The DEADLIEST U.S. Mountain in 2024 is in California?

In May of 2024, 2 separate tragedies would occur on Mount Whitney in California, turning a mundane mountain that several thousand climbs per year, into a deadly peak. This is that story....
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[@susan7775]

A number of years ago my husband went to climb Mt. Whitney. He did not summit because a member of his party was having trouble. He elected to stay with her until the rest of their group returned. He was sad he didn’t ever so it, but he could not leave anybody who needed help. He’s never regretted that decision

[@T-rick]

What a decent human

[@charliebentura646]

Have summited this several times…many factors to consider…fatigue, slush, frozen terrain , winds…every time I have came across questionable situations. Always glad to summit but the mission is not over until we are back in our car.

[@kamakaziozzie3038]

I really appreciate your coverage of these very recent events. Since I live close to where this occurred, being well informed is something that is important to me. This literally just happened a couple weeks ago and I haven’t seen any videos that covered this on other mountaineering channels.

[@TYoung21]

That’s gotta haunt Ethan to this day knowing he left his friends

[@shanaolson1812]

@ImaRandomFemale how did they fall past the Notch when he must have been waiting there?

[@MarcoASierraSanchez]

​@@shanaolson1812i also did find some holes on Ethans story, but I'm sure the police who know all the details thought it was OK

[@T-rick]

​@user-lq7hi9zn8e So is he is to blame for doing any wrongdoing? Or did his w friends make a mistake on their own?

[@andrearoyd2942]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

[@adambane1719]

Thats what they said about your gf !

[@JerrySabo-zn3in]

AMEN!

[@gordo2022]

The philosophy of cowards

[@rosssmith8481]

A sub story out of this is the fact that in the last few years all along the westcoast spring weather is colder than normal. Winters have hung on longer.

[@laurierosejones9531]

The rivers, lakes, and streams stay really cold because of low overnight temps. People need to wade in. Too many people gasp and drown. 😢

[@jsEMCsquared]

I've been binging on your channel! This just happened this may- and when you said "this year" I realized that this is not a robot voice cause it was a natural human reaction to the story just happening. I applaud!

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

There is no such thing as a safe mountain.

[@AngelWest58]

or a true friend

[@iandavies3395]

Brokeback Mountain?

[@Nuttyirishman85]

@@iandavies3395Depends what part you’re trying to keep safe.

[@iandavies3395]

@@Nuttyirishman85 🤣🤣

[@JB-ot7sd]

Magic mountain? Definitely not candy mountain.

[@MrCbrehaut]

I was there the weekend before them. Conditions on the final 400 were perfect. We had a rope and all repelled off the rocky peak. We then went backwards down the 400ft with two ice axes.

[@alu.minium521]

A buddy from work was a volunteer with Inyo county search and rescue. He had many trips, overnights, and stories about that mountain.

[@leannsfearcocktail9420]

I enjoy watching your channel and the content. Thanks for the video!!!

[@danielpaulson8838]

I soloed Whitney about ten years ago. It was a big day hike taking me 16 hours. But you can get into or stay out of trouble up there. I went up the 99 switchbacks.

[@bigwaidave4865]

I can’t believe on that steep section. There is no use of rope.! my God one slip and you’re gone. Why no ropes used on that last steep section ?

[@Howwhen_IQof9]

Mainly bc it's too slow and lack places for good anchor anyway

[@paulgrey8028]

Not necessary for experienced climbers who climb with crampons and an ice axe.

[@johnrossford7927]

This reminds me of that Alps story with the three friends. Similar outcome.

[@AngelWest58]

why leave your two less experienced friends to fend for themselves? Even on a mountain top people can't slow down or think of others for more than 2 seconds... hurry and hurry and wait and wait

[@roriemcfadden6097]

Didn't they act like they were so experienced & capable to? They sadly were over confident & should have followed him. Often, in a group there are some who are more aggressive, think they are always right, & are not team players.

[@Eric101k]

I agree with @AngelWest58. Ethan shouldn't have left his two friends behind. They'd probably still be here today if he'd remained patient and made sure they got down with him.

[@Foxyfreedom]

They were very experienced. I was on the mountain that day I turned around. Too icy at the top. Yet everything was beginning to melt

[@D3m3nz4]

​@@Foxyfreedom They may have been experienced, but they were still unsure enough in their capabilities that they asked him to come along, most likely for the final 400 ascent and descent. He should have waited. I have never been on a hike or mountain that I left my friends who weren't as experienced, even if I had to wait and watch them climb down.

[@Foxyfreedom]

@@D3m3nz4 I leave people all the time. Not everyone you climb with is going to match your capabilities. Some people turn around. I was climbing that day, I made the wise decision to turn around.

[@Ro6entX]

I live only few hours away from that place but nope, no desire to hike/climb it.

[@Leone_510__]

It's easy. Just wait till July instead of May.

[@JimL2883]

@@Leone_510__Do you have to get a permit to hike the normal route?

[@jeffreycarman2185]

Anything can happen at anytime on a mountain. Especially on a technical descent like the final 400. Rockfall is very much about timing and luck.

[@JB-rt4mx]

Saffetey fi de Bebbes na gwan fells

[@aliensoup2420]

This story doesn't make sense. The final 400 is directly above the Notch and visible from the platform. If their friend was waiting there, he could have seen them descending. It is possible they attempted to descend from the backside taking the "easy walkover" across a steep slope beyond the notch. Or they descended after he left the notch.

[@Howwhen_IQof9]

he never saw them coming down, and yeah they were found on the other side, think the community consensus is that they tried to do the traverse instead and slipped there.

[@Leone_510__]

I climed it three times, but it was in late june, and july. The common route is really easy if theres no snow. The first time i did it there was a lot of snow right before the summit. It was slow going for about 150 yards.

[@JimL2883]

Does the common route require a permit?

[@Leone_510__]

@@JimL2883 yes it does if. I think it's 20 bucks

[@JimL2883]

@@Leone_510__ Thanks for the info. Is there a waiting list? I don’t know when I would be out West, but hoping within a year. I would love to hike this on the common route with minimal snow.

[@Leone_510__]

@@JimL2883 I don't think there's a waiting list. I've never climbed from the east before. I've only climbed from the west. You'll be climbing from the east. It'll be a long haul. You can look it up just look up mt Whitney Portal o think it is.

[@gilray1977]

He moved faster so left them. Waited but they didn't show up so he completely bails on them and ski off into the lower, warmer, safer elevations. Strike 1, 2 and three ! That's not a 'partner' and that is not simply 'just mountaineering ! You are safer solo climbing than you are with an antagonist. At least solo you make your own judgment calls without the pressure of someone with terrible judgement !

[@Mr.Event501]

😂 I live in Lone Pine right at the base of Mt. Whitney

[@kc72186]

More to this story, I can think of no good reason for him to leave the other 2.

[@anniehills3580]

1000 feet!???😢😮😮

[@FrederickTheGrt]

My wife is a climber, she always brings her crampons.

[@danielpaulson8838]

Shasta - Pronounced with a long A. Shasta not Shosta.

[@hodad924]

I’m climbing the Mountaineers Route this Monday 6/3; the chute reaches 35 deg and the final 400 reaches 70. We’re likely to turn around at the notch unless there’s no snow. Wish us luck! P.s. 25% of the footage in this video is from Mt Everest and about half is not from the MR.

[@Howwhen_IQof9]

did you send it?

[@hodad924]

@@Howwhen_IQof9 unfortunately didn’t. Got to Iceberg lake at 730am (left UBS at 5) and was posting into the early chute so we turned back. Perfect weather tho.

[@Howwhen_IQof9]

@@hodad924 how was the condition? sloshy or dry? and hope you still had a nice weekend lol

[@purple-headedyogurtslinger2683]

I plan to summit Mount Whitney in the fall. My experience is on 14ers in Colorado and I summited Mount Elbert last fall. Does anybody who has climbed it before have any advice?

[@aliensoup2420]

It depends on which route you are planning to take. If you are taking the Main Trail (21 miles RT), plan according to your normal hiking pace. Determine how long you think you need from trailhead to summit, including rest and lunch breaks, then determine what part of the hike you prefer to do in the dark. That will determine your start time. Hikers usually start in early morning around 2 am, but I think that is too early, as you miss some of the best views hiking in the dark. 4 - 5 am start time gets you to the Lone Pine Lake permit zone by dawn, and you can do the rest of the hike in daylight. Trail Camp is about a 4 hour hike - stop there for an hour to rest, get water, eat lunch, acclimate, and poop. Leave Trail Camp by 9 am to summit by 12:30 - 1 pm. Wear a rock helmet on the switchbacks and upper traverse trail. Get off the summit by 1:30 - 2 pm to make the Portal by 8pm sunset. The hike down takes about 6 hours at a brisk walking pace. 16 hours is a common and un-rushed roundtrip time. The Mountaineers Route is a different story. The beginning trail is difficult to navigate and involves some bush-wacking, and sighting trail markers. It is advisable to do this after dawn while you have some daylight. The E. Ledges are dicey and require careful stepping and navigation - not advisable to do in the dark. Wear a climbing helmet. The MR is shorter by distance than the main trail, but takes just as long because of the direct steepness and climbing. Plan accordingly. When ascending the trough above Iceberg Lake, do not go directly up the trough. Take the rocky ridge to the left of the trough all the way up to the visible notch at the top. The trough is the route snow-hikers take in the spring. The snow makes it easier to climb, but after the snow melts it is mostly loose rock and dirt. At the final 400, take a path to the extreme left. The right is usually covered in ice, even into the autumn season.

[@purple-headedyogurtslinger2683]

@@aliensoup2420 thank you so much for the input. Would you recommend an ice axe? I only planned on carrying trek poles

[@aliensoup2420]

@@purple-headedyogurtslinger2683 All snow is melted from the trail by fall (late Sept-Oct). I've been on the trail in late Aug. and Sept and only saw a few stubborn patches of snow at the very top that are easily walked around. The only place of concern are the cables on the switchbacks that have ice nearly year round, but that is patchy and mostly melted away by Sept. An ice ax or crampons at that time are dead weight. It can snow in Sept, but if it is enough to be a concern you will either cancel your hike, or plan to tough it out, in which case you could bring your snow gear just in case, but leave it behind if the weather is good. I canceled on hike in Sept due to a sudden snow storm that dropped 3 ft on the mountain overnight. That is basically a non-starter, since the trail is completely obscured. There is a video somewhere documenting the trail conditions that day (Sept. 2007). On the MR the only possible snow or ice of concern that late in the year is on the final 400 and the walk-over traverse.

[@aliensoup2420]

@@purple-headedyogurtslinger2683 The only time an ice axe is needed on the Main Trail is for ascending/descending the chute instead of the switchbacks, and that can only be done when there is sufficient snow, during spring and early summer.

[@leanderrowe2800]

56% of deaths occurred during the descent.

[@newbirth35]

The first “a” is Shasta is pronounced like “sah sh ta.”

[@turdeaugottago114]

may snow is a spring storm....

[@adambane1719]

May no harm spring from any storm

[@FAB13]

The volume of the news clip is way way too quiet. Great work otherwise.

[@MikeHunt-fo3ow]

i lost a nipple on mt whitney its ok i had 3

[@kamakaziozzie3038]

Always nice to have extra appendages👍 I also try to keep a spare whenever possible

[@JohnR-s9y]

I found it. Thanks for the free jerky

[@LilyGazou]

AI videos now.

[@johne3735]

Why do u think it is?

[@TwoBs]

Stock/b-roll footage of people climbing a mountain ≠ AI. I’m starting to think people just throw this around anymore without really knowing what AI even looks like or sounds like at the moment when it comes to audio and videos (and it’s not like this lol) because it’s the new thing to call out and accuse everyone of using … Also, if you’d actually watch the video and pay attention, you would have clearly seen in text on the bottom of the screen where it says “Actual footage of (location)” where there isn’t stock/b-roll footage and is instead real inserts of actual videos. That’s also the channel owner’s real voice talking over the video, as well, if you’re trying to go the route of claiming it’s an AI voice. Come on…. pay attention, please. Throwing such baseless claims around can ruin someone’s channel if people don’t bother paying attention and are gullible enough… You can tell when the voice is AI - the AI voice will be very monotone and soulless, forced exclamations and emphasis on certain words because it’s been typed out a certain way to convey a forced robotic emotion, weird unnecessary pauses, pronunciation is always a certain way (and often sounds “proper” with no dialect, which everyone has), zero mouth sounds/quirks, etc… This guy’s voice has specific pronunciations, certain speech patterns and quirks, and has certain audible cues that makes it obvious it’s a real person. Even if someone trains an AI using their own voice, trust me, you’re going to know when it’s fake … but this isn’t it, chief.