After ascending the 14,505-foot peak, one hiker slipped and fell down the 99 Switchbacks.
Mount Whitney is difficult year-round, however can develop into a real mountaineering problem within the winter. (Picture: Sean Holroyd / 500px by way of Getty)
Printed October 28, 2025 10:19AM
A hiker died on Mount Whitney on October 25 after toppling down the 99 Switchbacks part of the route and sliding over a cliff.
The 99 Switchbacks are a 2.2-mile part of the route that positive aspects 1,800 ft of elevation because it shortly zig zags upwards. Latest snow made this a part of the mountain significantly perilous over the weekend. Along with the height’s current precipitation, Saturday’s climate situations have been additionally featured hazardous winds.
Wes Ostgaard additionally tried to hike Mount Whitney on Saturday. After encountering the brand new snowpack and windy situations, he posted on Fb, his workforce determined to show round. Shortly afterward, he encountered the physique of the hiker who had fallen. Ostgaard contacted his father who subsequently reached out to rescue officers, prompting the multi-day operation.
Inyo County Search and Rescue tried to achieve the fallen hiker on Saturday however the peak’s inclement climate prevented a helicopter touchdown, forcing them to postpone the rescue. On Monday, Inyo County and Mono County Search and Rescue members hiked 7 miles to the bottom of the switchbacks and confirmed the fatality, however inclement climate once more prevented the rescue workforce from carrying the hiker’s physique off the mountain. On Monday, a helicopter workforce managed to extract the hiker’s physique after climate situations improved.
Whereas some shoulder season hikers pack microspikes to navigate deteriorating mountain situations, excessive nation endeavors like Mount Whitney usually require using crampons and mountaineering gear to securely cross the height’s steep and unforgiving terrain.
“There are a number of activates that part, close to Trailcrest, when you can actually stroll off an edge,” hiker Chris Lombardo, who stated he had beforehand retreated throughout his personal climb of Whitney, wrote in a remark to Inyo County’s Fb submit.
Regardless of inflexible allowing necessities and the mountain’s distant location, hundreds of adventurers got down to hike Mount Whitney yearly. The height’s attract because the tallest mountain within the decrease 48 states paired with its majestic views usually attracts ill-prepared hikers. In consequence, the mountain claims a handful of lives yearly. (Inyo County SAR didn’t notice what gear the fallen hiker was carrying, and wrote that “it’s best to not make assumptions relating to the occasions resulting in the restoration.”
Within the wake of the current fatality, SAR officers are urging hikers and climbers to arrange for winter situations within the Sierras. Inyo County SAR wrote that “Mount Whitney is already experiencing winter situations, together with snow and ice, very low temperatures, and frequent windstorms. The Fundamental Path is not an off-the-cuff hike however a mountaineering endeavor. The 99 Switchbacks are particularly icy and slippery and shouldn’t be tried with out correct gear, expertise, and preparation.”
