Packing the Ten Essentials to climb Mt. Whitney’s Mountaineer’s Route

Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States.  Rising 14,508 feet out of the Californian desert near Death Valley, ironically the lowest point in North America.  There are two routes to the summit on its east face.  The Whitney Trail, which meanders 11 miles through switchbacks to climb the 6100 feet from the trailhead at the Whitney Portal to the summit.  And the Mountaineer’s Route which starts at the same trailhead but climbs that same 6100 feet in under 4 miles.  The Mountaineers route is rated Class 4, which basically means it is simple climbing with handholds necessary and significant exposure.