Climbing Mount Whitney
I started this series about the goal and reason to climb Mt. Whitney.
First, here’s who’s going to be in our hiking party: We’re now a group of three people: Christopher T, Ron T, and me.
The dates of the intermediate climbs, as well as the rigor of the preparation have meant some folks can’t make one or more of the climbs before the big mother hike (BMH), or the BMH itself.
Second, as to the preparation, I’ve been busy with the program from the last post, Getting With the (New) Program. Having finished Weeks 7 and 8, I’ve now completed a 6-mile hike locally.
Week 9, this week, I’ll be walking 8 miles at Chapparosa Park in Laguna Niguel on Sunday. The hike is 7 miles round trip. I’ll add a mile by walking the street leading to the park as well. This should be a fun walk since it takes me from Laguna Niguel and end on the beach by the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel which is really in the city of Dana Point.
You get the chance to walk in the meadows between homes, as well as past a couple of great golf courses. If you’re interested, let me know and we’ll coordinate.
I’ve taken to tagging along one or both of our pit bulls on the thrice weekly walks. Jiggy, our male dog, loves the walks. He doesn’t seem to tire much from them. Given his muscular build, I’m not really surprised. I think he may just make it to the longer trips as well. Who knows, may be he’ll be our new fourth team member. I’ll just have to look into whether dogs are allows up to Mount Whitney. If not, he can at least keep me company on the local hikes. The latter hikes on the circuits get up to 12 to 14 miles round-trip. That’ll be good exercise for him. I certainly love the company and his happy nature to keep trotting along. He’s definitely a happy lug nut that keeps me motivated to walk!
L
ast, I’ve researched what equipment we need for the hike. It’s lead to a purchase of a new pair of hiking shows and the creation of an equipment list.
I’m especially fond of the new shoes, the Tiva Riva eVent. These shoes are comfortable and light. What I love about them is that they’re stylish enough to wear as semi-casual dress shoes. This way I can stick with taking a single pair of shoes when I fly out of town for work and still get my training in without a worry about ruining my dress shoes. They’re also very light and easy to stow away in a carry-on luggage, if I need to take them as an extra pair on my business trips.
I’ll likely wear my Columbia Dillon Ridge boots and the new Tiva Rivas interchangeably. They’re both water-proof and have fantastic gripping soles. I like the Columbia boots since they provide ankle support. This’ll likely be important on the walks in the hills, around rocks and loose ground. Time will tell as I continue to use both.
Now, back to the list. You’ll find it below. It includes the (in)famous 10 Essentials:
| Shoes | Lip Balm (SPF 15+) |
| Gaiters | Sport Tape |
| Socks | Advil |
| Thermal Top | Moleskin |
| Thermal Bottom | Band-Aid |
| Pants (Hiking pants – convertibles) | Bandage |
| Jacket (Wind Resistant) | Sterile Gauze |
| Hiking Hat | Tweezers |
| Wool Hat | Antibiotic Ointment |
| Fleece Top | Antiseptic Wipes |
| Gloves | Antihistamine |
| Sunglasses | Safety Pin |
| Sunscreen (SPF 30+) | Latex Gloves |
| Headlamp (LED) | First-Aid Book |
| Extra AAA Batteries | Space Blanket |
| Two-Way Radio | Map |
| Extra AA Batteries | Compass |
| Whistle | Altimeter |
| Bell | GPS |
| Day Pack | Extra Batteries for GPS |
| Wag Bag | Food: 400 Calories / 2 hours + 500 Calories / meal |
| Toilet Paper | Water: 0.75 Quart / Hour for 13-17 hours |
| Trekking Poles | Electrolyte powder |
| Camera | Water-Filter System |
| Inspect Repellent | Small Cup for Water + Electrolyte |
If you want the full list in a spreadsheet with my notes, email me. I’ll be happy to share it via Google Docs or email you a copy. You can use this as both a packing and day-of-hike final check list.
All of this preparation and research has only provided further lessons to use at work. Stay tuned. The business-lessons post is coming.