Why does nobody talk about the hike down from Mount Whitney?

I did the Whitney Portal trail last weekend and everyone online obsesses over the summit push. But nobody warns you that coming back down is brutal on your knees. I'm talking 6,000 feet of descent in one day with loose granite scree everywhere. Saw a guy blow out his knee about 2 miles from the trailhead. Why isn't there more chatter about training for the downhill part instead of just the elevation gain? Has anyone else wrecked their legs on that descent?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_taylor3d ago

Yeah man the descent off Whitney is no joke. I did it two summers ago and my quads were shaking by the time I hit Trail Camp, I was basically walking backwards down the switchbacks to save my knees. That loose scree above Trail Crest is like walking on ball bearings, I saw a girl slip and slide like 15 feet before she caught herself. If you're not used to pounding downhill for hours your knees will feel it for a week after. I started doing weighted step downs and backward sled drags before my last trip and it helped way more than just hiking uphill. Also real talk, trekking poles are not optional on that descent, they save your joints big time.

ryan_nelson3d ago

Dude same here, my knees were wrecked for days after. Poles saved me.

tylerr393d ago

What kind of weighted step downs helped the most...?