Mt. Whitney, East Face, Regular Route

By: Doug Artman | Climbers: Doug Artman (solo) |Trip Dates: October 31, 2002

Photo: Kim Grandfield

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Shivering, anticipation or fright? Or just the predawn chill? I sit munching a fruit bar in preparation to start. Not much to pack; a short rope, harness, rock shoes. I'm wearing most of my clothing, my light bag not quite enough to ward off the breezy night. Throwing a rock on the bivy gear to hold it down, I stumble off uphill. A good climbers' trail leads up through the boulders and moraines to the chute that gives access to Iceberg Lake. I am alone this time. I breathe easily, not spending any energy to share my thoughts. The entire drainage is deserted. Smiling, I feel I timed it just right, midweek, late season, no one around.

A break at the notch behind the first tower. Mountain boots off, harness and rock shoes on. A welcome companion warms me as I begin the first moves across the Tower Traverse, and I pause to let the warmth light my face. I glance across the void to the left. The snow aprons below the chutes of Keeler and Day Needles have metamorphosed to familiar blue ice. A narrow chimney leads to the Washboard. Time taken to haul my pack up after me. Up the Washboard, rock shoes now skating occasionally on the lingering snow still holding to the ledges from the early storms of several weeks past. I repeat to myself the mantra of the solo climber, make no mistakes...

Over the short wall at the top of the Washboard and down to the Fresh Air Traverse. Thinking the Tower Traverse was much more intimidating, I start across it. 20 feet up a crack with an old piton, the mantra comes into my head again, warning me "This can't be the right one", and I back down. Moving farther left I try another. "What the hell?" and back down again. I hand traverse a flake 30 feet farther left out over a vast void, more out of frustration than rational thought, and again come to a dead end. OK, back to the Fresh Air Traverse. This time I move right and up a broken corner. Ahead I see a choice of 2 more cracks. "Damn." I back down to try the left crack. Finally, sustainable vertical progress. I feel I must have been wandering this face forever. Glancing at my watch I see I've burned over an hour. But it's still early and after entering the Grand Staircase it's time for a break. Food out, rock shoes off, mountain boots on, view, awesome. Some time later I pull over onto the plateau that is Whitney's summit. Grinning hugely I survey the scene. Rock, sand, hut, sun and wind are my summit companions. Humming stupidly I head down to the Mountaineer's Route.