in depth on the planning part of the Mt. Whitney hike in my full trail report.  Here’s a quick overview.

 

The closest town to Mt Whitney is Lone Pine, California.  I find this town very endearing for its old west roots and small town feel.  For a small town, it also packs in a lot to see and do, which makes spending a few days here easy.  There’s the fascinating and alien-esque Alabama Hills, a handful of small local museums, the Manzanar National Historic Site and its sobering testament to history, and a plethora of exhilarating local hikes.  You can find local restaurants and a couple small lodging establishments in addition to a couple of vacation rentals.  There are also several campgrounds at the entrance to Whitney Portal, but they fill up way in advance.  These are 3 popular ones, in order of closest to the Mt Whitney Trailhead.

• Whitney Portal Campground
• Lone Pine Campground
• Tuttle Creek Campground

You can make a reservation for one of these campgrounds at Recreation.gov.

 

 

There you have it, a complete training plan for Mt. Whitney!  One last thing I wanted to add was a little background on some hikes I did leading up to Mt. Whitney, that helped me gauge my preparation level.  In the year leading up to hiking Mt. Whitney, here are a few of the trails I completed, in addition to my regular training schedule.  You can do something similar if it helps to gauge your own baseline foundation and hiking experience, before heading into targeted Mt. Whitney training!

 

• The 24 mile long Rim to Rim hike in the Grand Canyon.  This hike has similar elevation gain and the length, though it does not have the high altitude.  Still, it was invaluable to me in giving me a gauge on my hiking pace, my fueling strategy, and where I stood in being able to push through for an extended amount of hours.  Though it does not have the high altitude of a 14’er, it does have the heat, and that still provided good conditioning for elements.

 

• The 16.7 mile long hike to Mt Marcy in New York’s Adirondacks.  Very tough terrain to navigate in a rocky ravine, and a healthy dose of long distance mileage.  Gave me good practice in handling tricky terrain while monitoring stability and putting into practice good hiking form and posture.

 

• Guadalupe Mountains’ McKittrick Canyon Trail.  20 miles of good pacing and output practice, but not high altitude.  Though the 4,300 feet in elevation gain is a challenge!  While you are there, don’t miss out on a handful of other amazing outdoor adventures in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, like the hike to Texas’s state high point at Guadalupe Peak!

 

• Mt Elbert in Colorado, the state’s highest point, highest 14’er, and tallest peak in the Rockies.  At 8 miles, this trail is not the type of long distance I usually practiced on, but it did give me great exposure learning how I handled high altitude and how to gauge my response and preparation in the future.

 

• Boundary Peak in Nevada, another state high point.  This trek clocked in at about 10 miles, and gave me good experience with dicey terrain, a healthy amount of distance, and high altitude training.  Plus, in my quest to reach the 50 U.S. state high points, with Boundary Peak and Mt. Whitney being neighboring states, it made sense to do them back to back.

 

• The iconic Appalachian Trail terminus at Mt Katahdin.   Not only is this a beloved hike on a beloved national treasure, but it provided another great long distance practice hike at 10.6 miles!

 

• The highest point east of the Mississippi heralds from Mt Mitchell, North Carolina.  12 miles of steady and aggressive uphill, with almost zero breaks, was a great long distance warm up for Mt Whitney a few months in advance.

 

• Another Appalachian Trail favorite (and one of my top 3 favorite hikes of all time), took place at gorgeous Grayson Highlands State Park!  I hiked just short of 11 miles amongst the wild ponies and billowy cloud drifts here in the “highlands” of Virginia on the Mount Rogers Trail!

 

• I got a good taste of technical climbing when I took on the iconic Mt Hood climb in Oregon!  Mt Hood is an 11’er, so not considered amongst the highest alpine peaks, but it is still a good taste of altitude training and preparation.  The skills and patience involved in climbing Mt Hood helped prepare my mental fortitude more than anything else prior to hiking Mt Whitney, and that was invaluable mental preparation.  Your mental game has to be on point when training for Mt Whitney and while hiking it.  

 

 

 

These are just a sampling of the types of hikes I did the year prior to training for Mt Whitney and hiking Mt Whitney in one day.  As a local Texan, I had to do a decent amount of traveling to get the kind of exposure that I was looking for.  But I also did weekly training hikes at my own local park, by doing loops on a trail that was a couple miles in length with about 500 feet in elevation gain.  I simply did loops on that humble local trail until I got my elevation gain up into the couple thousands, and my distance between 10 – 15 miles regularly, topping out at a couple 16 and 18 mile long hikes to finish.  

 

 

*WAIT!!!  Don’t forget to download your own 16 Week Mt. Whitney Training Calendar HERE!  If you only do one thing to help guarantee a successful summit, start here with a training calendar!

 

 

*Now that you’ve started your journey towards training for Mt Whitney, don’t forget your Mt. Whitney gear checklist!

 

 

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