Mt. Whitney Training and Nutrition

Mt. Whitney summit (14,505 ft). Here's the preparation that went into it:

TRAINING HIKES

Make it easy on yourself and don't get overwhelmed with the overabundance of training hikes out there. If you're in Southern California focus your training on two hikes: Mt. Baldy and Mt. San Jacinto.

The best training hike bar none is Mt. Baldy (10,064 ft). No other trail in Southern California provides as much condensed vertical elevation gain like you'll see on Mt. Whitney. The hike is 10.2 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 3,900 ft.

Summit of Mt. Baldy Mt. Baldy Plaque

Another excellent training hike is Mt. San Jacinto (10,834 ft). This hike provides formidable high elevation conditioning with similar vertical gain as Mt. Baldy. Any other hiking activity is extremely valuable, independent of length or difficulty. Every hike you add to your training regiment elevates not just your physical capacity, but mental fortitude as well.

GENERAL TRAINING REGIMENT

• Prepare by hiking 8-10 miles per week with 5000-6000 feet of elevation gain.
• Run 10-14 miles per week.  
• Focus on building leg strength.
• Be able to carry a 40 lb pack for a two day climb.
• Beginners should give themselves 12 weeks to get in condition.

If you're on a current weight lifting program, shift to high repetition with lower weight and devote your time to more cardiovascular and core exercises.

NUTRITION

The success of your Whitney summit attempt will be based on 50% training and 50% nutrition.

Month Before Hike

Eat healthy. Cut out fast foods, soda, chips, etc. You know when you're eating poorly- there is not a lot of guidance needed here. Your body needs to be a finely-tuned machine for Mt. Whitney. You wouldn't put low grade gasoline in a Porsche, would you?

3 Days Before Hike

For the 3 days leading up to your Whitney hike you need to CARB LOAD. Carbohydrate loading is a strategy used by endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, to maximize the storage of glycogen (or energy) in the muscles. This doesn't mean you get to eat unhealthy carbs. Below is a successful and proven program for those 3 days before the big hike.

Breakfast

1 whole wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (71 g)

1 medium banana (27 g)

8 ounces fruit yogurt (41 g)

8 ounces orange juice (26 g)

Morning Snack

2 Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey Granola Bars (29 g)

8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

Lunch

1 large baked potato with 1/4 cup salsa (69 g)

1 whole wheat roll (40 g)

8 ounces chocolate milk (26 g)

1 large oatmeal cookie (56 g)

Afternoon Snack

1 Clif Bar (42 g)

8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

Dinner

1 chicken burrito with rice, corn salsa, and black beans (105 g)

1 2-ounce bag Swedish Fish (51 g)

Carb Total: 611 g

Day Of Hike

YOU DO NOT WANT TO HIT THE WALL. The harder and longer you are hiking, the more simple carbs you need to be eating. This goes for any endurance activity. The higher the intensity, the larger percent you are burning energy from your muscle glycogen stores. When these run out, you will hit the "wall", as well known in marathon runs for example. You simply have to slow down when burning energy from fat. So the key is to stop those glycogen reserves from running out. How do we do this? Carbs. Simple carbs. Sugar. Bread. These substances (foods with high Glycemic Index ratings) are the best for the same reason they are looked down upon when eating while sedentary: They will be absorbed into the blood stream very quickly. Carbs with fiber take longer to breakdown (and may cause stomach issues), and fat and protein have to go through other chemical reactions before getting into form for usable energy. Forget eating healthy the day of the hike. The day of the hike is not the time to start a diet. Eat strategically to keep moving up the mountain!

Common foods brought on a day hike include various "power" bars, bagels, trail mix, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, cookies, candy and energy gels. During your training hikes you should learn what works for you. It is important to snack often throughout the day. Remember you will be on the trail for 12-18 hours so plan accordingly.

Here's what I did before I hit the trail:

1. Woke up, stretched, got mentally ready.

2. Chugged a ton of water. First I chugged Smart Water (electrolytes) then I chugged Vitamin Water (Power-C is my favorite). Get the Vitamin Water with sugar.

3. Ate an entire whole wheat bagel with nothing on it and a banana.

Additionally, I suggest packing the following in your backpack:

• 1 liter of Smart Water (any electrolyte water is fine)
• 1 bottle of Vitamin Water (with sugar)
• Water pump (if you don't want to use a pump I recommend bringing 3L of water total)
• 2 Clif Bars
• 1 candy item (I brought 3 packs of Gushers. Gushers are awesome.)
• Tuna (the premade lunches that come with crackers are the most convenient)
• Small baggie of your favorite crackers (I'm all about Cheez-Its)

'What to bring food lists' are different for each hiker. Pack food that you love to eat. You have no idea how hard it is to down food at high elevation and exhaustion. Remember that you need to continuously eat on your hike to not hit the wall.

ACCLIMATIZATION
An absolute must in preventing AMS. For a one-day hike a reasonable plan is to arrive at the Whitney Portal campground (8600 feet) two days before the hike. For example, for a Saturday summit, arrive Thursday afternoon. Friday, take a leisurely small hike to 10,000 feet (Lone Pine Lake is good) and spend a few hours there relaxing at that elevation.

Two days before my hikes I stay at a nearby campground called Horsehoe Meadow, located about 30 minutes South of Whitney Portal. Horseshoe Meadow is a vast 10,000 foot high meadow, surrounded by lodgepole pine forest. Getting there is an adventure in itself; the road to Horseshoe Meadow climbs over 6,000 feet, as it winds its way up from Lone Pine. Three campgrounds are located in the Horseshoe Meadow Area. Trails from Horseshoe Meadow provide access to the Golden Trout Wilderness and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.