SouthWest Ridge

Scrambling route for the final push to the Mt Whitney summit. More direct and interesting than finishing on the hiking trail.

. . Could be nice for climbers who for social/family reasons find themselves joined into a team hiking up the Mt Whitney Trail.

. . Or whose partners are doing the SouthWest Edge route but want to avoid the exposure.

. . Perhaps could be done while keeping the difficulty as low as 3rd class, but likely more fun and quicker if plan on some 4th class moves.

. . If along the way decide to go for more difficulty or exposure, could move right, closer to the edge of the top of the vertical wall faces SouthEast on the Mt Whitney summit mass ->

See the route SouthWest Edge

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Leave the main hiking trail next to the notch between Mt Whitney and Keeler Needle, and head more or less Northeast up and up until reach the flat summit area.

Starts at the notch between Mt Whitney and Keeler Needle -- GPS latitude longitude approx (N36.5759 W118.2939) -- which is next to the Mt Whitney hiking trail.

Simple way to find it is to hike down from the Mt Whitney summit on the main hiking trail: WNW then SSW then ESE, marked by rock-stack cairns -- just under 0.5 mile distance.

Or if coming from the south from Trail Crest or the John Muir Trail, the start of this route is 2 miles north on Mt Whitney Trail from the junction of the John Muir Trail (coming up from the west) with the Mt Whitney Trail (coming down from the south a very short ways past Trail Crest).

Protection for trad leading is unknown.