A hiker died on Mount Whitney, California’s tallest peak, on October 25 after toppling down the 99 Switchbacks section of the route and sliding over a cliff.
The 99 Switchbacks is a 2.2-mile section of the route that gains 1,800 feet of elevation as it quickly zig zags upwards. Recent snow made this part of the mountain particularly perilous over the weekend. In addition to the peak’s recent precipitation, earlier weather conditions also featured hazardous winds.
Wes Ostgaard also attempted to hike Mount Whitney on Saturday. After encountering the new snowpack and windy conditions, he posted on Facebook that his team decided to turn around. Shortly afterward, he encountered the body of the hiker who had fallen. Ostgaard contacted his father, who subsequently reached out to rescue officials, prompting the multi-day operation.
Inyo County Search and Rescue attempted to reach the fallen hiker on Saturday, but the peak’s inclement weather prevented a helicopter landing, forcing them to postpone the rescue. On Monday, Inyo County and Mono County Search and Rescue members hiked seven miles to the base of the switchbacks and confirmed the fatality, but inclement weather again prevented the rescue team from carrying the hiker’s body off the mountain. On October 27, a helicopter team managed to extract the hiker’s body after weather conditions improved.
While some shoulder season hikers pack microspikes to navigate deteriorating mountain conditions, high country endeavors like Mount Whitney often require the use of crampons and mountaineering equipment to cross the peak’s steep and unforgiving terrain safely.
“There are several turns on that section, near Trailcrest, when you could literally walk off an edge,” hiker Chris Lombardo, who said he had previously retreated during his own climb of Whitney, wrote in a comment to Inyo County’s Facebook post.
Despite rigid permitting requirements and the mountain’s remote location, thousands of adventurers set out to hike Mount Whitney every year. The peak’s allure as the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, paired with its majestic views, often draws ill-prepared hikers. As a result, the mountain claims a handful of lives every year. (Inyo County SAR didn’t note what gear the fallen hiker was carrying, and wrote that “it is best not to make assumptions regarding the events leading to the recovery.”
In the wake of the recent fatality, SAR officials are urging hikers and climbers to prepare for winter conditions in the Sierras. Inyo County SAR wrote that “Mount Whitney is already experiencing winter conditions, including snow and ice, very low temperatures, and frequent windstorms. The Main Trail is no longer a casual hike but a mountaineering endeavor. The 99 Switchbacks are especially icy and slippery and should not be attempted without proper equipment, experience, and preparation.”
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