Climbing Whitney in a Day - Gather your gear (the bare bones)

(small excerpt from upcoming "Climbing Whitney in a Day" book)

Climbing Mt Whitney in one day is a lot to ask of your body.  It is 22 miles long (11 up, 11 down); you summit at an altitude of 14,505 feet, and your vertical climb is over 7000 feet! That morning, you’ll wake up before humanly appropriate (approximately 3am).  You barely consume the calories you are burning.  You may get uncomfortably cold, you may get severe altitude sickness, and several other unfortunate situations may arise.   The goal of your training program is to get your body properly prepared, get your gear lined up, and give you confidence to be successful and safe. 

Your gear includes must haves, should have, and nice to have.  Here is a list of Bare Bones items you must have to be safe and successful.

Bare Bones – Must Have

1. A pack to carry your stuff – 18-22 liters in size is good – that’s about the size of a pillowcase.  If you go bigger than you will be tempted to fill it up.  Your goal is to bring all the stuff you need while being as light as possible. Your pack with water and gear should weigh about 20-22 lbs (25 lbs tops). 

Cost: $75-100 for a day pack. 

2. Bladder for water – have a 3 liter bladder. This is enough water for 6 hour hike or 3 hours.  One liter of water = 32 oz = 2.2 lbs = 4-8 miles or 2-4 hours depending on person’s body size, heat, effort, altitude and pace.  On Whitney, there is water every hour.  Your last water before summiting is at Trail Camp so fill up!!!  All of it.  There is also water around switchback 25 but best to fill up at trail camp.

Cost: Usually the bladder comes with the pack if you are getting a new pack.  Otherwise it will cost $25-40. 

3. Water purifier - I prefer the charcoal pump action model. Some purifiers require batteries, and this scares me a bit because if something goes wrong with the purifier, and you need water, you’re screwed!  MSR is a good trusted brand.  One water purifier works for a group – not everyone in the group needs a purifier.  It takes about 5-10 minutes to purify your water – this includes taking it out, setting up, breaking down, and putting it away.  It is best to sync up purifying in the group.  
Cost: Water purifiers can be pricey: expect to pay $100 or more.  

4. Iodine tablets – to purify water when there is nothing else.  They work by disrupting the chemical balance that bacteria need to survive.  They are the size of a small pill, cheap, light and can save your life.  If your purifier stops working or you lose your group and don’t have a purifier, this is a sure way to purify your water.    Always have a few on hand and follow the instructions. 

5. Food – Your water and food, will take up the bulk of the space and weight in your pack.  Here’s the skinny on food – bring different kinds..different flavors and textures.  Your taste buds change at altitude and your favorite bar tastes like cardboard.  Fresh is always more enjoyable, but also weighs more.  This is personal preference and needs to be considered.  Bring your macro nutrients and don’t skimp on your nutrition.  What you bring will get fine-tuned on training hikes.  This is NOT the time to get on your weight-loss plan while on your hikes.  Eat to perform, or else you will eat your friend’s food and they won’t like it and won’t like you. Word.  
MACRO NUTRIENTS: 
Protein – beef jerky, nuts, salami, tuna pouch
Fats – nuts,  peanut butter, chips, trail mix  
Carbohydrates – fruit cups, dried fruit, okay you can bring your favorite bar, apple sauce
When packing your food, bring a large zip lock bag to keep your food in so it doesn’t get messy in your pack.  Also bring an extra bag to store your trash.

6. Head light – when you climb Mt. Whitney, you start in the dark and you may even end in the dark.  You will want to have a headlight that you can put on your head and have your hands free.  The price on headlights range drastically --  you can get these dirt cheap, or you can go nuts!  I have a spare one in my gear box that I bought for $10 at Sports Authority.  And I also have the coveted one that I purchased for $60 from REI.  What’s the big deal…?  The more expensive one offers more functions - different levels of brightness including the red light.  The red light function is important when you want to be seen but don’t really need to see, such as when you are talking to someone.  The regular light will blind people when you are looking at them.  Sometimes you have to take a pee but don’t need the big bright light and sometimes you are working your water purifier and need to be sure you have it set up correctly.  Be sure to carry spare batteries.   
Cost of a headlight: $10 - $120. 

7.  Water – Bring water and don’t EVER skimp on it!  Not sure if you should bring 1 or 2 liters…bring 2 liters.  Over the course of your training hikes, you will learn how much you drink for a given time period, temperature, pace, and level of intensity.  You also need to consider if there is water on your training hikes.  For Whitney there is plenty of water along the trail. But on your training hikes you may not be so lucky.  You may have to pack your own water for the whole 12 – 15 miles.  Do the math and make sure you carry enough even if it means buying another bladder.  Once you are out of water things get ugly fast. Cost of water – priceless.  

8. First aid kit: You need ibuprofen, duct tape, tums, blister kit (more duct tape), antiseptic wipes, something to close a wound, bug repellent and antihistamines.  If something unfortunate happens, such as your friend tripping on a rock and gauging on his/her knee, you want to be able to keep them comfortable. If something terrible happens, your friend has the symptoms of severe altitude sickness, you need to get the person down and off the mountain.  The national service rangers will not carry you off the mountain.  The only way you are getting down is your own two feet (or if your friends carry you).  They do have a helicopter pad near Trail Camp; I can’t imagine how much that costs…I’m guessing $10,000?   
Cost for first aid kit – approximately $20  
9.    Toilet paper / WAG bag – for when nature calls.   I fold toilet paper into “uses” and I like baby wipes too.  I get the individual “feminine” packets.   I also carry some Aguaphor - healing ointment.   Ladies – if it’s ‘that time of the month’ my apologies in advance.  Not fun at all and quite a logistical nuisance too.  Make sure you are prepared and take time to take care of yourself and your needs.  This may mean making the group stop more often than normal.

10. Pen/paper – Carry this in a zip lock bag in a convenient place on your pack along with your permit. 

11. Map – make sure it’s water proof or put it in a zip lock bag.  You can keep this puppy on the bottom of your pack or in your first aid kit. 99% of the time you will never need it since most of the trails are so well marked.  But when you do need it, you will thank the map gods.

12. Electrolytes – Your body is under a lot of stress with the distance and elevation on this hike.  You should be drinking lots of water to replace the fluids that you are losing.  But that also means you are losing valuable electrolytes such as salt, potassium, and magnesium.   But for now, have either electrolyte pills you swallow, electrolyte that you mix with water, or coconut water.  

Happy Trails!
Chi

Whitney training - taking a break, writing a book

There is no Whitney training hike this year.  

After years of consecutive Whitney training and summitting, I'm taking a year off.  Much needed actually since when I lead these Whitney hikes, it means my summer is taken up.  Looking forward to long road trips and lazy weekends this year. 

But it also because I want to take this time to write a book, more like a workbook on climbing Whitney.  All the good stuff, tips I've learned over the years intimately, humbly, courageously, and fearfully.

Email me your questions about Whitney training to mtnbikechi@gmail.com ?  
What would help you?  Want to know which hikes?  What to bring?  What to wear?  

Are you planning to hike Whitney this year?  Be sure to apply for your permit now.  

The permit is done as a lottery and is held in April.  Apply for the lottery in January-February through www.recreation.gov and search Mt. Whitney.  It will ask you to select a few Mt. Whitney options – pick the one with the permit symbol.  Once there, you will see the fine print of dates – when application is due and when they start giving out permits.  Each application costs $6 regardless if you get a permit.  Application results are announced on March 24 through email.  They will let you know if you were successful or unsuccessful.  

I'll be doing more posting since I'm not leading training hikes so stayed tuned for gear, nutrition, clothing, safety, and other important topics to consider to be successful, safe, and have a good time.

talk soon!
chi

Whitney 2016 - Training starts soon (10 spots open)

It's that time again and a Whitney permit has been confirmed.

Training will start end of April with 6 training hikes.  The one day summit date is Thursday, September 8th  with 10 spots available.

Here are the details
MT. WHITNEY TRAINING - PERMIT CONFIRMED

Date: September 8, 2016
Number of spots: 10
Cost per person: $450
Includes; 3 months of training for the event and guide for the Whitney hike. plus..

• 2-night camping at the portal, overnight stay at Dow Villas, and enjoy a warm meal after the summit.
• One day summit permit!
• Lots of good memories, new friends, and a sense of true accomplishment

$100 deposit to hold your spot.  The balance is due by May 30th.

If you are interested in training but not wanting to do the Whitney summit, please email at mtnbikechi@gmail.com and you will added to the training hike invite list.

It's going to be a great summer with fun surprises!!!
chi

My first summit to Whitney back in 1998

Get your Whitney permit!!! time is ticking

If you are looking to get a permit to hike Whitney, you have about a week left to submit your online application for the lottery.

Who: you and up to 14 of your favorite friends.
What: 1-day or multiple day permit must apply.
When: submit your application by March 15, 2016...11:59 pm Eastern Time!!!  You need a permit if you plan to climb Mt. Whitney in the summer and fall.
Where: go to www.recreation.gov and search Mt. Whitney...make sure you select the permit and not the camp site.
Cost: $6 per application.

You will know if you get a permit or not on March 24th.

Once you get your permit...next step is reserve your campsite and lodging for after the hike (do this immediately).

no time like the present :)
Chi

Whitney permit - confirmed!!

It's that time again and a Whitney permit has been confirmed.  Wohooo!!!!!

Training will start the beginning of May with summit date of July 31st.  We have 6 spots still remaining.

Here are the details
MT. WHITNEY TRAINING - PERMIT CONFIRMED

Date: July 31st
Number of spots: 10 (6 spots available)
Cost per person: $400
Includes; 3 months of training for the event and guide for the Whitney hike

• Overnight camping at the portal, overnight stay at Dow Villas, and enjoy a warm meal after the summit.
• One day summit permit!
• Lots of good memories, new friends, and a sense of true accomplishment.
• $100 deposit to hold your spot.  The balance is due by May 30th.

If you are interested in training but not wanting to do the Whitney summit, please email at mtnbikechi@gmail.com and you will added to the training hike invite list.

It's going to be a great summer!!!

Chi

Lessons of a guide

Over the last four months, I have been training 20 people to go up Mt. Whitney  (a 14,505 mountain and the highest in the Continental United States) .  In less than two weeks, they will climb to the peak and down in one-day.  They will have to overcome the altitude, tired legs, monitor their nutrition and hydration, and deal with blisters.

My experience of training this group to hike to the peak of Mt. Whitney is a type of training that is quite different from my normal day to day clients and from the previous two groups.  I acted more like a trainer on the first groups - staying focused on the goal than the experience.  The hikes moved fast - staying with the fastest people, I didn't wait for the final hikers and i didn't pack extra reinforcements.  Looking back, I shake my head and feel ashamed on how I didn't give more of myself.

Over this past year, I have slowly ameliorated into a new kind of guide..a gentler, patient, and smarter guide with experience not just in training the body, but in the outdoors.  My goal isn't just to get clients to their destination, but gain some experience through the process and let the process bring life to their life.   

Having a party at the top of San Jacinto (10,834')

Enjoy the journey & the people

During my recent trip to Chile, I was fortunate to meet two guides (Fernardo and Mickael)  who taught me more than they probably know.  They were hired by groups to take them through Torres de Paine in Patagonia, Chile - they were guides, not trainers.  I met them on a hike up to the Torres and during that time I noticed a quality in them that was different.  They weren't in a hurry...they weren't stressed....they smiled, they took the pace of the client, and guided them up the mountain while talking, laughing, and enjoying nature and the people.  It could be the culture too, Chileans are very warm and happy people but these two guides were French and Argentinean so can't say it's just culture.  At the end of the hike, they would go back to the nearest bar and share a bottle of wine and enjoy each others company.  It was genuine.

Learn as much as you can about nature

After that initial meeting, we quickly became friends and talked at length about hiking, 'guiding', their home town, and their lifestyle.  One morning, Fernarndo - the Argentinean, took me on a run.  I thought we were going to run for an hour but we ended up running for over 3 hours!  All we had was an orange which was hidden under a rock in the ice cold glacier water.  During the run, I soaked up the beautiful terrain, the Torres reaching the sky, and the feeling of being free.  He showed me that the water coming straight for the glaciers was pure and clean, taught me how the rocks and Torres de Paine were created over millions of years.  And I'm sure it was only a fraction of what he knew.  I left that day inspired and motivated to learn more about the land, terrain, animals, floral of places that I frequented.  

A guide has no ego

As I have slowly started to cultivate these two traits, I find myself more compassionate with my group and each persons' struggles and challenges.  I walk with the slower group because I know that they need me more.  I always carry extra food, water, electrolytes, etc just in case someone runs out.  And I wait till the last person comes down.  I bring cold beers for all the hikers and we all share a drink; for that moment, we celebrate our achievements and drink up life.   

Having a different perspective on guiding and training (yes, I still want to be sure they are prepared for the big 22 mile hike they have to face in two weeks), I am better able to handle difficult and potentially dangerous situations.  In a group setting, it is not about me or one person, it is about the group and making sure everyone is safe.  Sure, if i was in an adventure race, my perspective and mindset would be totally different; I'm more willing to risk to achieve a goal.  But in guiding, you don't to take any risks.  Your gut, not your ego, is your compass.

Hike this way please and enjoy your journey!

Your guide, Chi

Training for Whitney - food, shoes, altitude, poles..

I am going to take a break from the Stagecoach 400 for two reasons...one - i need to come up with a better way to describe the cast of characters.  each person had such a different background, experience, expectation that i can't oversimplify their story.  second - I am in the beginning of training two groups to summit Mt Whitney in a day and there are mounds of information I want to share while its fresh on my fingertips..and i have my dirty shoes and pack next to my leg.

Goal: Summit Mt. Whitney in one-day
Experience: various levels ranging from Whitney veterans to some who are afraid of heights.  We have men & women who are in excellent fitness level and some who want to use this to help with their fitness level.
Strategy: two training hikes per week for four months; each hike increase either duration, distance, elevation gain, elevation or a combination of two to expose their bodies to the elements they will see at Mt. Whitney including steep climbs, steep ascents, altitude, and hikes.

Checklist of what to carry on each training hike:
1. hydration pack that holds 3 liters
2. water bottle to carry for electrolytes
3. sun protection - hat, glasses, sunscreen, chap stick
4. cold weather - beanie, gloves, windbreaker
5. first aid kit - ibuprofen, blister kit
6. camera/phone
7. hiking poles
8. electrolytes - nuuns, coconut water (see #2 above)
9. yummy food - salty, sweet, fat, protein, sugar.  examples: fresh fruit - banana, orange, grapes, mango, fruit cups, tuna pouch/crackers, PB&J or AB&J, turkey and cheese sandwiches, chips, almonds, olives, leftovers, pretzels, trail mix.  I bring extra bars as back up since they take up little space and well packaged.

enjoy the journey,
chi

Mt. Whitney - Time to start Training

Securing a permit is the first part of the Mt. Whitney planning.  This year, permits go thru an online lottery - a first for the US forest service.  I'm excited to say that this year, I will be taking two trips up Whitney during Labor Day weekend.  The first is for a private group but the second is open for anyone willing, wanting, and able to commit for a four-month training (begins in May) and a one-day summit.

The permit is for September 3rd.  

If you are interested in training, please click on the "SERVICES & ACTIVITIES" tab for more information on costs, training, and dates.  Training hikes begin in May with an eight-mile hike.

Time to rally!  Who's in?

Chi 

Climbing Mt. Whitney - step two: training

Mt. Whitney lies 14,505 feet above sea level and every year, thousands make it a goal to reach the peak. The Whitney trail is a 22-mile out and back hike with over 7000 feet of elevation gain. Training to hike Mt. Whitney on the surface may appear to be simple enough - get some food, good shoes, and let's go! I sheepishly remember my first trip that started off so well - I was in excellent shape, in my early 20's, and loved being outside. That first attempt left me puking along the trail about a dozen times until I finally got my sorry ass to the bottom. You don't get rescued from altitude sickness.

I have since successfully climbed Mt. Whitney three times and I have learned plenty on what TO DO and what NOT TO DO. The following information has helped me lead two groups up Whitney with a 80% success rate (more on that 20% in a bit).

CHALLENGES TO CLIMBING MT. WHITNEY-

1. Permit will dictate your pace. It is hard to get a two-day permit and you may end up with a one day permit. You will need to prepare your body to do the whole 22-mile trek in 12-16 hours. (3% of those who attempted were too slow and didn't make the cut off time).

2. Hard on knees - all that descending is hard on your knees especially if you are predisposed to knee problems. You will need to calculate how much climbing you will want to do. The challenge in climbing Mt. Whitney is not just the 11 mile climb; it's the 11 mile climb down. Having a parachute has crossed my mind. (Another 10% was from bad knees.) Hiking poles is a smart choice to help you reach the peak and that beer at the end.

3. You are the pack mule - carry your water and be ready to refuel. Be smart on your packing and know your gear.

4. The big one - Altitude sickness. Some get it worse than others and fitness level is not a predictor of how you will respond; hence my puke fest the first time up. (Last 7% was from altitude sickness)

TRAINING - Give yourself 2-3 months to train. Upon receiving notice that you got a permit (YAHOO!!), set up a calendar with your friends and be sure everyone is committed to the hikes. When I train people, if they don't come to the training hikes, they don't get to hike Mt. Whitney. Period. Also, start to gather your gear & smart, lite clothes. To see of items to carry with you, check out my One-day pack blog from September 2010

First Month - spend the weekends hiking 8-12 miles working on pace and stamina. Wear your pack, shoes, and clothes that you plan to bring with you on your trip. It may seem silly that you fill up your entire water bladder for a 4-hour hike. You will be thankful that you learned about an issue on ...a 4-hour hike vs. an 8-hour hike. Get comfortable with the size & weight of the pack as well as where you like your stuff to go (e.g. camera, chap stick, headphones). You may discover that your pack hurts your back, your shoes suck, you get blisters, cotton vs. smart fabrics, you need hiking poles, you don't like beef jerky but you like PB&J's, etc.

Hiking schedule - The local mountains in San Diego offer the distance and elevation change to start off your training. There are a handful of trails that give you 8-12 miles of hiking and 2000-4000 feet of elevation gain. Sample schedule - Iron Mtn (8 miles; 2,696 foot peak), Mt. Woodson (8.7 miles with steep sections), Mt. Baldy** altitude hike (12 miles, 4000 feet of elevation gain, 10,084 peak).

During the week, work on your cardiovascular endurance with running, fast walking, and stair climbing for a minimum of 30 minutes but aim for 45-60 minutes, three times a week. This cardio will build your base for intervals next month. Add strength training into your training with squats & lunges (compliment with chest, back, and core) two times a week. Both strength training and high-intensity endurance training help train the muscles to deal with anaerobic situations.

Second Month - Continue your training with longer hikes, steeper terrain, and another hefty altitude hike. You should be comfortable with the weight of your pack and shoes. (Planning Logistics - for the longer hikes in the mountains, get all the maps and directions the night before and plan to leave San Diego at 5am so you can start the hike by 7am. Though San Diego is often under a blanket of marine layer, the mountains are hot and it is best to get to the peak before it gets too hot. Training for the heat is not part of preparing you for Mt.Whitney; just part of the package.) Get creative with your meal planning. You will be on the trail for 5-8 hours and those bars will start loosing their appeal. Instead, go for real food like last night's pizza, sub sandwich, PB&J, peach's in a cup (personal favorite). You will want a combination of complex carbs, protein, and fat. I actually like to think of something sweet, salty, crunchy, & something with chocolate.

Hiking Schedule -

San Jacinto via of Marion Mtn** (PERMIT REQUIRED) - 11 miles, 6700' elevation gain, 10,834' peak - this climb is particularly steep and a good test of what the change of altitude does to you. Work on slowing your pace a bit and deep belly breathing. I particularly don't like lots of stops because the muscles and breathing lose their rhythm - steady pace works well.

Mission Trails - nothing too exciting except that you can get a lot of miles. Goal for this hike is steady pace of 15 miles in 5 hours.

San Gorgonio** (PERMIT REQUIRED) - 16 miles, 5419' elevation gain, 11,499 peak, 6-8 hours. Practice with food and test your water purifier on this trail. Again work on pacing and breathing - you may catch yourself only doing shallow breathing. Work on breathing thru your diaphragm.

Once every couple of weeks, challenge your cardiovascular endurance with intervals by running up a hill for 1-3 minutes at an intense pace and then allow yourself to recover before repeating 3-4 more times. Add some more weight to those lunges and squats.

Final Month of Training - Just to clarify - climbing at altitude won't actually acclimatize you. You need to live in that altitude for days, weeks, or (for some)months to actually get the physiologically changes to enable you to function with lower levels of oxygen. However, hiking at altitude will give you a look at how your body responds. Slowing your pace and breathing smooth are both effective tools to improve your chances.

Hiking schedule -

Big Bear - 10+ miles. Get yourself up to Big Bear at 8000 feet. There are plenty of trails that interweave and offer beautiful views.

San Jacinto via Humber Park (PERMIT REQUIRED)- 16 miles, 4,384' elevation, 10,834' peak, 8 hours. Reach the peak using a different trail. It is longer but the elevation gain is a bit more forgiving.

Each training hike will give you precious experiences to prepare you for the actual Mt. Whitney climb. Learn from your mistakes and your friends mistakes.

Climbing Mt. Whitney - step three: wake up at 3am....More on the final days of preparation.

Remember to stop and smell the pine trees.

Chi

climbing Mt. Whitney - step one: get your permit

If climbing Mt. Whitney is something you want to do this summer, now is the time to get your permit. You have until march 15 to be entered into the lottery.

In order to get a permit, you have to complete an application which is entered into a lottery and each day they grab more applications from a "really big box" (that's what the website says).

You will find out in the beginning of April if your application is accepted. Actually I noticed it on my bank statement first and then later got the permit.

1. Call up your buddies and get a headcount. they will all be excited but don't be surprised if some drop out. you will need to commit to training and spending time at altitude to successfully reach the peak. there is a maximum of 15 people per permit.


2. Agree on the length you want to be on the trail : one-day trip, overnight, or backpacking trip.


3. Note the dates you want to summit and then think of alternatives. The weekends go fast, so be sure to put some weekdays in the alternate days. The more alternate days, the more chances of getting a permit. I submitted three applications last year (all with alternate days) and only one application got accepted.


4. Complete the application and mail it in (postmarked by March 15th). Then wait patiently.

Important Links -

• 2011 Whitney Permit Application
• Permit Process - more information on dates, contact info, etc.

Time for me to submit my application - hopefully I will take a group up in a day & possibly a backpacking trip.

More training information to come - places to train and little tips to keep your training fun.

climb on!

chi

Your Pack - 5-day Adventure Race

I recently completed a five-day expedition adventure race (AR) in the Mojave Desert. It was the first time I had done an expedition race or anything more than five hours! 3-weeks prior to the AR, I did a Mt. Whitney/Mammoth Extravaganza - one day summit followed by downhilling the following day. All fun stuff in the world of outdoor adventures.

Being a novice to the world of AR, I was schooled in the concepts of nutrition, mental strength, and gear. Oh all the gear that needed to be collected, borrowed, and eventually bought. Paul Romero, a friend and seasoned adventure racer, lent me trusted gear for hiking, paddling, rappeling, and night-time racing. The employees from REI know me from the many trips I took looking for food, packs, and other misc gear. The night before the race, our team ventured out for the remaining items and last minute gear changes.


The items listed were on my body and pack for the entire five-days.

Pack - Osprey Talon 33 lots of good compartments, sturdy & comfortable fit; light-weight.

TOP POUCH - headlight, TP/babywipes, sunscreen, baby butt cream (yep! for the feet and bootie), sunglasses, eye drops

SIDE POCKETS - (left) a water bottle containing either electrolyte or energy powder. (right) camera, lipbalm, and the bar du jour. my flexibility in my shoulders allowed me to poke around in these pouches without taking it off.

FRONT POCKET - spottrackers home, headwrap, chemical lights

WAISTBAND POCKETS - (right) the AR drug store: electrolytes - 20 ct/day, anti-inflammatory 2ct/day, omega-3 4ct/day, multivitamin 4 ct/day, 1 happy pill per day; (left) 3 gu's and 2 bars

LARGE COMPARTMENT - Bivy (think emergency blanket but just slight bigger), water purifier that never seemed to work, simple first aid kit including hydrocodone, chemical warmers, wool sweater, rain gear top and bottom, long sleeve shirt, running tights by Lululemon (can't believe i brought my cherished pants but they came in handy and their compression component was a nice treat). Note: all clothes were rolled into a burrito and placed in a zip-lock bag. MY FOOD!!! daily alloted meal in a gallon size zip-lock bag including a starbucks coffee (yum), bagel and cream cheese (yum), nuts and beef jerky (blah!), tuna and cracker dust, red vines, more bars and gu's.

other misc: toothbrush/paste; waterproof bag with iphone, ipod shuffle/headphones, and $40

ON MY BODY(trek/canoe legs) - bikini top, buff (on head or as a tube-top), lycra shorts, tall compression socks, smart-wool socks, gaiters, running shoes, Polar RS800CX watch, sunscreen, walking sticks, hat/sunglasses. Yes.. i was sporting some outfit but you really don't care as long as it works.

WATER - 3 bladders of water which held up to 5 liters. although the pack was extremely heavy when the bladders were full, it was never enough water. We drank on average 8 liters a day in 100+ temps during the day with 20-22 hours of constant movement/day.

Having now successfully completed my first expedition race, I still have lots to learn about packing, packing lite, and staying organized. It is one of the skills you develop and get better at with each race. Soledad, a fellow teammate from Argentina, had this skill down to a science... or was it an art? She was quick in the transitions and had all her necessary tools near her fingertips. Having good gear and the right gear was important in this type of event.

Train hard. Train smart.

Chi

Your Pack - one day trip

The three month training for Mt. Whitney successfully ended last week as 8 of 9 summited the 14,500 peak on September 4th. It was a fun trip for everyone and with lasting memories.

It is now that time to unpack gear and put things away. The pack is your life line to make the journey safe, fun, and tasty!! After wearing it for so many hikes, I knew exactly where each nibble, lube, band-aid would be. That is a good sign of a loyal pack.

Here are some items I carried in my pack and on my own body for the 16-hour (22 mile) hike from Whitney Portal to Whitney Summit. My pack weighed in at 16 lbs. Other packs varied from 10-30 lbs!!!

1. Daystar Camelback 70 oz pack - link to item

2. 1.5 liters of water (in bladder)

3. bike bottle for electrolytes

4. walkie-talkie

5. food (the most important item): fresh fruit (grapes, apples, blueberries), powerbar energy blasts, half-submarine sandwich for the peak (super tasty), pita chips, chocolate covered pretzels, prosciutto, Joe-Joe's cookies from Trader Joes, power bar, MoJo bar

6. first aid kit/soft splint (i was a bit paranoid)/hand sanitizer/emergency blanket

7. hat/gloves

8. sunscreen SPF 100

9. windbreaker

10. blister defense (never had to use it thankfully)

11. bug repellent

12. headlamp (with extra batteries)

13. pen/paper

14. map

15. camera/cell phone

16. water purifier - should have used it more often. one can expect to drink 3-5 liters of water when climbing mt. whitney in a day. i was think i can get away with 2 liters but i always run out.

17. how can i forget.... 2 WAG bags! oh the shame!

18. TP & baby wipes

19. permit

on my body (besides clothes)

1. lipbalm with SPF

2. ipod shuffle

3. HR monitor (had during hikes - average heart rate was 100-120 bpm)

Train hard! Train Smart!