Mount Whitney via Mountaineer's Route

The Mount Whitney Mountaineers Route begins at Whitney Portal (~8,365') in the Inyo National Forest, 13 miles west of Lone Pine on Whitney Portal Road, and ends at the summit of Mount Whitney (14,505'). Do not follow the main Whitney Trail — from the parking area, locate the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek use-trail heading northwest. The trail is unmaintained and requires navigation through a rocky canyon with multiple creek crossings. At approximately 2 miles, reach the Ebersbacher Ledges, a Class 2 rock shelf system that bypasses a canyon choke point; follow cairns. Continue northwest to Boy Scout Lake (~10,500') and then southwest to Iceberg Lake (~12,621') at approximately 4 miles. Iceberg Lake sits directly at the base of the east face; the couloir rises above the lake's southwest shore. Ascend the couloir — in early season follow the snow line staying left; in late season follow cairns on the left margin to the Notch (~14,100'). The couloir gains 1,490 vertical feet in approximately one mile. At the Notch, turn right and traverse the exposed ledge system south along the Sierra Crest, with significant drop-offs to the east. Continue approximately 0.4 miles to the summit. Return on the same route; the couloir descent requires care as the loose rock and steep angle make footing unreliable.