Mount Whitney Part 2

We hiked up past the last water source. Now carrying all the water we can manage.

The view in all directions is staggering. Part of the Pacific Coast Trail intersects with the Whitney trail.

Sam Velde carefully walking on the edge of a very high cliff edge that blends in with the background . At these heights the altitude is affecting us all. Smaller steps , heavier breathing and more water breaks . The terrain is getting much more dangerous also . Loose rocks , high winds and the actual trail is getting much smaller and perched on the very edge of steep cliffs .

The Team working their way upwards towards the summit ....

Only photo i have from the summit ......... I always get quiet emotional reaching summits . Makes me think of family loved ones and friends. I usually sit at the top with tears streaming down my face . Right now i am the highest Scotsman in America unless there is another Scottish fellow climbing peaks in Alaska. Those mountains are the highest in the country .

After lunch and celebrations we started hiking back down towards earth .........

The hike back was brutal. Descents are always harder on the body especially with heavy packs. The crew are tired and in need of rest . This is where injuries happen . We slowly picked our way down into the valley and through the forests ...... We made it back to basecamp just before darkness absolutely finitos . We managed to climb to almost 15000 feet in under 24 hrs . Normally people do it in 2 days to adjust to the heights. Full commando style is a 1 day assualt but man i was destroyed after it ......

We all slept like Count Draculas that night after eating about 5 meals a piece ...........

Incredible mission with the best Mountaineering Team.